The National Weather Service in Tulsa said an EF-3 tornado that caused damage in southern Pittsburg County on May 19 was on the ground for 16 miles and was 1.7 miles wide at one point.
Meteorologists with the weather service said in their lates public information statement issued late Tuesday night, the tornado developed approximately 3 miles southwest of the town of Pittsburg near Staples Road before intensifying near Pittsburg Lake.
“EF-1 to EF-2 damage was done to trees and homes just north of Pittsburg Lake on Indian Trail Road,” NWS Tulsa said. “One person was injured in the most badly damaged home.”
The tornado then continued southeast of Pittsburg and reached its maximum width near Blanco, where several homes to the southwest received significant roof damage and a number of power poles were broken.
“Winds were estimated from 95 mph to 115 mph in these areas,” meteorologists said. “The tornado turned onto a more east-northeast course, leaving the immediate Blanco area. During this turn, the most intense winds stayed just south of Blanco proper.”
The EF-3 rating was assigned after many trees to the east of Blanco were found stripped of some bark and most branches, where “nearly all trees were downed. Wind speeds were estimated at around 140 mph at this location.
According to NWS Tulsa, the tornado slowly weakened before dissipating approximately nine miles east-northeast of Blanco. The tornado was on the ground for 23 minutes.
According to data from the NWS, the Blanco tornado was the strongest tornado to strike Pittsburg County since 1997, when a F-3 tornado struck near Indianola on May 26, 1997.
The Blanco tornado is now also the third widest tornado in Oklahoma since records began to be kept in 1950, according to NWS data.
HARTSHORNE TORNADO
A new tornado developed from the circulation that caused the Blanco tornado and was on the ground for 11 miles and was nearly a mile wide at one point while producing winds of up to 100 mph.
NWS Tulsa said the tornado developed to the southwest of Hartshorne and was on the ground for 17 minutes before dissipating six miles southwest of Wilburton.
“The tornado passed just southeast of Hartshorne as it moved into Latimer County,” the NWS said. “The tornado turned more to an easterly course as it dissipated. The last damage was noted 6 miles southwest of Wilburton. The tornado was rated EF-1 and reached a maximum width of 0.9 miles.”
The tornado caused damage to a number of homes and other structures while on the ground.
A total of 17 homes were destroyed between the two tornadoes in Pittsburg County, according to the latest data from the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, with another 31 receiving damage.
In Latimer County, two homes were destroyed in weather-related fires, with 12 homes receiving some level of damage, according to ODEM.