Locust Grove, OK EF2 Tornado – August 10, 2011

SPC Stats

Path length: 5 miles

Width: 400 yards

Fatalities: 1

Injuries: 2

Rating: EF2

County: Mayes, Cherokee

Two tornadoes were confirmed on August 10, 2011: An EF0 in Kimball County, NE and this EF2 in Mayes and Cherokee Counties in Oklahoma. The total path length was 5 miles. The tornado developed 5 miles SSE of Locust Grove in Mayes County. It moved into the extreme NW corner of Cherokee County and then emerged back into Mayes County. Early in the path, most of the damage was to trees and the rating was EF1.

When the tornado made that 2nd move into Mayes County, it destroyed a double wide mobile home. Debris from this double wide was carried several hundred yards downstream. The woman inside was killed. Two more single wide mobile home was damaged and two people inside one of them were injured. This part of the tornado had winds estimated at 125mph and was rated EF2.

Thu, Aug 11, 2011 – 1 · The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) · Newspapers.com

Storm Data Entry

Mayes County:

This is the first of three segments of this tornado. The tornado developed on the leading edge of a short convective line of thunderstorms that wasn’t undercut by cold outflow. It moved northeast uprooting and snapping a number of large trees within this segment in Mayes County and then moved into the extreme northwestern corner of Cherokee County. Based on the tree damage, maximum estimated wind in this segment of the tornado was about 105 mph.

Cherokee County:

This is the second of three segments of this tornado. The tornado tracked northeast across the extreme northwestern corner of Cherokee County, uprooting and snapping numerous trees. Based on the tree damage, maximum estimated wind in this segment of the tornado was about 105 mph. The tornado continued northeastward into Mayes County.

Mayes County:

This is the third of three segments of this tornado. As the tornado crossed back into Mayes County, it destroyed a double wide mobile home and damaged a single wide mobile home just north of the E590 Road. A woman was killed in the double wide mobile home and two people were injured in the other mobile home. Trees were uprooted and snapped and debris from the double wide mobile home was transported several hundred yards downstream. The tornado damaged another mobile home south of the E580 Road where it destroyed a greenhouse. Numerous trees were uprooted and snapped along the path until the tornado dissipated just south of the E570 Road. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in this segment of the tornado was about 125 mph.

August is one of the least active months for tornadoes in this part of the country so the intensity of this tornado was even more unusual. In fact, this is only the 4th strong tornado (EF-2 or EF-3) that has been confirmed in eastern Oklahoma since 1950.