Preliminary Information for the
May 7-8, 2003 Nocturnal Tornado Event
in Southern Oklahoma

The following summary is taken from a Public Information Statement issued by NWS Norman at 2:40 pm CDT, 5/8/2003.

An initial review of tornado reports from the evening of May 7 and the early morning of May 8 has shown that five tornadoes likely occurred across portions of southwest and south central Oklahoma.

The first tornado is believed to have occurred in Tillman County, six miles southwest of Frederick at approximately 10:40 pm CDT. Little or no damage has been reported, and its duration is thought to have been short.

Another tornado may have occurred in Stephens County, about 6 miles east of Duncan, between old State Highway 7 and new State highway 7. The initial reported time is approximately 12:50 am CDT. Local contacts have confirmed that four homes sustained roof damage, five barns were nearly destroyed, a pickup truck and a camper were damaged, and numerous fences and trees were downed.

A third tornado is thought to have caused damage in Jefferson County, 2 miles west of Ringling, at approximately 1:40 am CDT. One home, constructed of rock, had half of its roof removed, while another home sustained shingle damage. Three barns were also destroyed in the area.

Another tornado is believed to have caused a swath of damage in Love County between 2:15 am CDT and 2:25 am CDT, from 8 miles north of Marietta, near mile marker 21 on Interstate 35, to the southern tip of Lake Murray, for a path length of 4.5 miles. Phone conversations with local emergency personnel in the area have confirmed significant damage to a brick home, which had its entire roof removed with 2 to 3 walls also knocked down. Four other homes sustained some type of roof damage, while one mobile home was destroyed. A tornado was seen dissipating over extreme southern Lake Murray with a constant path of major tree damage observed near the southwest shore. No damage is known east of the lake at this time.

Another tornado is believed to have caused damage in Marshall County, about six miles west of Madill, along U.S. Highway 70. One house constructed of wood had about three quarters of its roof removed. All walls remained intact. There was also major damage to farm equipment, including a massive tractor that was displaced about 100 yards from its original location. Numerous barns were also damaged or possibly destroyed in the area. The initial time of the damage is 3:10 am CDT.

This initial assessment is based on sightings received last night and phone conversations this morning with local officials in the affected areas. There have no known reports of injuries or fatalities. Preliminary review of damage reported in Love and Marshall counties suggests that the damage is possibly in the F2 to F3 category on the Fujita scale. More complete and official evaluation of the tornado tracks and damage caused by the severe weather is pending further investigation by NWS personnel.

James/Andra