The November 7, 2011 tornado

EF4Wilbarger, Jackson and Tillman counties, Oklahoma and Texas

An EF4 tornado on a 17.4-mile path. It was one of 10 tornadoes recorded in the U.S. that day.

Watch how it happened

EF4 tornado · November 7, 2011

How it happened

Follow the tornado’s path, minute by minute.

About this replay
Local time (CST)—Historical replay — logged times
Distance—of 17.4 miles
Now in—
RatingEF4

The tornado

Rating
EF4
Enhanced Fujita scale
Path length
17.4 mi
Width up to 500 yards
Killed
0
Along the whole path
Injured
0
Along the whole path
Date and time
Monday, November 7, 2011
2:38 PM CST
That day
10
tornadoes in the U.S.; more on this date

The National Weather Service account

Written by the local Weather Service office after its damage survey.

This violent tornado continued northeast into Tillman county about 9 miles SSW of Tipton. The most severe damage occurred at the Oklahoma State University Agronomy Research Station. The buildings at the site were demolished, with most of the debris thrown into the nearby fields. The trees surrounding the site were debarked and splintered. Other damage was to the Tipton Mesonet site that took a direct hit. The wind speed maxed out at 86.4 mph before the site was demolished by flying debris. The tornado lifted about 3 miles NNE of Tipton.

The storm system that day

A powerful storm system moving through the southern Great Plains produced tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds and flooding across parts of Oklahoma and western north Texas on November 7-8, 2011.||The strong storm system generated severe weather including tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds and flooding from the early afternoon of November 7th through the early morning of November 8th. Several supercell thunderstorms developed over southwest Oklahoma during the mid-afternoon hours and moved northeast. One particularly nasty supercell thunderstorm developed over northern Wilbarger county in north Texas. This thunderstorm moved northeast into Tillman county, eventually producing at least eight tornadoes over a five county area. Two of the tornadoes moved near two Oklahoma Mesonet sites, both taking direct hits. The Mesonet site at Tipton measured 86.4 mph before it was destroyed. The Mesonet site near Fort Cobb measured 91.4 mph before it was destroyed. Both sites also recorded significant drops in surface pressure. Other supercells over southwest Oklahoma eventually congealed into a complex of storms and moved east into central Oklahoma. Numerous reports of high winds (92 mph near Clinton, OK) and hail up to golf ball-size were reported. The severe threat transitioned to a heavy rain and high threat after sunset.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Counties on its path

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database. Path drawn as a straight line from the recorded start to end point.