Late-May 2010 tornado outbreak

Late-May 2010 Tornado Oubtreak

Type	Tornado outbreak
Duration	May 22–25, 2010
Tornadoes confirmed	79
Max rating1	EF4 tornado
1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale

The Late May 2010 Tornado Outbreak was a tornado outbreak that begun on May 22, 2010 and ended May 25. The storm system responsible for the tornadoes affected a large area from North Dakota to New Mexico. The system that caused the outbreak formed from a low pressure system that was located in Canada.

Meteorological synopsis

On May 20, a strong low pressure system moved on to the British Columbia coast, bringing with it a cold front over the Rockies, although it produced no showers. Two days later, on May 22, the cold front detached from the low pressure system and connected with a warm front from the Southeastern United States and another low pressure system over Wyoming. Dry line activity increased over the Great Plains and many tornadoes formed in South Dakota. The worst of these tornadoes was rated an EF4 pending further analysis. The next day, on May 23, the warm front joined a portion of the cold front and became an occluded front. The cold front once again joined the Canadian low pressure system. Dry line activity held steady and a number of more tornadoes formed across the Great Plains. Many meteorologists believed that Monday, May 24 would be one of the most active tornado days. Dr. Greg Forbes of the Weather Channel issued an ⁸/₁₀ risk of tornadoes for spots in the Great Plains. A front was stationed over South Dakota, bringing fast moving supercells and tornadoes from North Dakota to Texas. The next day, more severe thunderstorms fired up, but severe activity shifted east and south. VORTEX2 was able to get valuable information when tracking a supercell that produced 3 tornadoes, each weak and short-lived.

Bowdle tornado

File:Bowdle Tornado.JPG

The Bowdle tornado

The EF4 Bowdle tornado started in Walworth County as an EF2 tornado 4 miles west of the city of Bowdle, South Dakota. The tornado touched down directly on a farmstead and it was the most damaged structure in the immediate area. Several outbuildings were destroyed. A residence in the area sustained roof damage but the building was not severely damaged. Moving into Edmunds County, the tornado weakened into an EF1. Grain bins were tossed and destroyed. Debris was flung hundreds of yards from the tornado. A structure suffered some shingle and antenna damage. The tornado then quickly strengthened into an EF3 tornado 1.5 mi (2.4 km) NW of Bowdle. A large number of outbuildings were severely damaged or destroyed. Tree damage was widespread in the area. The tornado continued to move northeast and reached its peak intensity as an EF4 1 mi (1.6 km) north of Bowdle. Many houses and outbuildings in the area suffered major damage. Trees were debarked and cars were thrown into the air. Transmission towers were toppled. One of them was torn off its concrete footings and was thrown hundreds of yards away. The tornado then shifted directions and moved eastwards as an EF2. A state radio tower was toppled before the tornado lifted shortly thereafter. Based on damage reports, the tornado traveled a distance of 5.01 mi (8.06 km).

Confirmed tornadoes

Confirmed tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita rating

EF0	EF1	EF2	EF3	EF4	EF5	Total
53	13	10	0	1	0	79

May 22 event

List of reported tornadoes - Saturday, May 22, 2010
EF#	Location	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Comments/Damage
South Dakota
EF0	NW of Bowdle (1st tornado)	Walworth		2231	0.1 miles (160 m)	Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
EF1	NW of Bowdle (2nd tornado)	Walworth		2316	0.1 miles (160 m)	A few power poles were damaged by a brief tornado.
EF4	N of Bowdle	Walworth, Edmunds		2321	6 miles (9.7 km)	Large wedge tornado heavily damaged one house, damaged several others, and obliterated grain bins and farm buildings. Several metal high tension power line trusses were flattened, one of which was torn from its concrete supports and thrown. Vehicles and farm equipment were thrown hundreds of feet and destroyed, and two large storage garages were cleanly swept from their foundations. Trees were completely debarked, with sheet metal wrapped around them. One radio tower was blown down as well.
EF0	NW of Roscoe	Edmunds		0010	0.2 miles (320 m)	Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
EF0	NW of Ipswich	Edmunds		0048	0.2 miles (320 m)	Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
EF0	NNE of Beebe	Edmunds		0048	unknown	Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
EF2	NE of Ipswich	Edmunds, McPherson, Brown		0104	19 miles (31 km)	Several houses were damaged and farm buildings, including barns, were destroyed. Trees and power lines were also snapped.
EF1	N of Highmore	Hyde		0104	2 miles (3.2 km)	Several barns were destroyed and many grain bins were thrown.
EF2	S of Hecla	Brown		0210	1 mile (1.6 km)	Several grain bins were thrown - one of which was destroyed - and two farm outbuildings were damaged.
EF2	Winner	Tripp		0211	3 miles (4.8 km)	Minor damage in town. Two barns were destroyed east of town.
Texas
EF0	NNW of Chancellor	Pecos		2336	2 miles (3.2 km)	Minor damage limited to a few trees and shrubs.
EF0	NW of Chancellor	Pecos		0115	unknown	Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
Nebraska
EF0	SW of Sparks	Cherry		0145	1 mile (1.6 km)	A rodeo venue was hit with a concession stand destroyed and the grandstands damaged. A metal building was also damaged.
EF2	NW of Springview	Keya Paha		0230	9.3 miles (15.0 km)	Several farm buildings were destroyed and others were heavily damaged. Power poles and trees were also damaged.
Sources: NWS Aberdeen, NWS North Platte, NWS Rapid City, NCDC Storm Data

May 23 event

List of reported tornadoes - Sunday, May 23, 2010
EF#	Location	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Comments/Damage
Texas
EF2	SE of Verhalen	Reeves		2356	4 miles (6.4 km)	A few power poles were snapped, some of them into many pieces.
Kansas
EF0	N of Brownville	Thomas		0103	2 miles (3.2 km)	Narrow cone-shaped tornado with no damage.
EF0	S of Ruleton	Sherman		0152	unknown	Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
EF0	SE of Ruleton	Sherman		0152	unknown	Second brief tornado in the area with no damage.
EF1	N of Goodland	Sherman		0207	6 miles (9.7 km)	Stovepipe-shaped tornado visible from the NWS office in Goodland. A few trees were knocked down and an irrigation pivot was damaged.
EF0	NE of Goodland	Sherman		0216	2 miles (3.2 km)	Narrow cone-shaped tornado with no damage.
Colorado
EF1	NW of Springfield	Baca		0112	8 miles (13 km)	Several power poles were damaged.
Oklahoma
EF0	W of Felt	Cimarron		0130	2 miles (3.2 km)	Tornado remained in open country.
New Mexico
EF2	Clayton area	Union, Cimarron (OK)		0152	23.4 miles (37.7 km)	A feedlot, a steel windmill and three feed troughs were destroyed.
EF0	SE of Clayton	Union		0155	3 miles (4.8 km)	Satellite tornado to the main Clayton tornado with no damage.
EF1	W of Amistad (1st tornado)	Union		0210	5.8 miles (9.3 km)	One house was damaged.
EF2	Sedan area	Union		0212	8.8 miles (14.2 km)	A well-anchored mobile home was destroyed and agriculture equipment was damaged.
EF1	N of Sedan	Union		0236	4 miles (6.4 km)	Fence downed and grain silo destroyed.
EF1	N of Amistad (2nd tornado)	Union		0259	8.8 miles (14.2 km)	Minor damage reported.
Sources: NWS Pueblo, NWS Amarillo, NWS Albuquerque, NCDC Storm Data

May 24 event

List of reported tornadoes - Monday, May 24, 2010
EF#	Location	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Comments/Damage
Nebraska
EF0	Kimball	Kimball		1734	1 mile (1.6 km)	Tornado remained over open country. No damage reported.
EF0	NE of Scottsbluff	Scotts Bluff		1811	unknown	Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
EF0	Gering	Scotts Bluff		1816	unknown	Tornado remained over open country, no damage reported.
EF0	WNW of Kimball	Kimball		1838	unknown	Tornado tracked across a conservation area with no damage.
EF0	NW of Alliance	Box Butte		2011	unknown	Tornado reported by KCOW radio with no damage.
South Dakota
EF2	S of Howes	Meade		1924	22.5 miles (36.2 km)	A manufactured home and a pole barn were destroyed and some trees and power poles were snapped.
EF0	SW of Faith	Meade		2000	5 miles (8.0 km)	Tornado remained in open country.
EF2	N of Faith	Perkins		2034	23 miles (37 km)	Two outbuildings were destroyed, trees were knocked down and farm equipment was thrown.
EF2	SE of Meadow	Perkins		2034	6 miles (9.7 km)	A rural school was destroyed.
EF0	W of Shadehill	Perkins		2134	unknown	Brief tornado reported on Shadehill Reservoir with no damage.
North Dakota
EF1	Grafton	Walsh		1930	3 miles (4.8 km)	A light pole and several trees were snapped in town.
EF0	Valley City	Barnes		2029	unknown	Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
EF1	W of Selfridge	Sioux, Grant		2305	2 miles (3.2 km)	A farmhouse sustained roof damage.
EF0	NNW of Fort Yates	Sioux		0109	1 mile (1.6 km)	Minor damage to fences and a mobile home.
EF1	SSE of Tuttle	Kidder		0200	2 miles (3.2 km)	Several farms had damage to buildings and vehicles and trees were uprooted.
Minnesota
EF0	E of Big Woods	Marshall		1948	4 miles (6.4 km)	A few trees were damaged and road signs blown down.
EF0	NE of Halsted	Norman		1948	1 mile (1.6 km)	Tornado remained over open country.
Texas
EF0	W of Spearman (1st tornado)	Hansford		0129	3 miles (4.8 km)	A few trees were damaged and some farm buildings were damaged.
EF0	W of Spearman (2nd tornado)	Hansford		0137	unknown	Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
EF0	NW of Spearman (1st tornado)	Hansford		0147	unknown	Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
EF0	NW of Spearman (2nd tornado)	Hansford		0156	unknown	Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
Oklahoma
EF0	S of Tangier	Woodward		0148	3 miles (4.8 km)	Brief tornado with minor damage to trees and farm buildings.
Sources: NWS Rapid City, NCDC Storm Data

May 25 event

List of reported tornadoes - Tuesday, May 25, 2010
EF#	Location	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Comments/Damage
Texas
EF0	SW of Lagarteo	Live Oak		1630	unknown	Minor damage to tree limbs and animal shelters. Fences and deer were thrown, two of the deer were injured.
EF0	W of Dimmitt	Castro		0052	unknown	Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
EF0	NE of Dimmitt (1st tornado)	Castro		0111	unknown	Brief dusty spin-up tornado touchdown with no damage.
EF0	NE of Dimmitt (2nd tornado)	Castro		0114	unknown	Brief dusty spin-up tornado touchdown with no damage.
Illinois
EF0	NW of Laura	Peoria		1911	1 mile (1.6 km)	Gustnado-type tornado with no damage.
New Mexico
EF0	SSE of Cameo	Roosevelt		2113	unknown	Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
EF0	SSE of Pleasant Hill	Curry		2155	unknown	Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
Colorado
EF0	SW of Towner (1st tornado)	Kiowa		2131	unknown	Brief landspout tornado with no damage.
EF0	SW of Towner (2nd tornado)	Kiowa		2131	unknown	Brief landspout tornado with no damage.
EF0	SW of Towner (3rd tornado)	Kiowa		2132	unknown	Brief landspout tornado with no damage.
EF0	SW of Towner (4th tornado)	Kiowa		2137	unknown	Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
EF0	SW of Towner (5th tornado)	Kiowa		2141	unknown	Brief landspout tornado with no damage.
EF0	SW of Towner (6th tornado)	Kiowa		2148	unknown	Brief landspout tornado with no damage.
EF0	SW of Towner (7th tornado)	Kiowa		2148	unknown	Brief landspout tornado with no damage.
EF0	SW of Towner (8th tornado)	Kiowa		2155	unknown	Brief landspout tornado with no damage.
EF0	ESE of Sheridan Lake (1st tornado)	Kiowa		2156	unknown	Brief landspout tornado with no damage.
EF0	ESE of Sheridan Lake (2nd tornado)	Kiowa		2156	unknown	Brief landspout tornado with no damage.
EF0	ESE of Sheridan Lake (3rd tornado)	Kiowa		2207	1 mile (1.6 km)	Landspout tornado over open country with no damage.
EF0	W of Towner	Kiowa		2218	unknown	Brief landspout tornado with no damage.
EF0	N of Towner	Kiowa		2320	unknown	Brief landspout tornado with no damage.
EF0	NW of Bartlett (1st tornado)	Baca		0152	1 mile (1.6 km)	Several trees were damaged and windows were blown out of a mobile home.
EF1	NW of Bartlett (2nd tornado)	Baca		0157	2 miles (3.2 km)	Trees and fencing were damaged.
Kansas
EF0	WNW of Horace	Greeley		2317	1 mile (1.6 km)	Very narrow tornado remained over open country.
EF0	N of Tribune	Greeley		2349	1 mile (1.6 km)	Tornado remained over open country.
EF0	WSW of Gove	Gove		0106	unknown	Brief tornado touchdown with no damage.
EF0	SW of Gove	Gove		0114	5 miles (8.0 km)	Rain-wrapped tornado remained over open fields.
EF1	S of Gove	Gove		0121	21 miles (34 km)	Long-lived tornado damaged power poles and snapped trees.
EF1	S of Quinter	Gove		0144	10 miles (16 km)	A center pivot was damaged.
Sources: NWS Goodland, NWS Pueblo, NCDC Storm Data

See also

• Tornadoes of 2010
• List of United States tornadoes in May 2010