Skip to content
NOWCAST KOCO 10:30pm-11pm Sunday Night
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

Several tornadoes touch down across Oklahoma on Sunday: What we know

Below is what we know about the May 19, 2024 tornado outbreak in Oklahoma

Several tornadoes touch down across Oklahoma on Sunday: What we know

Below is what we know about the May 19, 2024 tornado outbreak in Oklahoma

OH OH CONFIRMED TORNADO. THAT’S THAT’S MULTIPLE POWER FLASHES. MULTIPLE CONFIRMED POWER FLASHES. WE DO HAVE A TORNADO. UNION CITY GETTING YOUR TORNADO SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO ALREADY. YOU HERE FIELD METEOROLOGIST MICHAEL ARMSTRONG AND STORM COMMAND LAST NIGHT A TRACKING TORNADO WARNED STORMS ALONG WITH OUR METEOROLOGIST IN STUDIO AND OUR CHASERS OUT IN THE FIELD. KOCO BROUGHT YOU COVERAGE FOR MORE THAN SIX STRAIGHT HOURS, BRINGING YOU THE FIRST ALERT AND HOMES HERE IN THE METRO TOOK A HIT DURING LAST NIGHT’S STORMS. KOCO COLBY TERRELL JOINING US LIVE NOW COLBY, YOU’RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THAT DAMAGE IS. WELL, YOU CAN SEE OFF IN THE DISTANCE BEHIND ME THAT HOME THAT WAS DESTROYED. AND NOW THERE ARE A LOT OF CREWS HERE CLEARING UP THE DAMAGE, WORKING TO RESTORE POWER AND POLICE HAVE ASKED US TO STEP BACK WHILE THEY’RE WORKING. SO THIS TORNADO REALLY HAD THE MAKINGS OF SOMETHING SCARY. BUT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD TOOK THE BRUNT OF IT. LOCALS ARE PICKING UP THE PIECES AFTER ONE HOME WAS DESTROYED AND ANOTHER WAS DAMAGED IN LAST NIGHT’S STORMS. THIS IS HERE NEAR CIMARRON ROAD AND 10TH STREET. YOU CAN SEE HERE SOME OF SUNDAY NIGHT’S TERRIFYING MOMENTS. THE HOMEOWNER, WHOSE HOUSE WAS DESTROYED, SAYS IT’S HARD TO SEE HIS HOME LIKE THIS, BUT THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN OUT TOGETHER AND HELPING. ONE YOUNG NEIGHBOR DESCRIBED THE INTENSE MOMENTS HE SHELTERED AS THE TORNADO PASSED OVER. WE GOT INTO OUR STORM SHELTER AND AND I JUST HEARD WE HEARD BANGING EVERYWHERE ON THE GARAGES. WE HEARD JUST EVERYTHING ON THE ROOF. IT IT WAS, I WAS I WAS JUST SCARED FOR THE HOUSE. I WAS SCARED THAT EVERYTHING WAS GOING TO GET THROWN OR THE WHOLE HOUSE WAS GOING TO BE GONE. ONCE WE’RE DONE WITH IT. JUST A BIG MESS. WE HAVE TO CLEAN UP. THAT NEIGHBOR’S ROOF ONLY HAD MINOR DAMAGE COMING UP AT 430, YOU’LL HEAR FROM THE HOMEOWNER OF THIS HOME WHO SAYS HE’S STILL COUNTING HIMSELF. LUCKY COLBY, TERRELL, KOCO FIVE NEWS. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. COLBY. THANK YOU. AND WE HAVE HAD CREWS AT THE HARDEST HIT AREAS ALL MORNING, ALL AFTERNOON AND ALL EVENING. WE WANT TO GO OUT NOW TO KOCO MEGHAN MOSLEY WHO’S JOINING US LIVE FROM HYDRO. MEGAN, WHAT DAMAGE HAVE YOU SEEN THERE? WELL GUYS, THIS IS A HOME THAT IS COMPLETELY LEVELED HERE IN HYDRO. BUT BACK IN THE MAIN PART OF TOWN, WE’VE SEEN SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO DIFFERENT STRUCTURES AND BARNS AROUND THE TOWN. WE ACTUALLY SPOKE WITH THE FIRE CHIEF ABOUT THE MOMENTS THE TORNADO ROLLED THROUGH THE TOWN OF HYDRO, WORKING TO CLEAN UP AFTER THAT TORNADO TORE THROUGH TOWN SUNDAY, THREE PEOPLE WERE SENT TO THE HOSPITAL WITH MINOR INJURIES. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO SEVERAL BUILDINGS AND BARNS, AND EVEN ONE HOME IN TOWN IS FLATTENED. CAMP HYDRO ALSO TOOK A HIT WITH TONS OF TREE DAMAGE. THIS CHURCH CAMP HAS BEEN HERE FOR NEARLY 100 YEARS, AND ONE OF THE PASTORS HERE TELL ME THEY WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO NOT HAVE ANY SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO ANY OF THEIR BUILDINGS, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, A LOT OF TREE DAMAGE. ONE OF THE SHEDS FROM A NEARBY HOUSE, EVEN TOPPLED OVER ONTO ONE OF THEIR BUILDINGS. BUT THANKFULLY, NO MAJOR DAMAGE TO IT. THE CHURCH ALSO TELLS ME THEY DON’T START CAMP FOR THE CHILDREN UNTIL LATE JULY, AND WE’RE HAPPY TO REPORT NO ONE WAS INSIDE DURING THE STORMS. THE FIRE CHIEF AND HYDRO TELLING ME DURING TIMES LIKE THIS, IT’S A COMMUNITY EFFORT, BUT WE WILL REBUILD THE COMMUNITY OF HYDRO REALLY COMES TOGETHER AT THIS. IN THESE TIMES. WE’VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW WITH SKID STEERS, CHAINSAWS, AND THEY’RE GOING THROUGH CLEANING EVERYTHING UP. WE’LL BE ALL RIGHT. WE’LL BE ABLE TO GET EVERYTHING ALL CLEANED UP. IT’S JUST GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME AND, UH, EFFORT. AND YOU CAN SEE WE GOT A LOT OF WILLING WORKERS. IT’S JUST A MESS. BUT THE GOOD LORD LOOKED AFTER US. IT COULD BE A WHOLE LOT WORSE. AND COMING UP TONIGHT AT SIX, WE ACTUALLY SPOKE TO THE HOMEOWNER OF THIS HOUSE HERE IN HYDRO ABOUT THEIR JOURNEY AND WHAT’S NEXT. AND WHAT THEY DID WHEN THAT TORNADO CAME THROUGH, REPORTING LIVE IN HYDRO MEGHAN MOSLEY KOCO FIVE NEWS. OKAY, MEGAN, THANK YOU FOR THAT. WELL, OUR FIRST ALERT STORM TEAM AND OUR METEOROLOGIST ARVEST WERE LIVE ON AIR FOR HOURS WITH THOSE TORNADOES. YEAH. CHIEF METEOROLOGIST DAMON LANE. IT FEELS LIKE WE SAW A LOT OF TORNADOES YESTERDAY AND LAST NIGHT. WE CERTAINLY DID SEE A LOT OF TORNADOES OUT THERE YESTERDAY AND LAST NIGHT. RIGHT NOW, LOOKING OUTSIDE, THOUGH, IT IS CURRENTLY 87 DEGREES HERE IN OKLAHOMA CITY. BUT I WANT TO TAKE YOU BACK RIGHT NOW TO ALL OF THESE TORNADOES THAT WE HAD YESTERDAY HERE. AND EVEN AS WE GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO WHAT WE’VE SEEN ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. AND SO THIS RIGHT HERE LOOK AT OKLAHOMA, IF IT FEELS LIKE OKLAHOMA HAS HAD A LOT OF TORNADOES, WE CERTAINLY HAVE. THESE ARE ALL THE TORNADO WARNINGS THAT WE HAVE HAD SO FAR THIS YEAR. OKAY. IRMA HAS BEEN A HOT SPOT. THE SOUTHEAST HAS BEEN RELATIVELY QUIET. NOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE TORNADOES THAT WE HAVE HAD, UH, IN THE STATE RIGHT NOW, ALL THE TORNADO WARNINGS, I MEAN, LOOK AT ALL OF THESE RED POLYGONS RIGHT HERE. THESE ARE ALL THE TORNADO WARNINGS WITHIN THESE. WE’VE NOW HAD 80 TORNADOES. WE TYPICALLY AVERAGE 58 TORNADOES FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR. SO WE ARE WELL ABOVE AVERAGE FOR THIS SPRING. AND LOOK AT THEM ALL, ESPECIALLY FROM YESTERDAY THAT RAN FROM CHEYENNE TO ELK CITY, RIGHT IN TO OKLAHOMA CITY. HERE. SO THAT WAS ONE BIG SUPERCELL. AS OF RIGHT NOW, I SAY WE’VE HAD BETWEEN ABOUT SIX AND TEN TORNADOES. THEY’RE STILL CALCULATING THEM HERE. BUT HERE’S THE ONE THAT WAS GOING TO BE DOWN BY I-240. HERE ARE THE ONES THAT RAN ACROSS SOUTHERN CANADIAN COUNTY DOWN BY HYDRO, OUT TOWARDS CUSTER CITY. THAT ONE TRIGGERED THE TORNADO EMERGENCY. AND SO THEY ARE STILL MANY, MANY TORNADO REPORTS THAT ARE STILL BEING CALCULATED RIGHT NOW. IT CAN TAKE DAYS SOMETIMES TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE AREAS OF CIRCULATION AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT’S A TORNADO AND WHAT STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. BUT AS WE GO BACK TO THIS GRAPHIC RIGHT HERE, IF IT FEELS LIKE THIS SPRING HAS BEEN A BUSY ONE, I THINK ALL THE RED THAT YOU SEE RIGHT HERE ON THIS MAP WILL CERTAINLY CONFIRM THAT IT HAS BEEN A VERY BUSY ONE, AND WHAT’S GOING TO BE CHANGING IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS IS WE’LL BEGIN TO WATCH OUR TORNADO SEASON BEGIN TO TAKE OFF OUT ACROSS THE PANHANDLE. BOTH TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA, AND THEN BEGIN TO GO UP INTO, UH, UP INTO COLORADO AND INTO KANSAS. SO WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF SEVERE WEATHER CHANCES TO TALK ABOUT THIS WEEK. THE RISK WILL RETURN FOR
Advertisement
Several tornadoes touch down across Oklahoma on Sunday: What we know

Below is what we know about the May 19, 2024 tornado outbreak in Oklahoma

Multiple tornadoes touched down on Sunday, leaving behind damage as another round of severe storms moved through Oklahoma.KOCO 5 First Alert Storm Chasers saw tornadoes near Custer City, Yukon, Union City, Hydro, Mustang and El Reno. As the sun rises on Monday, we're getting a better view of the damage and destruction left behind.Below is what we know about the overnight tornado outbreak in Oklahoma.Tornadoes caught on cameraKOCO 5 crews captured the moments when at least two tornadoes touched down on Sunday.The first tornado was seen just west of Custer City, sparking a tornado emergency in the area.Storm chasers also tracked a tornado that touched down late Sunday night near Mustang. Open the video player below to watch.First Alert Chief Meteorologist Damon Lane says he estimates that there were about 10 tornadoes on Sunday, putting Oklahoma near 80 tornadoes so far this year.The National Weather Service says crews found at least EF-2 damage southwest of Yukon near Page Airport. Another survey crew found EF-2 damage outside of Custer City.Damage and InjuriesThe tornadoes and severe storms left behind damage in several areas in Oklahoma ranging from the western part of the state to the OKC metro.The Blaine County Sheriff's office said two people were injured after their home in Hydro was destroyed. They were taken to a hospital, but their condition is unknown. Custer County Emergency Management says 10-15 homes were damaged between Custer City and Hydro. Homes also were damaged in Butler, where two people were injured.The full extent of the damage and injuries is unknown as of early Monday morning, but authorities have not reported any deaths.In the OKC metro, KOCO 5 crews found a home near Yukon with significant damage and its roof ripped off near 10th and Cimarron Road. Residents in the area said everyone was accounted for, but dozens were searching overnight for livestock that might have been impacted.Powerlines and fences also were torn down. Lightning strikes also caused large tank battery fires in different parts of Oklahoma. First, a tank battery caught fire after a lightning strike in Geary. Storm Command was there as the flames raged on. Open the video player below to watch.Later, lightning possibly sparked massive flames north of 23rd Street between Rockwell Avenue and Council Road in Bethany. Sky 5 flew over the scene. Open the video player below to watch.Anyone who needs to report tornado or storm damage can do so online at www.damage.ok.gov.Sky 5 Surveys Tornado DamageSeveral areas in the Oklahoma City metro, including in Yukon and Cleveland County, as well as areas near Union City, Hydro and Custer City had significant damage.Sky 5, which is the only news helicopter in the air on weekday mornings, flew over some of the damage after the sun rose on Monday. Below is a look at some of the damage.Home with significant damage near YukonNear Union City Building significantly damaged in Hydro Structure destroyed in Hydro Structures between Hydro and Custer City destroyed Will Rogers World Airport ImpactThe tornado-warned storms that moved through Oklahoma City late Sunday night forced people at Will Rogers World Airport to shelter in place. All planes were grounded as the storms moved through.People inside the airport were moved to its tunnel for safety. Authorities have not reported any injuries or damage at the airport. Be sure to download the KOCO 5 App to receive customized weather alerts. You can watch our team coverage on the app, too.>> Check Closings>> Check Live, Interactive Radar>> Watch KOCO 5 Coverage>> Download the KOCO 5 App on iPhone>> Download the KOCO 5 App on Android>> "Like" KOCO 5 on Facebook>> "Follow" KOCO 5 on X>> Stream KOCO 5 weather updates anytime on the Very Local app

Multiple tornadoes touched down on Sunday, leaving behind damage as another round of severe storms moved through Oklahoma.

[related id='494e7c56-79f9-41a4-8a57-55c7d79afdd9' align='center'][/related]
Advertisement

KOCO 5 First Alert Storm Chasers saw tornadoes near Custer City, Yukon, Union City, Hydro, Mustang and El Reno. As the sun rises on Monday, we're getting a better view of the damage and destruction left behind.

Below is what we know about the overnight tornado outbreak in Oklahoma.

Tornadoes caught on camera

KOCO 5 crews captured the moments when at least two tornadoes touched down on Sunday.

The first tornado was seen just west of Custer City, sparking a tornado emergency in the area.

[mediaosvideo align='' embedId='eb54bcd2-4cb7-43e1-94bb-ca08ee6a45f4' mediaId='722b8cb2-eec2-4965-8c3e-52363a950016' size=''][/mediaosvideo]

Storm chasers also tracked a tornado that touched down late Sunday night near Mustang. Open the video player below to watch.

[mediaosvideo align='' embedId='71bee025-a899-4607-8bdb-1e7c34089a5b' mediaId='b0045094-903e-44c3-a242-3eb31d9efc52' size=''][/mediaosvideo]

First Alert Chief Meteorologist Damon Lane says he estimates that there were about 10 tornadoes on Sunday, putting Oklahoma near 80 tornadoes so far this year.

The National Weather Service says crews found at least EF-2 damage southwest of Yukon near Page Airport. Another survey crew found EF-2 damage outside of Custer City.

Damage and Injuries

The tornadoes and severe storms left behind damage in several areas in Oklahoma ranging from the western part of the state to the OKC metro.

The Blaine County Sheriff's office said two people were injured after their home in Hydro was destroyed. They were taken to a hospital, but their condition is unknown.

[mediaosvideo align='' embedId='d1889526-1bc3-4587-96f2-2f073bd189d6' mediaId='591c6da3-8bb4-4c2e-b66b-664c8dec4d53' size=''][/mediaosvideo]

Custer County Emergency Management says 10-15 homes were damaged between Custer City and Hydro. Homes also were damaged in Butler, where two people were injured.

The full extent of the damage and injuries is unknown as of early Monday morning, but authorities have not reported any deaths.

In the OKC metro, KOCO 5 crews found a home near Yukon with significant damage and its roof ripped off near 10th and Cimarron Road. Residents in the area said everyone was accounted for, but dozens were searching overnight for livestock that might have been impacted.

Powerlines and fences also were torn down.

[mediaosvideo align='' embedId='433818b0-05fb-4664-b7af-0a52b6f53c80' mediaId='28fc2ea3-6c2c-438c-a73e-6021978b4b78' size=''][/mediaosvideo]

Lightning strikes also caused large tank battery fires in different parts of Oklahoma. First, a tank battery caught fire after a lightning strike in Geary. Storm Command was there as the flames raged on. Open the video player below to watch.

[mediaosvideo align='' embedId='3fe1e8a3-4a5d-486a-a714-961ae2ace3be' mediaId='f51e9d78-a906-4a38-83ff-c10b8987d3da' size=''][/mediaosvideo]

Later, lightning possibly sparked massive flames north of 23rd Street between Rockwell Avenue and Council Road in Bethany. Sky 5 flew over the scene. Open the video player below to watch.

[mediaosvideo align='' embedId='c56f7ee5-6419-4f25-9976-a15523a05707' mediaId='cdac5cff-f6b9-4adc-9e1c-b44f29ef3fe0' size=''][/mediaosvideo]

Anyone who needs to report tornado or storm damage can do so online at www.damage.ok.gov.

Sky 5 Surveys Tornado Damage

Several areas in the Oklahoma City metro, including in Yukon and Cleveland County, as well as areas near Union City, Hydro and Custer City had significant damage.

Sky 5, which is the only news helicopter in the air on weekday mornings, flew over some of the damage after the sun rose on Monday. Below is a look at some of the damage.

Home with significant damage near Yukon

[mediaosvideo align='' embedId='d1889526-1bc3-4587-96f2-2f073bd189d6' mediaId='d32a8b8b-6040-4dfb-8484-c4399b629c12' size=''][/mediaosvideo]

Near Union City

[mediaosvideo align='' embedId='91a2f4dd-8c05-49d3-ba63-44c34f374769' mediaId='69a0b3f2-f262-4419-ad43-33fac1bb29dd' size=''][/mediaosvideo]

Building significantly damaged in Hydro

[mediaosvideo align='' embedId='f66d5afb-3afc-4728-9415-681e58d51b67' mediaId='c637d626-b25e-4784-be6b-b91a106c8a57' size=''][/mediaosvideo]

Structure destroyed in Hydro

[mediaosvideo align='' embedId='4d3ad15e-7e00-4031-b8bf-542b85eb85ec' mediaId='1bb250e9-49dc-4e5f-bf10-4e8835d8d6a5' size=''][/mediaosvideo]

Structures between Hydro and Custer City destroyed

[mediaosvideo align='' embedId='55e4b211-2551-423e-ad42-dd55ea6c925e' mediaId='f64435b0-c747-4349-a53a-011921c7b35a' size=''][/mediaosvideo]

Will Rogers World Airport Impact

The tornado-warned storms that moved through Oklahoma City late Sunday night forced people at Will Rogers World Airport to shelter in place. All planes were grounded as the storms moved through.

People inside the airport were moved to its tunnel for safety. Authorities have not reported any injuries or damage at the airport.


Be sure to download the KOCO 5 App to receive customized weather alerts. You can watch our team coverage on the app, too.

>> Check Closings

>> Check Live, Interactive Radar

>> Watch KOCO 5 Coverage

>> Download the KOCO 5 App on iPhone

>> Download the KOCO 5 App on Android

>> "Like" KOCO 5 on Facebook

>> "Follow" KOCO 5 on X

>> Stream KOCO 5 weather updates anytime on the Very Local app