May 2019 Tornado Facts and Stats from NWS Norman

Preliminary May totals (as of 5/30/19)

Oklahoma 61
WFO Norman CWA (all) 37
WFO Norman CWA (OK only) 34
Average May in Oklahoma 23

Preliminary 2019 totals (as of 5/30/19)

Oklahoma 83
WFO Norman CWA (all) 46
WFO Norman CWA (OK only) 43
Average for Oklahoma Jan-May 40

We are still investigating quite a few possible tornadoes, so these numbers will go
up in the coming weeks

Tornado Trivia (State of Oklahoma)

• There have been eight EF2 and three EF3 tornadoes in the state in May for
a combined 11 “strong” tornadoes
o This is the highest number of EF2+EF3 tornadoes since 2015 (14)
• For the period May 17-25, there was a tornado in the state on eight of
those nine days (none on May 19)
• There was a tornado every day in the state from May 20 through May 25
• There have been four tornado deaths in the state in 2019
o Two near Blue on April 30, two in El Reno May 25
o All four fatalities were in mobile homes and all from EF3 tornadoes

Outlooks (WFO Norman CWA)

• 22 of 30 days had at least a marginal risk on SPC day one outlook
• There was a slight risk or higher on the day one outlook every day from
May 17 through May 29
• Every day in May except for three (May 2, 10 and 11) had some SPC outlook
(day 1,2,3 or 4-8) covering part of our area
Watches (WFO Norman CWA)
• 15 tornado watches included parts of our area in May
• For the period May 20 through May 26, there was at least one tornado
watch in effect every day somewhere in our CWA
• Each of our 56 counties was in at least three tornado watches in May, with
the majority (33) in six or more

Tornado Warnings (WFO Norman CWA)

• We issued 84 tornado warnings in May
o 2008-2018 average for May is 45. Max was 125 in May 2015
• 28 of those were issued from the afternoon of May 20 through the early
morning of May 21
• Only five of our 56 counties (Woodward, Tillman, Wilbarger, Murray,
Pontotoc) had zero tornado warnings.
• Atoka County had the most with 9, with Beckham, Washita, Greer and
Kiowa all having 8

Other stats of interest for May 2019

• We added 92 new users to NWSChat
• At 2:06 PM on May 20, we had at least 558 people logged in to our
NWSChat room, a record high number for us and likely for the NWS
• We did 15 emergency management/media partner webinars in May
• The webinar on May 20th had the highest attendance ever at 539