Tornado outbreak of May 24–25, 1957 explained

Tornado outbreak of May 24–25, 1957
Active:	May 24–25, 1957
Tornadoes:	45 confirmed^[1]
Fujitascale:	F4
Tornado Duration:	1 day, 19 hours, 45 minutes
Hail:	NaNabbr=onNaNabbr=on in Kansas on May 24^[2]
Gusts:	70abbr=onNaNabbr=on in Missouri on May 25^[3]
Casualties:	4 fatalities, 10 injuries
Damages:	$2.269 million (1957 USD)^[4] $ (USD)
Partof:	the tornado outbreaks of 1957

On May 24–25, 1957, a tornado outbreak primarily affected the Western High Plains, Central Great Plains, and Central Oklahoma/Texas Plains of the United States. 45 tornadoes touched down over the area, most of which took place across northern and western Texas, in addition to southern Oklahoma. Overall activity initiated over eastern New Mexico and spread northeastward as far as southwestern Wisconsin. The strongest tornado, which occurred in southern Oklahoma on May 24, was assigned a rating of F4 near Lawton. Anomalously, some tornadoes touched down during the early morning hours, rather than late afternoon or early evening, when daytime heating typically peaks.^[5]

Background

Outbreak death toll^{[6] [7]}

State	Total	County	County total
Oklahoma	4	Cotton	4
Totals	4
All deaths were tornado-related

The week of May 20–26, 1957, was the most prolific in terms of tornado activity recorded to date.^[8] On May 20–21, an upper-level trough traversed the Central United States. As it did so, a significant tornado outbreak took place over portions of Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Cold upper air temperatures and marginal surface dew points produced severe weather across the southern and central Great Plains. On May 21, the vigorous shortwave trough, co-located with a deep surface low, produced a violent tornado in Minnesota, while additional tornadoes killed fifteen people in Missouri. At the time, a potent mid-level jet stream produced winds of 70to, providing ample wind shear for tornado-producing supercells.

On May 22, surface weather analysis indicated another low-pressure area over southwestern Oklahoma. In attendance, a series of cold fronts affected western Texas and eastern New Mexico. During their passage, outflow from thunderstorms affected the warm sector, farther to the southeast. On May 23, dew points rose across western Texas, and temperatures reached 77F in the warm sector. By 06:00 UTC (1:00 a.m. CDT/midnight MDT) on May 24, dew points of 60to surged into southeastern New Mexico on both sides of a warm front. A new surface low-pressure area also developed over New Mexico. Nine hours later, lifted index values increased to -11, coincident with surface-based convective available potential energy (CAPE) values near 3,500 J/kg. Based on observations from weather stations, the first thunderstorms developed by 16:30 UTC (11:30 a.m. CDT/10:30 a.m. MDT).^[9]

Confirmed tornadoes

• In addition to these tornadoes, there were at least three unconfirmed events. One tornado, sighted around 11:17 a.m. CST (17:17 UTC), occurred 20miles northwest of Wildorado, Texas, and may have developed in Deaf Smith County. It remained over rural areas and inflicted no damage. Additionally, at least one undocumented tornado was reported southeast and east of Midland around 6:30–7:15 p.m. (00:30–01:15 UTC).^[5] A brief tornado also may have touched down near Moore in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, breaking tree branches and windows. None of these tornadoes was officially recorded in the National Weather Service database.

May 24 event

F#! scope="col" style="width:7%; text-align:center;" class="unsortable"

Location	County / Parish	State	Start	Time (UTC)	Path length	width	Summary
bgcolor=#	F2	WNW of St. Vrain to E of Hollene	Curry	NM		11:00–?	36.5miles	37yd	This long-tracked tornado family likely consisted of as many as six tornadoes, each of which generated narrow swaths of damage. It began west of Clovis and ended southeast of Bellview. Intermittent damage to farms occurred between Grier and Hollene, including the destruction of two barns.^[10]
bgcolor=#	F1	SW of Brown	Bryan	OK		16:40–?	0.1miles	10yd	A brief tornado struck twenty stanchions and mangled several boats.
bgcolor=#	F2	S of Bovina to SE of Bushland	Parmer, Deaf Smith, Potter	TX		16:45–?	70.1miles	33yd	This long-lived tornado family traveled northeastward to a point near Bushland, west of Amarillo. After damaging an orchard and farmland near Bovina, the tornado lifted near Hub before reforming near Friona. Near Friona and Black, the tornado damaged several homes, and destroyed structures on eight different farms. Funnel clouds in the parent storm instigated traffic accidents in Hereford that injured some people.^[11]
bgcolor=#	F0	N of Enochs	Bailey	TX		17:20–?	0.5miles	50yd	Rural power poles and electrical wires sustained damage.
bgcolor=#	F0	Hereford area	Deaf Smith	TX		17:30–?	1miles	10yd	This brief tornado formed over open land near Hereford and produced no damage.
bgcolor=#	F3	Sudan to Olton	Lamb	TX		18:38–18:45	1.9miles	200yd	This strong tornado first struck Sudan, then lifted and touched down in Olton. The tornado destroyed a total of 77 homes in and near Olton, a number of which were sited on farms outside town. The southern section of Olton received the most severe damage. The tornado lofted a vehicle NaNmiles as well. Three injuries were attributed to the tornado.^[12]
bgcolor=#	F3	ENE of Tahoka to NE of Ralls	Lynn, Lubbock, Crosby	TX		19:00–20:00	37.3miles	200yd	This strong, long-tracked tornado family impacted Tahoka, Wilson, Slaton, and Savage, damaging, destroying, or unroofing more than 120 structures. Two homes and two barns were also destroyed west and north of Ralls. The tornado eventually dissipated east of Cone. Tornado researcher Thomas P. Grazulis listed the total path length as being 50miles and classified the tornado as an F2. One injury occurred along the path.^[13]
bgcolor=#	F1	NW of Cotton Center to ENE of Hale Center	Hale	TX		19:30–?	10.5miles	10yd	One home, located north of Cotton Center, was moved 100lk=onNaNlk=on off its foundation and torn apart. Three homes were unroofed or destroyed near the end of the path, southwest of Plainview. Nine homes also sustained minor damage. Four funnel clouds were reported nearby. Grazulis listed this tornado as an F2.
bgcolor=#	F0	N of Amarillo	Potter	TX		19:50–?	0.3miles	50yd
bgcolor=#	F0	E of Edmonson	Hale	TX		20:00–?	0.5miles	10yd	Houses, barns, and trailers were destroyed near Halfway. Several livestock died as well. The tornado formed from the same storm as the Olton tornado.
bgcolor=#	F3	NNE of Lenorah	Martin	TX		20:45–?	1.5miles	83yd	In Lenorah, this tornado impacted five homes, one of which was destroyed. This was one of two or three tornadoes in a 30miles family. Grazulis listed this tornado as an F2. One injury occurred.^[14]
bgcolor=#	F1	NNW of Yoder	Goshen	WY		21:00–?	2.5miles	13yd	Numerous funnel clouds and/or tornadoes were reported, but only one touchdown was confirmed. A tornado damaged or destroyed a mobile home and outbuildings near Yoder and south of Torrington.
bgcolor=#	F1	NE of Swink	Otero	CO		21:30–?	0.1miles	10yd	A brief tornado uplifted a rural outbuilding.
bgcolor=#	F1	E of Pierce	Weld	CO		22:00–?	4miles	10yd	An empty farmhouse was destroyed, along with haystacks and machinery.
bgcolor=#	F1	N of Burlington	Kit Carson	CO		22:00–?	0.4miles	10yd	Related to the Swink event, this small tornado destroyed a chicken coop.
bgcolor=#	F1	WSW of Pierce	Weld	CO		22:00–?	0.1miles	10yd	A brief tornado destroyed a deserted farmhouse.
bgcolor=#	F1	S of Davidson to S of Frederick	Tillman	OK		22:30–?	9.7miles	10yd	Farms were extensively damaged. Utility lines and power poles were downed.
bgcolor=#	F1	WNW of Belle Plaine	Sumner	KS		23:05–?	0.1miles	10yd	A brief tornado touched down and then lifted.
bgcolor=#	F4	W of Cookietown to S of Lawton	Cotton, Comanche	OK		23:30–?	21.6miles	880yd	4 deaths – This large, violent tornado destroyed 12 homes, some of which were levelled. The swath of F4 damage occurred south of Lawton. One car was transported 100yd; although the vehicle crashed in a pond, the driver was not injured. The tornado damaged or destroyed several farms as well, and numerous farm animals died in its path. Two couples died and five people sustained injuries.^[15]
bgcolor=#	F2	SSW of Wynnewood to SE of Pink	Garvin, Pottawatomie	OK		00:00–01:45	30.8miles	440yd	This damaging tornado family first destroyed a barn, then impacted an oil refinery in Wynnewood. Subsequently, the tornado wrecked four homes, a school, and many barns southeast of Pauls Valley. The tornado may have lifted until it encountered and destroyed frame buildings in Wanette. The tornado finally destroyed a barn northwest of Macomb before dissipating. Grazulis listed the tornado as an F3.^[16]
bgcolor=#	F2	NNW of Midland	Martin	TX		00:28–?	2miles	10yd	This brief tornado downed utility poles near State Highway 158 and reportedly destroyed farmhouses northwest of Stanton.
bgcolor=#	F1	N of Brandon	Perkins	NE		01:30–?	0.1miles	10yd	Tornado reported.
bgcolor=#	F0	NW of Cache	Comanche	OK		02:00–?	0.1miles	10yd	A tornado formed over remote, hilly country in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.
bgcolor=#	F1	E of Goree	Baylor	TX		02:30–?	0.1miles	10yd	A tornado was witnessed southwest of Seymour.
bgcolor=#	F1	WSW of Purcell	McClain	OK		03:00–?	0.1miles	10yd	A tornado unroofed a barn, blew down trees, and damaged outbuildings on a farm.
bgcolor=#	F2	W of Marlow	Stephens	OK		03:00–?	0.1miles	10yd	A strong tornado struck the community of Denton, killed 100 turkeys, and destroyed a chicken coop, a barn, and a home. Several farms reported extensive damage, and 2by boards pierced a house as well. Additionally, a bus transporting 20 passengers was cast into a ditch, but none of the passengers was injured.
bgcolor=#	F0	Baxter Springs area	Cherokee	KS		04:00–?	0.1miles	10yd
bgcolor=#	F1	WSW of Quapaw	Ottawa	OK		04:00–?	1miles	10yd	A tornado caused minor damage in Quapaw and destroyed a derrick at a mine east of Picher. An EF4 tornado later hit the Picher area on May 10, 2008.
bgcolor=#	F0	SE of Mulvane	Sumner	KS		04:00–?	0.1miles	10yd
bgcolor=#	F2	SSW of Duncan	Stephens	OK		04:25–?	2.5miles	10yd	This tornado splintered trees, destroyed television antennas, and badly damaged a mobile home in Duncan. Grazulis did not list this tornado as an F2 or stronger.
bgcolor=#	F0	NE of Morris to N of Boynton	Okmulgee, Muskogee	OK		04:25–05:10	10.8miles	10yd	A tornado affected unpopulated areas near Morris and Boynton.

May 25 event

F#! scope="col" style="width:7%; text-align:center;" class="unsortable"

Location	County / Parish	State	Start	Time (UTC)	Path length	width	Summary
bgcolor=#	F0	NNE of Hanna	McIntosh	OK		05:43–?	0.1miles	10yd	Highway patrol sighted a tornado southeast of Henryetta.
bgcolor=#	F0	WSW of Checotah	McIntosh	OK		05:45–?	0.1miles	10yd	A tornado was sighted, but no damage was reported.
bgcolor=#	F2	Coleman area	Johnston	OK		06:05–?	1miles	200yd	A new school was partly unroofed and damage was extensive to buildings and trees. Two funnel clouds were seen. Grazulis did not list this tornado as an F2 or stronger.
bgcolor=#	F1	W of Lehigh	Coal	OK		06:10–?	0.1miles	10yd	A tornado destroyed sheds and damaged a house and a barn.
bgcolor=#	F1	ESE of Steedman to SE of Atwood	Pontotoc, Hughes	OK		06:15–?	11.5miles	150yd	Near Allen, the tornado unroofed a home and destroyed a barn. Trees and outbuildings were prostrated near Atwood, and a number of farmsteads were damaged along the path. Grazulis listed this tornado as an F2.
bgcolor=#	F0	SW of Mountain Valley (1st tornado)	Garland	AR		12:00–?	0.1miles	10yd	Intermittent, slight damage occurred.
bgcolor=#	F0	SW of Mountain Valley (2nd tornado)	Garland	AR		12:06–?	0.1miles	10yd	See previous event.
bgcolor=#	F0	NW of Oak Trail Shores	Hood	TX		20:00–?	0.5miles	10yd	A tornado briefly struck a ranch east of Lipan.
bgcolor=#	F1	E of Maple Lake	Wright	MN		20:38–?	0.7miles	20yd	A short-lived tornado levelled a barn and felled a number of trees.
bgcolor=#	F1	NW of Grover	Codington	SD		20:45–?	0.1miles	10yd
bgcolor=#	F0	S of Fredericksburg	Chickasaw	IA		21:30–?	0.1miles	10yd	A brief tornado damaged farmsteads and cropland.
bgcolor=#	F2	N of Bloomington to NE of Fennimore	Grant	WI		22:30–?	15.6miles	400yd	Grazulis did not list this tornado as an F2 or stronger.
bgcolor=#	F1	ENE of Lometa	Lampasas	TX		00:15–?	0.5miles	50yd	A carport was unroofed.
bgcolor=#	F0	SE of Stanton	Montgomery	IA		05:15–?	4.1miles	1000yd	A tornado, large but weak, damaged a grandstand and farm buildings.^[17]

See also

• List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks

Notes and References

1. National Weather Service. Grazulis. Thomas P.. Grazulis. Doris. 30 September 2019. Tornado History Project: Maps and Statistics. Tornado History Project. The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. 14 January 2021.
2. . September 2020 . Events reported between 05/24/1957 and 05/25/1957 (2 days) . Storm Events Database . . 14 January 2021 .
3. National Weather Service . September 2020 . Events reported between 05/24/1957 and 05/25/1957 (2 days) . Storm Events Database . National Centers for Environmental Information . 14 January 2021 .
4. National Weather Service . September 2020 . Events reported between 05/24/1957 and 05/25/1957 (2 days) . Storm Events Database . National Centers for Environmental Information . 14 January 2021 .
5. Web site: Finch . Jonathan D. . The May 24, 1957 Tornado Outbreak . Bangladesh Tornadoes . 19 November 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190323104655/http://www.bangladeshtornadoes.org/UScases/052457/24may1957.html . 23 March 2019 . 9 April 2018.
6. Book: Grazulis . Thomas P. . Thomas P. Grazulis . Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events . July 1993 . The Tornado Project of Environmental Films . . 1-879362-03-1 . 1008 .
7. U.S. Weather Bureau . Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena . Climatological Data National Summary . May 1957 . 8 . 5 . 195–200 . . . Asheville, North Carolina.
8. Dunn . Carlos R. . [ftp://ftp.library.noaa.gov/docs.lib/htdocs/rescue/mwr/085/mwr-085-05-0175.pdf THE WEATHER AND CIRCULATION OF MAY 1957: A Month with Severe Floods and Devastating Tornadoes in the Southern Plains of the United States ]. . May 1957 . 85 . 5 . 180 . 10.1175/1520-0493-85.5.175 . 20 November 2019 . . Washington, D.C.. free .
9. Web site: North America Tornado Cases 1950 to 1959 . bangladeshtornadoes.org . 21 April 2022.
10. National Weather Service . May 2019 . New Mexico Event Report: F2 Tornado . Storm Events Database . National Centers for Environmental Information . 20 November 2019.
11. National Weather Service . May 2019 . Texas Event Report: F2 Tornado . Storm Events Database . National Centers for Environmental Information . 20 November 2019.
12. National Weather Service . May 2019 . Texas Event Report: F3 Tornado . Storm Events Database . National Centers for Environmental Information . 20 November 2019.
13. National Weather Service . May 2019 . Texas Event Report: F3 Tornado . Storm Events Database . National Centers for Environmental Information . 20 November 2019.
14. National Weather Service . May 2019 . Texas Event Report: F3 Tornado . Storm Events Database . National Centers for Environmental Information . 21 November 2019.
15. National Weather Service . May 2019 . Texas Event Report: F4 Tornado . Storm Events Database . National Centers for Environmental Information . 21 November 2019.
16. Dye . Lucius W. . Oklahoma – May 1957 . Weather Summary . Climatological Data . Oklahoma . May 1957 . 66 . 5 . 66 . National Climatic Data Center . . Asheville, North Carolina.
17. National Weather Service . September 2020 . Iowa Event Report: F0 Tornado . Storm Events Database . National Centers for Environmental Information . 14 January 2021.