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EspañolMAY 2007 TORNADO OUTBREAK
The 'May 2007 Tornado Outbreak' was an extended tornado outbreak that started on May 4, 2007, affecting portions of the Central United States. The most destructive tornado in the outbreak occurred on the evening of May 4 in central Kansas, as about 95% of the city of Greensburg in Kiowa County was destroyed by this EF5 tornado.[2] Greensburg Tornado Rated at EF-5 KAKE-TV The supercell killed at least 12 people including 10 in Greensburg and two in Pratt County by a separate tornado.[3][4][5]CNN, Storm-hit Kansas residents return home 6:30 am EDT, May 8, 2007, retrieved 7:50 am EDT, May 8, 2007. At least 60 people were injured in Greensburg alone. It was the strongest tornado of an outbreak which including several other tornadoes reported across Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas and South Dakota that occurred on the same night.[6] Thirty tornadoes were reported that night, which included some duplicate reports. Seven tornadoes were reported in Colorado on May 3 from the larger cyclone.
The outbreak did not end there; a total of 91 tornadoes were reported on May 5 in the same area. Most were in open country but one fatality was reported in Ottawa County, Kansas near a county lake. At least 10 more tornadoes were reported on May 6 in the same general area before the activity calmed down.
Meteorological synopsis
The center of Greensburg, Kansas, twelve days after being hit by the 2007 tornado.
This severe weather outbreak can be traced back to a powerful, slow–moving low pressure area with a warm front to the north over the central Plains.[7] On May 4, the low stalled over the High Plains and additional moisture coming from the Gulf of Mexico moved in behind the warm front and increased amounts of instability across much of the region, with CAPE values as high as 5,500 J/kg on May 4.[8] In addition, the dry line, which marks a divided line between the dry and humid air mass, was positioned over the southern High Plains. This allowed for the initiation of scattered supercells on May 4. High wind shear also allowed for intense rotation in the atmosphere. All the ingredients were present for the developing of supercell thunderstorms producing damaging wind, large hail and tornadoes. The Greensburg Tornado Environment on 4 May 2007 Davies, Jon
The Storm Prediction Center issued a 'moderate risk' for severe weather across western Kansas and small portions of Oklahoma, Colorado and Nebraska for May 4, while temperatures were in the mid to high 80s°F (near 30°C). The atmosphere remained capped for much of the day, but storms began to develop in the late afternoon hours in western Oklahoma and the eastern Texas Panhandle. The Greensburg Tornado Environment on 4 May 2007 Davies, Jon
A satellite perspective of the tornadic thunderstorms as they were developing on May 5th.
On Friday, May 5 the SPC issued a 'high risk' of severe weather for Central Kansas and central Nebraska, while a 'slight risk' for severe weather extended far beyond there.[10] The low pressure system in place moved northward, but the extending front had barely moved.[11] The storms were quick to develop. Severe weather reports were already coming in by late morning, and the first tornado reports came in during the early afternoon hours. SPC Storm Reports for 5/5/07 The most intense activity took place during the late afternoon and evening hours as supercells developed along a long line from South Dakota to North Texas. Over 100 tornado reports came in that day, along with hail as large as softballs and straight–line winds as strong as 90 mph (145 km/h). SPC Storm Reports for 5/5/07 The activity weakened in the late evening, but not before the last tornadoes were reported in Iowa in the overnight hours.
The low gradually weakened and became less conducive for severe weather development on May 6. Nonetheless, the SPC issued a 'moderate risk' for severe storms over parts of central Kansas and northern Oklahoma as the trough remained in place.[12] The activity was far less than on the two previous days, however there were still several additional tornadoes across the Plains.[13] The system finally left the area on May 7 and did not produce any more significant severe weather. SPC Storm Reports for 5/7/07
Confirmed tornadoes
★
★
★ 8 tornadoes were confirmed, but not rated by the Dodge City NWS.
Tornadoes reported
May 4 event
| List of reported tornadoes - Friday, May 4, 2007 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ' | | | | | | |
| 'Kansas' | ||||||
| 'EF?' | 'NW of Sitka' | Clark | 0132 | Reported by storm chaser. Confirmed but unrated tornado by NWS Dodge City. | ||
| 'EF?' | 'E of Sitka' | Clark | 0134 | Confirmed but unrated tornado by NWS Dodge City. | ||
| 'EF?' | 'N of Protection' | Comanche | 0148 | Rope tornado reported by storm chaser. Confirmed but unrated tornado by NWS Dodge City. | ||
| 'EF?' | 'NE of Sitka' | Clark | 0150 | Confirmed but unrated tornado by NWS Dodge City | ||
| 'EF5' | 'Greensburg area' | Comanche, Kiowa | 0204 Greensburg Tornado - Fact Sheet KAKE-TV | 22 miles (35 km) | '10 deaths' - Main Greensburg area tornado - ''See section on this tornado'' | |
| 'EF?' | 'SW of Greensburg (1st tornado)' | Kiowa | 0208 | Confirmed but unrated Greensburg satellite tornado by NWS Dodge City. 1st of 2 confirmed satellite tornadoes. | ||
| 'EF?' | 'SW of Greensburg (2nd tornado)' | Kiowa | 0234 | Confirmed but unrated Greensburg satellite tornado by NWS Dodge City. 2nd of 2 confirmed satellite tornadoes. | ||
| 'EF?' | 'E of Greensburg' | Kiowa | 0255 | Confirmed but unrated tornado east of Greensburg by NWS Dodge City. | ||
| 'EF3' | 'Hopewell area' | Kiowa, Pratt | 0302 | 21 miles (34 km) | '1 death' - Part of the Greensburg tornado family - ''See section on this tornado'' | |
| 'EF3' | 'NE of Haviland' | Kiowa, Pratt, Stafford | 0340 Greensburg Tornado - Fact Sheet KAKE-TV | 17 miles (27 km) | Part of the Greensburg tornado family - ''See section on this tornado'' | |
| 'EF1' | 'Phillipsburg' | Phillips | 0420 | 0.25 mile (400 m) | Tornado touchdown inside the city limits. A roof was thrown off and a trailer rolled. | |
| 'EF2' | 'SE of Macksville' | Stafford | 0425 | 13 miles (21 km) | '1 death' - Tornado reported hitting town by local media. One police officer died while warning the town. Greensburg Tornado - Fact Sheet KAKE-TV Part of the Greensburg tornado family - ''See section on this tornado'' | |
| 'EF?' | 'E of Seward' | Stafford | 0528 | Confirmed but unrated tornado by NWS Dodge City | ||
| 'EF1' | 'SE of Claflin' | Barton, Rice | 0600 | unknown | Damage reported to several structures including a church steeple. | |
| 'EF0' | 'SW of Great Bend' (1st tornado) | Barton | 0600 | unknown | A house lost its roof. Trees and power lines down. | |
| 'EF1' | 'SW of Claflin' | Barton | 0633 | unknown | Moderate to heavy damage, including grain bins thrown and trees knocked down. Several houses damaged, including roofs thrown off. | |
| 'EF0' | 'N of Holyrood' | Ellsworth | 0708 | unknown | trees and power lines down | |
| 'Oklahoma' | ||||||
| 'EF?' | 'SW of Arnett' | Ellis | 2321 | Tornado was caught by media cameras. One storm chaser filmed the tornado as it was only 50 to 100 yards away from the cyclone as it was moving through open fields destroying small trees. | ||
| 'EF?' | 'E of Arnett' | Ellis | 2345 | Two buildings and a house were damaged. | ||
| Sources:Storm reports of May 4, 2007, NWS Wichita, NWS Hastings NWS Dodge City - Greensburg EF5 Conformation NWS Dodge City - Main Greensburg tornado summary (update May 22nd) | ||||||
May 5 event
| List of reported tornadoes - Saturday, May 5, 2007 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ' | | | | | | |
| 'Kansas' | ||||||
| 'EF?' | 'S of Byers' | Pratt | 2148 | Brief tornado, debris cloud spotted | ||
| 'EF?' | 'W of Neola' | Stafford | 2222 | Possible tornado damage - tree damage and sprinkler flipped. | ||
| 'EF3' | 'SSW of Stafford' | Stafford | 2230 | unknown | Several houses damaged or destroyed by a 2 mile (3.2 km) wide tornado. 2007 Tornado Fatality Information Storm Prediction Center | |
| 'EF?' | 'SE of Hudson' | Stafford | 2250 | |||
| 'EF?' | 'Osborne' | Osborne | 2252 | 11 injuries according to National Weather Service and KAKE-TV in Wichita. Reported in Northern Osborne. The roof of a restaurant was blown off. [14] | ||
| 'EF?' | 'E of Portis' | Osborne | 2305 | |||
| 'EF0' | 'S of Raymond' | Rice | 2309 | unknown | Brief touchdown. | |
| 'EF?' | 'N of Belpre' | Edwards | 2312 | Wrapped in Rain | ||
| 'EF0' | 'S of Chase' | Rice | 2317 | unknown | ||
| 'EF?' | 'Raymond | Rice | 2322 | Two brief touchdowns reported | ||
| 'EF?' | 'W of Coldwater | Comanche | 2335 | |||
| 'EF0' | 'SW of Great Bend' (2nd tornado) | Barton | 2345 | unknown | Large and dangerous tornado on the ground headed for town but lifted before reaching town with little damage. Tornado emergency declared. | |
| 'EF?' | 'Haviland area' | Kiowa | 0015 | Tornado reported by KSNW coverage approaching town hosting Greensburg evacuees along U.S. Route 54. Briefly touched down. | ||
| 'EF1' | 'SW of Claflin' | Barton | 0032 | unknown | ||
| 'EF?' | 'Hopewell area' | Pratt | 0039 | Town hit again by tornado for second straight night. Damage unclear. | ||
| 'EF?' | 'E of Susank' | Barton | 0041 | Rain-wrapped tornado | ||
| 'EF?' | 'Macksville area' | Stafford | 0101 | KSNC reported tornado hit Macksville. | ||
| 'EF0' | 'W of Wilson' | Russell | 0110 | unknown | Rain-wrapped tornado reported near Interstate 70. | |
| 'EF?' | 'N of Dillwyn' | Stafford | 0115 | Large multiple-vortex wedge tornado reported. | ||
| 'EF1' | 'Odin' | Barton | 0117 | unknown | Tornado reported in town with damage to at least one house. | |
| 'EF?' | 'NW of St. John' | Stafford | 0133 | Storm chasers reported two wedge tornadoes. One tornado was still reported on the ground near Seward at 0149. | ||
| 'EF?' | 'W of Greensburg' | Kiowa | 0137 | Tornado on the ground approaching the devastated town. | ||
| 'EF?' | 'Trousdale' | Edwards | 0204 | Tornado reported over the center of the village. | ||
| 'EF?' | 'Ellinwood area' | Barton | 0205 | Several tornadoes reported in the area. One just missed the town. | ||
| 'EF1' | 'S of Great Bend' | Barton | 0222 | unknown | A roof was blown off a house and an outbuilding was heavily damaged. | |
| 'EF1' | 'NW of Bushton' | Rice, Ellsworth | 0249 | unknown | Minor damage to some outbuildings. | |
| 'EF?' | 'ENE of Seward' | Stafford | 0251 | |||
| 'EF?' | 'SE of St. George' | Riley | 0334 | Tornado reported north of Interstate 70 at exit 323. | ||
| 'EF1' | 'Westfall area' | Ellsworth, Lincoln | 0343 | unknown | Large tornado reported on the ground near Westfall on Interstate 70. Damage to a barn and shed. | |
| 'EF2' | 'E of Minneapolis' | Ottawa | 0440 | 5 miles (8 km) | '1 death' - In addition, five other people were injured near Ottawa State Fishing Lake. One camper was killed near a county lake and about 25 structures were destroyed.[15] | |
| 'EF1' | 'Miltonvale area' | Ottawa, Cloud | 0508 | 7 miles (11 km) | Outbuildings and trees destroyed. Three homes and a mobile home sustained damage. [16] | |
| 'EF1' | 'S of Enosdale' | Washington | 0600 | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | Tornado was embedded in larger microburst that produced widespread 80-100 mph straigt-line winds across the county. Damage reported to one house, several outbuildings and trees. [16] | |
| 'EF0' | 'SE of Great Bend' (1st tornado) | Barton | unknown | unknown | ||
| 'EF0' | 'SE of Great Bend' (2nd tornado) | Barton | unknown | unknown | ||
| 'EF0' | 'SE of Great Bend' (3rd tornado) | Barton | unknown | unknown | ||
| 'EF0' | 'SSE of Wilson | Ellsworth | unknown | unknown | ||
| 'Nebraska' | ||||||
| 'EF1' | 'S of Arnold' | Custer | 1723 | 18 miles (29 km) | Long-track tornado approached Arnold. Trees and Power lines down, damaged irrigation pivots. | |
| 'EF1' | 'E of Dunning' | Blaine | 1853 | 15 miles (24 km) | Tornado led to a traffic accident on Highway 2. Unclear if any injuries or fatalities. Trees and structures damaged. | |
| 'EF0' | 'S of Ainsworth' | Brown | 2022 | 4 miles (6.4 km) | Tornado reported by spotters. Propelled some calves through the air. | |
| 'EF1' | 'Springview' | Keya Paha | 2048 | 12 miles (19.2 km) | Several buildings damaged or destroyed including a bed and breakfast home. One home and several outbuilding sustained damage. Power lines and poles as well as an irrigation pivot was damaged. One person was injured. [18] | |
| 'EF0' | 'SW of Santee' | Knox | 2104 | 11 miles (17 km) | Damage reported to old and abandoned farms. Tornado rating tentative due to lack of road access in the area. | |
| 'EF0' | 'E of Bloomfield' | Knox | 2224 | 5.5 miles (8.8 km) | Minor tornado damage. A center pivot was flipped. | |
| 'EF1' | 'W of Crofton' | Knox | 2228 | 8.75 miles (14 km) | Heavy tree and power line damage. Several houses were also damaged. | |
| 'EF2' | 'NW of Crofton' (1st tornado) | Knox | 2250 | 5 miles (8 km) | Tornado replaced above tornado in the area. One house lost its roof and a business was heavily damaged. A marina was hard hit and boats were flipped or sunk. Several motorhomes overturned with two minor injuries reported. | |
| 'EF0' | 'NW of Crofton' (2nd tornado) | Knox | unknown | unknown | ||
| 'EF0' | 'SE of Bloomfield' | Knox | unknown | unknown | ||
| 'South Dakota' | ||||||
| 'EF1' | 'WSW of Carthage' | Miner | 2131 | unknown | Damage to outbuildings | |
| 'EF2' | 'E of Tyndall' | Bon Homme | 2133 | 3.5 miles (5.6 km) | ||
| 'EF2' | 'NW of Howard' | Miner | 2135 | unknown | Hunting lodge destroyed, farmstead outbuildings damaged | |
| 'EF2' | 'NW of Tyndall' | Bon Homme | 2143 | 6 miles (9.6 km) | Heavy damage reported to numerous houses, barns and outbuildings. Many trees knocked over. | |
| 'EF0' | 'N of Tripp' | Hutchinson | 2200 | unknown | Tree damage and irrigation system overturned | |
| 'EF0' | 'Dimock' | Hutchinson | 2210 | unknown | Tornado was confirmed by local police. | |
| 'EF1' | 'SE of Dimock' | Hutchinson | 2216 | unknown | ||
| 'EF1' | 'SE of Mitchell' | Davison | 2220 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Trees were damaged and a building lost its roof. | |
| 'EF1' | 'NW of Alexandria' | Hanson | 2241 | unknown | Windows reported blown out of houses and barns reported destroyed. | |
| 'EF1' | 'W of Yankton' (1st tornado) | Yankton | 2250 | 4 miles (6.4 km) | Tornado formed near Gavins Point Dam. Several houses were damaged. Considerable tree damage and a campground was impacted at the Lewis and Clark Recreation Area where one person was injured. | |
| 'EF0' | 'E of Mitchell' | Hanson | 2250 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Widespread tree damage and one house lost its roof. Tornado also crossed Interstate 90 at mile 335. | |
| 'EF1' | 'W of Yankton' (2nd tornado) | Yankton | 2255 | unknown | Tornado related to first Yankton tornado that took place in the same storm. | |
| 'EF3' | 'E of Plankinton' | Aurora | 2305 | 5 miles (8 km) | Severe damage reported to a hunting lodge and reserve, where buildings were destroyed and car trailers rolled. Also many pheasants died. Tornado also reported on Interstate 90 near mile 312. | |
| 'EF1' | 'N of Artesian' | Sanborn | 2315 | unknown | 3 outbuildings damaged or destroyed on farm, siding ripped off home, trees uprooted & power poles leaned over. | |
| 'EF2' | 'N of Lesterville' | Yankton | 2317 | unknown | A farm was severely damaged with 3 concrete silos destroyed. There were also numerous outbuildings leveled. | |
| 'EF0' | 'S of Gregory' | Gregory | 2330 | unknown | ||
| 'EF0' | 'SW of Gregory' | Gregory | 2330 | unknown | ||
| 'EF0' | 'W of Platte' | Charles Mix | 2335 | unknown | Multiple funnels in addition to the tornado. | |
| 'EF1' | 'N of Kimball' | Brule | 2340 | unknown | ||
| 'EF2' | 'Spencer area' | McCook, Hanson | 0023 | 6 miles (9.6 km) | Large wedge tornado on the ground in area devastated in 1998. Most of the damage was to a junk yard. | |
| 'EF0' | 'NW of Canova' | Miner | 0039 | unknown | ||
| 'EF2' | 'S of Carthage' | Miner | 0056 | unknown | A hog barn and a hoop building were destroyed. | |
| 'EF1' | 'E of Carthage' | Miner | 0056 | unknown | A pole barn was destroyed. | |
| 'EF1' | 'N of Carthage' | Kingsbury | 0103 | unknown | Several outbuildings destroyed. | |
| 'EF0' | 'NW of Wolsey' | Beadle | 0136 | unknown | ||
| 'Iowa' | ||||||
| 'EF0' | 'Glenwood' | Mills | 0009 | 4 miles (6.4 km) | ||
| 'EF1' | 'Imogene area' | Fremont, Mills | 0050 | 11.8 miles (19 km) | ||
| 'EF2' | 'SE of Carson' | Montgomery, Pottawattamie | 0140 | 11.5 miles (18.5 km) | A roof was torn off a building. Tree damage reported. | |
| 'EF1' | 'E of Oakland' | Pottawattamie | 0200 | 3.6 miles (6 km) | ||
| 'EF2' | 'Griswold area' | Montgomery, Cass | 0740 | 7.4 miles (11.5 km) | Tornado formed on the county boundary and was up 1/2 mile (800 m) wide at its widest point. Two commercial buildings were destroyed and several grain bins were flattened. Numerous houses were damaged, mainly roofs torn off. | |
| 'Oklahoma' | ||||||
| 'EF3' | 'Sweetwater area' | Beckham, Roger Mills | 0147 | 7.5 miles (12 km) | Large tornado damaged several buildings in Sweetwater, including the high school (a portion of which collapsed), a church and the post office. Eight homes were destroyed. An oil storage facility was also damaged. According to KOCO-TV, one person was injured in the storm. [19] | |
| 'EF?' | 'SE of Arnett' | Ellis | 0158 | Tornado reported by emergency management. | ||
| 'EF?' | 'SSW of Harmon' | Ellis | 0255 | Two houses were destroyed. | ||
| 'EF?' | 'Vici area' | Dewey | 0357 | Large tornado reported by emergency management and spotted by several storm chasers including KWTV's Val Castor about 2 miles north of Vici crossing Hwy 34. | ||
| 'EF?' | '6 S of Sharon' | Woodward | 0405 | A house was destroyed 6 miles south of Sharon. | ||
| Sources:Storm reports of May 5, 2007, NWS Topeka, NWS Des Moines, NWS Sioux Falls # 1, NWS Sioux Falls # 2NWS Sioux Falls (Map), NWS Omaha, NWS Wichita, NWS NormanNWS North Platte, Nebraska, Iowa 2007 tornadoes | ||||||
May 6 event
| List of reported tornadoes - Sunday, May 6, 2007 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ' | | | | | | |
| 'Iowa' | ||||||
| 'EF1' | 'S of Bayard' | Guthrie | 0937 | 1.2 miles (2 km) | ||
| 'EF0' | 'Thayer' | Union | 0945 | 4.2 miles (6.7 km) | ||
| 'Kansas' | ||||||
| 'EF?' | 'SE of Attica' | Harper | 1520 | Rope tornado reported on the ground. | ||
| 'EF?' | 'SSW of Medicine Lodge' | Barber | 2127 | Large tornado initially rain wrapped. | ||
| 'EF?' | 'W of Medicine Lodge' | Barber | 2140 | Rope tornado. | ||
| 'EF0' | 'S of Langdon' | Reno | 2230 | unknown | Tree and limb damage. One of three confirmed in the county. May 5th and 6th severe weather produces several tornadoes and widespread flooding. NWS Wichita | |
| 'EF0' | 'NE of Langdon' | Reno | 2233 | unknown | One of three confirmed in the county. May 5th and 6th severe weather produces several tornadoes and widespread flooding. NWS Wichita | |
| 'EF0' | 'W of Hutchinson' | Reno | 2300 | unknown | Brief touchdown - one of three confirmed in the county. May 5th and 6th severe weather produces several tornadoes and widespread flooding. NWS Wichita | |
| 'Oklahoma' | ||||||
| 'EF0' | 'E of Seminole' | Seminole | 0223 | unknown | Widespread tree damage. Several mobile homes were damaged, briefly trapping a resident. Roofs blown off two barns and power lines downed. | |
| 'EF0' | 'NE Oklahoma City' | Oklahoma | 0730 | unknown | Narrow path of tree damage reported, including over Lincoln Park Golf Course. Minor damage to a few structures amidst straight-line wind damage. | |
| 'Nebraska' | ||||||
| 'EF0' | 'Steele City' | Jefferson | 0630 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Tornado tracked through Steele City. Minor damage to many houses and businesses, mainly roof damage. Widespread tree damage. Tornado embedded in a larger microburst. | |
| Sources:Storm reports of May 6, 2007, NWS OmahaNWS Norman, Oklahoma, Iowa 2007 tornadoes | ||||||
The Greensburg tornado family
Storm history and damage
The storm that would affect Greensburg (located approximately west of Wichita) began forming after 5:00 pm CDT (2200 UTC) in the northeastern corner of the Texas Panhandle. It slowly intensified as it moved northeast through portions of Oklahoma, and then into Kansas. The first tornado warning with this cell was issued at 8:35 pm CDT (0135 UTC) for Clark County, Kansas. Several storm chasers captured the formation of a tornado southwest of Greensburg around 9:30 pm CDT (0230 UTC). The tornado apparently strengthened as it neared Greensburg, and at 9:38 pm CDT (0238 UTC), storm chasers reported that it had grown to over in diameter.[20] Several satellite tornadoes were observed as the very large wedge approached the town of Greensburg. At about this time the National Weather Service office in Dodge City issued a very rare Tornado emergency for Greensburg. A tornado emergency is the highest tornado alert possible and is used only for extremely life–threatening situations when a large and likely violent tornado is on the ground and approaching a population center. The tornado plowed through Greensburg shortly after it was intercepted by storm chasers. It was an estimated in diameter and was later confirmed to have been an 'EF5' on the Enhanced Fujita Scale (the highest possible rating). Based on the damage produced, winds inside the tornado were estimated to have been in excess of 205 mph (330 km/h). [21]
| 'State' | 'Total' | 'County' | 'County total' |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | '13' | Kiowa | 10 |
| Ottawa | 1 | ||
| Pratt | 1 | ||
| Stafford | 1 | ||
| Totals | '13' | ||
| All deaths were tornado-related | |||
The mayor of Greensburg would later state that 95% of his community was destroyed. Many houses were flattened or even blown away. Kiowa County Memorial Hospital sustained heavy damage, and as many as 30 people may have initially been trapped inside. A motel on the west edge of town, two schools, a tractor supply company, the Greensburg City Hall and other businesses fell victim to the violent winds and were destroyed or flattened. The city's water tower was completely toppled and smashed. The visitor's center at the Big Well (which is the world's largest hand-dug well) was completely destroyed. Train cars were also reported to be overturned and hazardous materials teams were called to inspect the wreckage. A tank car was carrying about 14,000 gallons (53,000 liters) of ammonia and the substance started to leak from the tank when workers were starting to lift back the tanker. The courthouse and the grain elevator were spared the worst of the tornado's effects. Meanwhile, the Greensburg meteorite, which was feared to have been blown away, was found and recovered a few days after. [22] The tornado continued north before dissipating, and by several accounts continued to grow as it left town. The total path length was , and the width of the funnel reached . [23]
Radar loop of the Greensburg supercell at the time it hit the town
After extensive surveys in the area, the National Weather Service office in Dodge City revealed that a second large tornado later developed just a few miles east of the Greensburg wedge. The new tornado rapidly grew to about in diameter as it moved northeast. In Pratt County the tornado destroyed more homes, including one that was swept off its foundation. The tornado also affected several other communities, including Trousdale in Edwards County and Macksville in Stafford County. The same supercell spawned additional tornadoes that caused significant damage across Barton County where it affected the towns of Ellinwood and Claflin about two hours after the Greensburg tornado. Another tornado later hit the Holyrood area causing additional damage.
After additional surveys, NWS Dodge City had confirmed 12 tornado tracks by the Greensburg supercell in Kansas alone on May 4 including the two satellite tornadoes and an additional brief tornado east of Greensburg at 9:55 p.m. CDT at the same time the main tornado was weakening and dissipating a few minutes after at 10:05 PM CDT. [24]
The new Enhanced Fujita Scale was implemented on February 1, 2007, and the Greensburg tornado was the first tornado rated EF5 on it. Including tornadoes from the older Fujita Scale, the most recent F5 to hit the United States had been on May 3, 1999 during the Oklahoma Tornado Outbreak, when a tornado destroyed Bridge Creek.
This tornado event surpassed the number of fatalities registered on May 4, 2003 during the May 2003 Tornado Outbreak Sequence when eight people were killed by three separate tornadoes that affected areas around Kansas City and points south and west of the city; the last major deadly outbreak registered in Kansas prior to the Greensburg event.[25] It was also the deadliest day and single tornado to hit the state of Kansas since an F5 tornado (which was also the last F5 in that state before this event), hit Wichita and Andover in Sedgwick and Butler counties, killing 17 during the Andover, Kansas Tornado Outbreak on April 26, 1991.[26][27] The Greensburg event was also the deadliest single tornado in the United States since a tornado hit Volusia County in central Florida on February 2, 2007 where 13 were killed in an EF3 tornado. It was also the deadliest day for tornadoes since 20 people were killed in six communities on March 1, 2007.
Aftermath
Hours after the tornado hit, Greensburg was judged unsafe and was fully evacuated. Some of the injured were transferred to hospitals in Dodge City and Wichita. The Kansas National Guard was called in to assist in the security measures. Over 100 Red Cross officials were called in while some worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the recovery efforts. Shelters were established at the Haviland High School and Barclay College in nearby Haviland, Kansas and the Oddfellow Lodge in Macksville, Kansas. [28] After the tornado, looting was reported in the community and at least seven suspects, including four soldiers that were not part of the relief effort and went to Greensburg on their own, were arrested and faced charges of burglary and theft.[29][30] A dusk-to-dawn curfew was put in place in the community after the tornado hit.[31]
Marine One, carrying President George W. Bush, flies over the devastated community of Greensburg, Kansas Wednesday, May 9, 2007.
The American Red Cross maintained a list of "Safe and Well" families at their website disastersafe.redcross.org.
[32]. Meanwhile, official also set a shelter for lost and injured animals as they reported to had found 163 animals alive in Greensburg after the tornado. [33] Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and President George W. Bush have both declared Kiowa County a disaster area.[34]
Insured damage from the Greensburg tornado alone were estimated at $153 million.[1]
Nontornadic events
Flooding
Rain amounts during the first week of May in the Missouri River Basin (courtesy of NOAA)
In addition to the tornadoes, widespread flooding occurred across central North America as a result of the same system producing continuous thunderstorms. There were two major reasons for the flooding: The storm system itself moved very slowly, having produced significant tornado outbreaks in almost the same places for three days, in addition, the storms moved along each others' paths, so one storm dropped heavy rains on the same place that the storm before it did (this is also known as "training").
Across portions of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa, rainfall amounts exceeded locally .[36] In northeastern and central Kansas, rainfall amounts approached 5 – 6 inches locally (125 – 150 mm). [37] [38] In North Dakota[39] , southern Manitoba and southern Saskatchewan, heavy rainfalls of 1 – 3 inches (25 – 75 mm) fell from this system from May 4 to May 7.[40] Similar amounts were reported in Alberta on May 3 and May 4.[41]
Some of the worst flooding affected Topeka, Kansas, where several rescues had to be made, and the Kansas City Metro Area, where several roads were closed. In neighboring Missouri, levees broke along the Missouri River which caused extensive flooding to hundreds of homes and the northwest and central part of the state. The National Guard were assisting on filling sandbags to protect homes, schools and plants across the state which experienced some of the worst flooding since the Great Flood of 1993 which affected most of the Mississippi River Valley. Torrential rains on May 10 had also caused flooding in parts of southern Missouri as well as in eastern Kansas. [42][43] The heavy rains also affected activities surrounding the Riverfest (Wichita River Festival) which postponed some events until May 14. [44] The Arkansas River reached record levels near Haven when it crest at 13.08 feet on May 8. Some flooding into low lying areas was also observed in the Wichita Metropolitan Area. Rainfall amounts in southern and southeastern Kansas also exceeded over a two day period on May 6 and May 7. There were several reports of farmers who lost several cattle who have been toss by the high water levels. [45]
In Aberdeen, South Dakota, nearly fell during the weekend causing significant flooding in some areas around the city. It was also the city's new 24–hour record rainfall, breaking the older mark set in June 1978. [46] The highest rainfall total was reported in Epiphany, South Dakota where as much as fell during the weekend.[47]
In southern Oklahoma City and surrounding communities, strong straightline winds caused damage to several buildings and downed trees and power lines in the early morning hours of May 7, with cleanup efforts being complicated due to flooding rains accompanying the storm. About 11,000 homes were without power during the event. [48] There were also reports of floods across many other areas in Oklahoma. Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry had declared a state of emergency for all 77 counties across the state due to all the severe weather including the tornadoes, the flash floods and hail.[49]
Snowfall
Snow was also reported across higher elevations in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska and Utah with local amounts of up to one foot (30 cm) across central Colorado.[50]
See also
★ List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
★ List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes
★ Tornadoes of 2007
★ Tornado Emergency
References
1. http://www.kansas.com/greensburg/story/102573.html
2. At Least 10 Dead After Supercell Tornado Demolishes Kansas Town
3. Police Officer Injured In Tornado Dies
4.
5.
6. SPC Storm Reports for 5/4/07
7. Daily Weather Maps, Saturday May 5, 2007 US Department of Commerce
8. CAPE/CIN (J/Kg, Saturday May 5, 2007) Davies, Jon
9. Tornado Watch 227 NOAA, National Weather Service
10. May 5, 2007 1300 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook Storm Prediction Center
11. Daily Weather Maps, Sunday May 6, 2007
12. May 6, 2007 1300 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook Storm Prediction Center
13. SPC Storm Reports for 5/6/07
14. Saturday Twisters Rip into Osborne KAKE-TV
15. Weekend Storm Total Climbs to 10 KAKE-TV, Wichita, Kansas
16. Severe Weather, May 5 NWS Topeka, Kansas
17. Severe Weather, May 5 NWS Topeka, Kansas
18. SEVERE WEATHER IMPACTED MUCH OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA SATURDAY NWS North Platte, Nebraska
19. Cleanup Begins Following Damaging Tornadoes KOCO-TV, Oklahoma City, OK
20. Barton and Ellsworth County Tornado Robb Lawson
21. Survivors sought as more storms threaten Plains CNN
22. Greensburg Meteorite Recovered
23. Search Resumes in Devastated Kansas Town
24. Greensburg Tornado Rated EF-5 (updated May 22) NWS Dodge City
25. Tornadoes of the Past
26. Sedgwick County Tornado Details
27. Butler County Tornado Details
28. Greensburg Suffers Significant Damage In Tornado
29. Soldiers Accused of Looting in Court KAKE-TV
30. Looting suspects arrested in storm-ravaged Kansas town CNN.com
31. Officials to tour area today; dusk-to-dawn curfew in place
32. Red Cross Safe and Well Website
33.
34. President Bush Declares Disaster in Kansas KAKE-TV
35. http://www.kansas.com/greensburg/story/102573.html
36. 24 Hour Rainfall Reports Received the Morning of Sunday May 6th, 2007 NWS Omaha, Nebraska
37. 24 hour precipitation ending around 7 AM May 6, 2007 NWS Topeka, Kansas
38. Weekend of Severe Weather For Central Kansas! NWS Wichita, Kansas
39. Precipitation Totals - May 4-7, 2007 NWS Bismarck, North Dakota
40. Public Weather Warnings for Canada
41. Special Weather Statements for Alberta
42. Missouri flooding keeps sandbaggers busy CNN.com
43. MODERATE TO MAJOR FLOODING EXPECTED ON THE MISSOURI RIVER NWS St. Louis
44. Riverfest Deals With Rising Water KAKE-TV
45. Record and near Record Flooding the 2nd week of May NWS Wichita
46. Record Rainfall NWS Aberdeen, South Dakota
47. Storm Total Rainfall Reports for the Weekend NWS Sioux Falls, South Dakota
48. Rain causes flooding; bridge collapse; power outages Newsok.com
49. State Of Emergency Declared For All 77 Counties KOCO-TV
50. NE Colorado Snow Event Recap May 5-7 2007 NWS Denver, Colorado
External links
★ High resolution Photograph of Greensburg, KS Wedge Tornado Under The Parent Supercell At The Time It Was Damaging Greensburg.
★ Videos and discussions of recent Midwest Tornado
★ Preliminary synopsis of tornadoes in Barton and Rice County (from the same supercell that formed the Greensburg tornado) (courtesy of NWS Wichita, Kansas)
★ Aerial photos of Greensburg, KS after the tornado
★ Additional Tornado damage and storm event photos (courtesy of KAKE-TV, Wichita)
★ NWS Dodge City, Kansas Greensburg Tornado Page
★ TORNADOES, HEAVY RAIN HAMMER CENTRAL PLAINS, MORE STORMS EXPECTED
★ Greensburg area tornadoes summary (courtesy of NWS Dodge City, Kansas - last update: May 22, 2007)
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