El Reno-Piedmont tornado
During the late-afternoon hours of May 24, 2011, a large, long-tracked and exceptionally violent EF5 tornado, commonly known as the El Reno–Piedmont tornado, impacted areas near or within the communities of El Reno, Piedmont, and Guthrie, killing nine people and injuring 181 others. After producing incredible damage in several locations along a path of more than 60 miles (97 km), the tornado was given a rating of EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with peak wind speeds in excess of 210 mph (340 km/h), although a mobile Doppler radar found that the tornado possessed wind speeds of up to 295 mph (475 km/h). The tornado was the first F5/EF5 tornado to occur in Oklahoma since May 3, 1999, when an F5 tornado devastated areas in and around the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.
What was the El Reno-Piedmont tornado?
The El Reno-Piedmont tornado was a large, violent EF5 tornado that struck central Oklahoma on May 24, 2011. It impacted areas within and near the communities of El Reno, Piedmont, and Guthrie. The storm killed nine people and injured 181 others. This event marked the first EF5 tornado to occur in Oklahoma since May 3, 1999. It moved across a path of more than 60 miles while producing significant destruction.
What was the El Reno-Piedmont tornado wind speed?
A mobile Doppler radar recorded peak wind speeds of 295 mph within the El Reno-Piedmont tornado. Researchers at the University of Oklahoma utilized a truck-mounted Rapid-Scan X-band Polarimetric radar to sample these velocities. The measurement of 295 mph occurred approximately 72 feet above the ground. While the Enhanced Fujita scale uses a three-second gust at 33 feet, these radar readings provide evidence of the extreme intensity reached by the vortex.
What was the El Reno-Piedmont tornado path?
The tornado touched down in southwestern Canadian County at 3:51 p.m. It tracked northeast through the El Reno outskirts and near Piedmont before moving into Kingfisher and Logan counties. The storm eventually dissipated near the north side of Guthrie. Its total ground path stretched more than 60 miles across these central Oklahoma regions. This track encompassed rural areas, oil production sites, and multiple highway intersections.
How many people died in the El Reno-Piedmont tornado?
The El Reno-Piedmont tornado resulted in nine confirmed fatalities and 181 injuries. Three individuals perished in vehicles near I-40 when the storm hurled their trucks hundreds of feet from the road. Two additional deaths occurred in vehicles just northeast of the interstate. Further fatalities happened in areas northwest of Piedmont as the tornado reached high-end EF4 intensity. Emergency responders located victims scattered across the path of the storm.
What did the El Reno-Piedmont tornado destroy?
The tornado destroyed homes, vehicles, and critical infrastructure including a multi-million dollar oil rig site. At the Cactus 117 facility, the storm toppled a 1.9 million-pound oil derrick and rolled it several times. It swept away homes along I-40 and completely debarked trees across its path. The storm also demolished a complex containing a scrap yard, auto repair shop, and grain storage facility. Damage assessments identified numerous leveled structures between El Reno and Piedmont.
What caused the El Reno-Piedmont tornado?
An intense upper-level trough and a dryline convergence initiated the severe convective storms. Atmospheric conditions featured dew points between 18 and 21 degrees Celsius and CAPE values reaching 4000 J/kg. Strong wind shear and high storm-relative helicity of more than 500 m2s-2 supported the development of supercells. The National Weather Service identified these instability factors as the primary drivers for the long-tracked violent tornado. The supercell originated approximately 93 miles west-southwest of Oklahoma City.
What happened after the El Reno-Piedmont tornado?
Following the event, operators at Cactus drilling rigs implemented new safety protocols for site workers. They moved to reinforce the roofs of change houses and positioned them to reduce the risk of structural toppling. The storm also generated major environmental concerns, specifically a large gas leak at a Devon Energy plant that required securing by nightfall. Recovery efforts focused on clearing damaged infrastructure and repairing the industrial sites impacted by the high-end winds.
El Reno-Piedmont Tornado Track
The mapped ground track below shows the surveyed touchdown point, damage corridor, and dissipation coordinates recorded by NWS field crews. The El Reno-Piedmont tornado traveled 60 miles across El Reno, Piedmont, Guthrie, Canadian County, Kingfisher County, Logan County. Coordinates are derived from the official SPC historical tornado database.
How many people died in the El Reno-Piedmont tornado?
Nine people died during the El Reno-Piedmont tornado.
What was the maximum wind speed of the El Reno-Piedmont tornado?
Mobile Doppler radar measured maximum wind speeds of 295 mph within the tornado.
What was the damage rating of the El Reno-Piedmont tornado?
The National Weather Service rated the El Reno-Piedmont tornado as an EF5.
Did the El Reno-Piedmont tornado have satellite tornadoes?
Yes, at least two satellite tornadoes rotated around the main vortex during its journey between El Reno and Piedmont.