Late-May 2010 tornado outbreak
| Type | Tornado outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | May 22–25, 2010 |
| Tornadoes confirmed | 79 |
| Max. rating1 | EF4 tornado |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale | |
The Late-May 2010 tornado outbreak was a tornado outbreak that begun on May 22, 2010 and ended May 25. The storm system responsible for the tornadoes affected a large area from North Dakota to New Mexico. The system that caused the outbreak formed from a low-pressure system that was located in Canada.
Meteorological synopsis[]
On May 20, a strong low pressure system moved on to the British Columbia coast, bringing with it a cold front over the Rockies, although it produced no showers.[1] Two days later, on May 22, the cold front detached from the low pressure system and connected with a warm front from the Southeastern United States and another low pressure system over Wyoming.[2] Dry line activity increased over the Great Plains and many tornadoes formed in South Dakota.[3] The worst of these tornadoes was rated an EF4 pending further analysis.[4] The next day, on May 23, the warm front joined a portion of the cold front and became an occluded front. The cold front once again joined the Canadian low pressure system.[5] Dry line activity held steady and a number of more tornadoes formed across the Great Plains.[6] Many meteorologists believed that Monday, May 24 would be one of the most active tornado days. Dr. Greg Forbes of the Weather Channel issued an 8/10 risk of tornadoes for spots in the Great Plains. A front was stationed over South Dakota, bringing fast moving supercells and tornadoes from North Dakota to Texas.[7][8] The next day, more severe thunderstorms fired up, but severe activity shifted east and south. VORTEX2 was able to get valuable information when tracking a supercell that produced 3 tornadoes, each weak and short-lived.
Confirmed tornadoes[]
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 53 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 79 |
May 22 event[]
| List of reported tornadoes – Saturday, May 22, 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Location |
County |
Coord. |
Time (UTC) |
Path length |
||
| South Dakota | ||||||
| EF0 | NW of Bowdle (1st tornado) | Walworth | 45°27′N 99°49′W / 45.45°N 99.82°W | 2231 | 0.1 miles (160 m) | Brief tornado touchdown with no damage. |
| EF1 | NW of Bowdle (2nd tornado) | Walworth | 45°30′N 99°44′W / 45.50°N 99.73°W | 2316 | 0.1 miles (160 m) | A few power poles were damaged by a brief tornado. |
| EF4 | N of Bowdle | Walworth, Edmunds | 45°35′N 99°32′W / 45.58°N 99.54°W | 2321 | 6 miles (9.7 km) | See section on this tornado - Large wedge tornado heavily damaged one house, damaged several others, and obliterated grain bins and farm buildings. Several metal high tension power line trusses were flattened, one of which was torn from its concrete supports and thrown. Vehicles and farm equipment were thrown hundreds of feet and destroyed, and two large storage garages were cleanly swept from their foundations. Trees were completely debarked, with sheet metal wrapped around them. One radio tower was blown down as well. |
| EF0 | NW of Roscoe | Edmunds | 45°28′N 99°28′W / 45.47°N 99.46°W | 0010 | 0.2 miles (320 m) | Brief tornado touchdown with no damage. |
| EF0 | NW of Ipswich | Edmunds | 45°30′N 99°09′W / 45.50°N 99.15°W | 0048 | 0.2 miles (320 m) | Brief tornado touchdown with no damage. |
| EF0 | NNE of Beebe | Edmunds | 45°30′N 99°10′W / 45.50°N 99.16°W | 0048 | unknown | Brief tornado touchdown with no damage. |
| EF2 | NE of Ipswich | Edmunds, McPherson, Brown | 45°30′N 98°58′W / 45.50°N 98.96°W | 0104 | 19 miles (31 km) | Several houses were damaged and farm buildings, including barns, were destroyed. Trees and power lines were also snapped. |
| EF1 | N of Highmore | Hyde | 44°52′N 99°23′W / 44.87°N 99.38°W | 0104 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Several barns were destroyed and many grain bins were thrown. |
| EF2 | S of Hecla | Brown | 45°41′N 98°39′W / 45.69°N 98.65°W | 0210 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Several grain bins were thrown – one of which was destroyed – and two farm outbuildings were damaged. |
| EF2 | Winner | Tripp | 43°22′N 99°52′W / 43.37°N 99.86°W | 0211 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Minor damage in town. Two barns were destroyed east of town. |
| Texas | ||||||
| EF0 | NNW of | Pecos | 30°48′N 103°14′W / 30.80°N 103.24°W | 2336 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Minor damage limited to a few trees and shrubs. |
| EF0 | NW of | Pecos | 30°49′N 103°18′W / 30.82°N 103.30°W | 0115 | unknown | Brief tornado touchdown with no damage. |
| Nebraska | ||||||
| EF0 | SW of Sparks | Cherry | 42°56′N 100°16′W / 42.93°N 100.27°W | 0145 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | A rodeo venue was hit with a concession stand destroyed and the grandstands damaged. A metal building was also damaged. |
| EF2 | NW of Springview | Keya Paha | 42°56′N 99°54′W / 42.94°N 99.90°W | 0230 | 9.3 miles (15.0 km) | Several farm buildings were destroyed and others were heavily damaged. Power poles and trees were also damaged. |
| Sources: NWS Aberdeen, NWS North Platte, NWS Rapid City, NCDC Storm Data | ||||||
May 23 event[]
| List of reported tornadoes – Sunday, May 23, 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Location |
County |
Coord. |
Time (UTC) |
Path length |
||
| Texas | ||||||
| EF2 | SE of | Reeves | 30°59′N 103°25′W / 30.99°N 103.42°W | 2356 | 4 miles (6.4 km) | A few power poles were snapped, some of them into many pieces. |
| Kansas | ||||||
| EF0 | N of | Thomas | 39°15′N 101°22′W / 39.25°N 101.36°W | 0103 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Narrow cone-shaped tornado with no damage. |
| EF0 | S of Ruleton | Sherman | 39°16′N 101°52′W / 39.27°N 101.87°W | 0152 | unknown | Brief tornado touchdown with no damage. |
| EF0 | SE of Ruleton | Sherman | 39°17′N 101°50′W / 39.28°N 101.84°W | 0152 | unknown | Second brief tornado in the area with no damage. |
| EF1 | N of Goodland | Sherman | 39°28′N 101°37′W / 39.47°N 101.62°W | 0207 | 6 miles (9.7 km) | Stovepipe-shaped tornado visible from the NWS office in Goodland. A few trees were knocked down and an irrigation pivot was damaged. |
| EF0 | NE of Goodland | Sherman | 39°32′N 101°34′W / 39.53°N 101.57°W | 0216 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Narrow cone-shaped tornado with no damage. |
| Colorado | ||||||
| EF1 | NW of Springfield | Baca | 37°29′N 102°41′W / 37.49°N 102.69°W | 0112 | 8 miles (13 km) | Several power poles were damaged. |
| Oklahoma | ||||||
| EF0 | W of Felt | Cimarron | 36°30′N 102°54′W / 36.50°N 102.90°W | 0130 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Tornado remained in open country. |
| New Mexico | ||||||
| EF2 | Clayton area | Union, Cimarron (OK) | 36°34′N 102°58′W / 36.57°N 102.96°W | 0152 | 23.4 miles (37.7 km) | A feedlot, a steel windmill and three feed troughs were destroyed. |
| EF0 | SE of Clayton | Union | 36°21′N 103°08′W / 36.35°N 103.13°W | 0155 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Satellite tornado to the main Clayton tornado with no damage. |
| EF1 | W of Amistad (1st tornado) | Union | 35°53′N 103°10′W / 35.89°N 103.17°W | 0210 | 5.8 miles (9.3 km) | One house was damaged. |
| EF2 | Sedan area | Union | 36°09′N 103°09′W / 36.15°N 103.15°W | 0212 | 8.8 miles (14.2 km) | A well-anchored mobile home was destroyed and agriculture equipment was damaged. |
| EF1 | N of Sedan | Union | 36°16′N 103°07′W / 36.27°N 103.12°W | 0236 | 4 miles (6.4 km) | Fence downed and grain silo destroyed. |
| EF1 | N of Amistad (2nd tornado) | Union | 35°52′N 103°14′W / 35.86°N 103.23°W | 0259 | 8.8 miles (14.2 km) | Minor damage reported. |
| Sources: NWS Pueblo, NWS Amarillo, NWS Albuquerque, NCDC Storm Data | ||||||
May 24 event[]
| List of reported tornadoes – Monday, May 24, 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Location |
County |
Coord. |
Time (UTC) |
Path length |
||
| Nebraska | ||||||
| EF0 | Kimball | Kimball | 41°13′N 103°40′W / 41.22°N 103.67°W | 1734 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Tornado remained over open country. No damage reported. |
| EF0 | NE of Scottsbluff | Scotts Bluff | 41°56′N 103°30′W / 41.93°N 103.50°W | 1811 | unknown | Brief tornado touchdown with no damage. |
| EF0 | Gering | Scotts Bluff | 41°51′N 103°40′W / 41.85°N 103.67°W | 1816 | unknown | Tornado remained over open country, no damage reported. |
| EF0 | WNW of Kimball | Kimball | 41°16′N 103°48′W / 41.27°N 103.80°W | 1838 | unknown | Tornado tracked across a conservation area with no damage. |
| EF0 | NW of Alliance | Box Butte | 42°12′N 103°01′W / 42.20°N 103.02°W | 2011 | unknown | Tornado reported by KCOW radio with no damage. |
| South Dakota | ||||||
| EF2 | S of Howes | Meade | 44°30′N 102°07′W / 44.50°N 102.12°W | 1924 | 22.5 miles (36.2 km) | A manufactured home and a pole barn were destroyed and some trees and power poles were snapped. |
| EF0 | SW of Faith | Meade | 44°56′N 102°09′W / 44.93°N 102.15°W | 2000 | 5 miles (8.0 km) | Tornado remained in open country. |
| EF2 | N of Faith | Perkins | 45°10′N 102°10′W / 45.16°N 102.16°W | 2034 | 23 miles (37 km) | Two outbuildings were destroyed, trees were knocked down and farm equipment was thrown. |
| EF2 | SE of Meadow | Perkins | 45°26′N 102°08′W / 45.44°N 102.14°W | 2034 | 6 miles (9.7 km) | A rural school was destroyed. |
| EF0 | W of Shadehill | Perkins | 45°46′N 102°14′W / 45.77°N 102.23°W | 2134 | unknown | Brief tornado reported on Shadehill Reservoir with no damage. |
| North Dakota | ||||||
| EF1 | Grafton | Walsh | 48°25′N 97°26′W / 48.41°N 97.43°W | 1930 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | A light pole and several trees were snapped in town. |
| EF0 | Valley City | Barnes | 46°51′N 97°57′W / 46.85°N 97.95°W | 2029 | unknown | Brief tornado touchdown with no damage. |
| EF1 | W of Selfridge | Sioux, Grant | 46°02′N 101°58′W / 46.03°N 101.97°W | 2305 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | A farmhouse sustained roof damage. |
| EF0 | NNW of Fort Yates | Sioux | 46°09′N 101°41′W / 46.15°N 101.69°W | 0109 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Minor damage to fences and a mobile home. |
| EF1 | SSE of Tuttle | Kidder | 47°04′N 99°55′W / 47.06°N 99.92°W | 0200 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Several farms had damage to buildings and vehicles and trees were uprooted. |
| Minnesota | ||||||
| EF0 | E of Big Woods | Marshall | 48°19′N 97°02′W / 48.32°N 97.04°W | 1948 | 4 miles (6.4 km) | A few trees were damaged and road signs blown down. |
| EF0 | NE of | Norman | 47°27′N 96°40′W / 47.45°N 96.66°W | 1948 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Tornado remained over open country. |
| Texas | ||||||
| EF0 | W of Spearman (1st tornado) | Hansford | 36°12′N 101°16′W / 36.20°N 101.26°W | 0129 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | A few trees were damaged and some farm buildings were damaged. |
| EF0 | W of Spearman (2nd tornado) | Hansford | 36°12′N 101°15′W / 36.20°N 101.25°W | 0137 | unknown | Brief tornado touchdown with no damage. |
| EF0 | NW of Spearman (1st tornado) | Hansford | 36°14′N 101°14′W / 36.23°N 101.24°W | 0147 | unknown | Brief tornado touchdown with no damage. |
| EF0 | NW of Spearman (2nd tornado) | Hansford | 36°12′N 101°12′W / 36.20°N 101.20°W | 0156 | unknown | Brief tornado touchdown with no damage. |
| Oklahoma | ||||||
| EF0 | S of Tangier | Woodward | 36°22′N 99°31′W / 36.37°N 99.52°W | 0148 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Brief tornado with minor damage to trees and farm buildings. |
| Sources: NWS Rapid City, NCDC Storm Data | ||||||
May 25 event[]
| List of reported tornadoes – Tuesday, May 25, 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Location |
County |
Coord. |
Time (UTC) |
Path length |
||
| Texas | ||||||
| EF0 | SW of | Live Oak | 28°04′N 98°01′W / 28.07°N 98.02°W | 1630 | unknown | Minor damage to tree limbs and animal shelters. Fences and deer were thrown, two of the deer were injured. |
| EF0 | W of Dimmitt | Castro | 34°33′N 102°21′W / 34.55°N 102.35°W | 0052 | unknown | Brief tornado touchdown with no damage. |
| EF0 | NE of Dimmitt (1st tornado) | Castro | 34°35′N 102°16′W / 34.58°N 102.27°W | 0111 | unknown | Brief dusty spin-up tornado touchdown with no damage. |
| EF0 | NE of Dimmitt (2nd tornado) | Castro | 34°34′N 102°16′W / 34.56°N 102.26°W | 0114 | unknown | Brief dusty spin-up tornado touchdown with no damage. |
| Illinois | ||||||
| EF0 | NW of Laura | Peoria | 40°57′N 89°52′W / 40.95°N 89.86°W | 1911 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Gustnado-type tornado with no damage. |
| New Mexico | ||||||
| EF0 | SSE of | Roosevelt | 34°16′N 103°12′W / 34.26°N 103.20°W | 2113 | unknown | Brief tornado touchdown with no damage. |
| EF0 | SSE of | Curry | 34°28′N 103°03′W / 34.47°N 103.05°W | 2155 | unknown | Brief tornado touchdown with no damage. |
| Colorado | ||||||
| EF0 | SW of Towner (1st tornado) | Kiowa | 38°25′N 102°07′W / 38.42°N 102.12°W | 2131 | unknown | Brief landspout tornado with no damage. |
| EF0 | SW of Towner (2nd tornado) | Kiowa | 38°24′N 102°09′W / 38.40°N 102.15°W | 2131 | unknown | Brief landspout tornado with no damage. |
| EF0 | SW of Towner (3rd tornado) | Kiowa | 38°25′N 102°08′W / 38.41°N 102.13°W | 2132 | unknown | Brief landspout tornado with no damage. |
| EF0 | SW of Towner (4th tornado) | Kiowa | 38°25′N 102°08′W / 38.42°N 102.14°W | 2137 | unknown | Brief tornado touchdown with no damage. |
| EF0 | SW of Towner (5th tornado) | Kiowa | 38°25′N 102°08′W / 38.42°N 102.13°W | 2141 | unknown | Brief landspout tornado with no damage. |
| EF0 | SW of Towner (6th tornado) | Kiowa | 38°25′N 102°07′W / 38.42°N 102.12°W | 2148 | unknown | Brief landspout tornado with no damage. |
| EF0 | SW of Towner (7th tornado) | Kiowa | 38°25′N 102°08′W / 38.41°N 102.13°W | 2148 | unknown | Brief landspout tornado with no damage. |
| EF0 | SW of Towner (8th tornado) | Kiowa | 38°25′N 102°08′W / 38.41°N 102.14°W | 2155 | unknown | Brief landspout tornado with no damage. |
| EF0 | ESE of Sheridan Lake (1st tornado) | Kiowa | 38°26′N 102°13′W / 38.44°N 102.21°W | 2156 | unknown | Brief landspout tornado with no damage. |
| EF0 | ESE of Sheridan Lake (2nd tornado) | Kiowa | 38°26′N 102°13′W / 38.43°N 102.21°W | 2156 | unknown | Brief landspout tornado with no damage. |
| EF0 | ESE of Sheridan Lake (3rd tornado) | Kiowa | 38°27′N 102°13′W / 38.45°N 102.21°W | 2207 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Landspout tornado over open country with no damage. |
| EF0 | W of Towner | Kiowa | 38°28′N 102°09′W / 38.47°N 102.15°W | 2218 | unknown | Brief landspout tornado with no damage. |
| EF0 | N of Towner | Kiowa | 38°31′N 102°04′W / 38.52°N 102.07°W | 2320 | unknown | Brief landspout tornado with no damage. |
| EF0 | NW of (1st tornado) | Baca | 37°29′N 102°09′W / 37.49°N 102.15°W | 0152 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Several trees were damaged and windows were blown out of a mobile home. |
| EF1 | NW of (2nd tornado) | Baca | 37°29′N 102°09′W / 37.49°N 102.15°W | 0157 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Trees and fencing were damaged. |
| Kansas | ||||||
| EF0 | WNW of Horace | Greeley | 38°34′N 102°01′W / 38.57°N 102.02°W | 2317 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Very narrow tornado remained over open country. |
| EF0 | N of Tribune | Greeley | 38°36′N 101°47′W / 38.60°N 101.78°W | 2349 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Tornado remained over open country. |
| EF0 | WSW of Gove | Gove | 38°51′N 100°43′W / 38.85°N 100.71°W | 0106 | unknown | Brief tornado touchdown with no damage. |
| EF0 | SW of Gove | Gove | 38°49′N 100°40′W / 38.82°N 100.66°W | 0114 | 5 miles (8.0 km) | Rain-wrapped tornado remained over open fields. |
| EF1 | S of Gove | Gove | 38°49′N 100°44′W / 38.81°N 100.73°W | 0121 | 21 miles (34 km) | Long-lived tornado damaged power poles and snapped trees. |
| EF1 | S of Quinter | Gove | 38°50′N 100°20′W / 38.83°N 100.33°W | 0144 | 10 miles (16 km) | A center pivot was damaged. |
| Sources: NWS Goodland, NWS Pueblo, NCDC Storm Data | ||||||
Bowdle, South Dakota[]
| EF4 tornado | |
|---|---|
 The Bowdle tornado. | |
| Max. rating1 | EF4 tornado |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale | |
The EF4 Bowdle tornado started in Walworth County at EF2 intensity 4 miles west of the city of Bowdle, South Dakota. The tornado touched down directly on a farmstead and it was the most damaged structure in the immediate area. Several were destroyed. A residence in the area sustained roof damage but the building was not severely damaged. Moving into Edmunds County, the tornado weakened to EF1 intensity. Grain bins were tossed and destroyed. Debris was flung hundreds of yards from the tornado. A structure suffered some shingle and antenna damage. The tornado then quickly strengthened into an EF3 tornado 1.5 mi (2.4 km) NW of Bowdle. A large number of outbuildings were severely damaged or destroyed. Tree damage was widespread in the area. The tornado continued to move northeast and reached its peak intensity as an EF4 tornado 1 mi (1.6 km) north of Bowdle. Many houses and outbuildings in the area suffered major damage. Trees were debarked and cars were thrown into the air. Transmission towers were toppled. One of them was torn off its concrete footings and was thrown hundreds of yards away. The tornado then shifted directions and moved eastwards at EF2 intensity. A state radio tower was toppled before the tornado lifted shortly thereafter.[4] Based on damage reports, the tornado traveled a distance of 5.01 mi (8.06 km).[4][9]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Thursday May 20, 2010". Daily Weather Maps. Noaa.gov. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
- ^ "Saturday May 22". Daily Weather Maps. Noaa.gov. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
- ^ "20100522's Storm Report (1200 UTC − 1159 UTC)". SPC Storm Reports. Noaa.gov. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
- ^ a b c "Public Information Statement". Noaa.gov. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
- ^ "Sunday May 23, 2010". Daily Weather Maps. Noaa.gov. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
- ^ "20100523's Storm Report (1200 UTC − 1159 UTC)". SPC Storm Reports. Noaa.gov. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
- ^ "Monday May 24, 2010". Daily Weather Map. Noaa.gov. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
- ^ "100524's Storm Report (1200 UTC − 1159 UTC)". Storm Reports. Noaa.gov. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
- ^ "Bowdle, South Dakota Tornado (Google Maps)". Google.com. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
Categories:
- Tornadoes in Colorado
- F4 tornadoes by date
- Tornadoes in Kansas
- Tornadoes in Nebraska
- Tornadoes in South Dakota
- Tornadoes of 2010
- May 2010 events in the United States
- 2010 natural disasters in the United States