The May 19, 2013 tornado
EF4Cleveland and Pottawatomie counties, Oklahoma
An EF4 tornado on a 23.0-mile path that killed 2 and injured 10. It was one of 27 tornadoes recorded in the U.S. that day, 2 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Watch how it happenedEF4 tornado · May 19, 2013
How it happened
Follow the tornado’s path, minute by minute.
The tornado
- Rating
- EF4
- Enhanced Fujita scale
- Path length
- 23.0 mi
- Width up to 1,500 yards
- Killed
- 2
- Along the whole path
- Injured
- 10
- Along the whole path
- Date and time
- Sunday, May 19, 2013
- 5:00 PM CST
The National Weather Service account
Written by the local Weather Service office after its damage survey.
The large tornado moved east-northeast into Pottawatomie County then curving northeast as it approached State Highway 102. The tornado moved through a mobile home park north of Independence Road after crossing State Highway 102. Just northeast of the mobile home park, a permanent home was destroyed with much of the debris blown well to the northeast. It continued northeast crossing Interstate 40 near the intersection of US-177, then curved north-northeast finally dissipating near Wolverine Road and Coker Road. One fatality occurred in the mobile home park, and another man was killed in his vehicle.
The storm system that day
A moist and very unstable airmass was in place over the eastern two thirds of Oklahoma, to the east of a dryline. Additionally, strong wind shear was present as a mid-level jet streak carved into the southern Plains. Several supercells developed along the dryline during the mid and late afternoon hours, producing large hail. Two supercells in central Oklahoma also produced tornadoes, including a few significant, damaging tornadoes.
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.