Tornadoes and Severer Storms - May 17th, 2015

Overview

A line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved across southeastern Kansas and the Missouri Ozarks during the early morning hours of Sunday, May 17, 2015. Multiple reports of wind damage were received, along with a few tornadoes.

The storms that affected the area initially formed across western Oklahoma and northern Texas during the afternoon of Saturday, May 16. These storms formed into a line as they moved into central Oklahoma during the evening hours, and continued east into the Ozarks, arriving in southeastern Kansas and western Missouri around midnight.

The tornadoes that formed with this storm were generated by mesovortices, or small areas of enhanced rotation along the leading edge of the line of thunderstorms. These tornadoes are often quick to form, and quick to dissipate, generally resulting in short tracks to the tornadic damage. Outside of these tornado tracks, multiple reports of straight line wind damage were received.

Storm Reports

Tornado
Radar

Tornadoes:

Tornado - Seneca to Neosho
Newton County

Date	May 17th, 2015
Time (Local)	12:56 AM - 1:13 AM
EF Rating	EF-1
Est. Peak Winds	90 mph
Path Length	15.23 miles
Max Width	200 yards
Injuries/Deaths	none
Summary: A NWS STORM SURVEY FOUND AN EF-1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA, BEFORE MOVING NORTHEAST INTO MISSOURI ALONG HIGHWAY 43 ABOUT 4 MILES SOUTH OF SENECA. THE TORNADO LIFTED JUST NORTHWEST OF NEOSHO. SEVERAL OUTBUILDING STRUCTURES WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED. NUMEROUS TREES WERE UPROOTED. THE WIDTH WAS APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS WIDE. MAXIMUM WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT 90 MPH.

Track Map

Tornado - Near Freistatt
Lawrence County

Date	May 18th, 2015
Time (Local)	1:38 AM - 1:42 AM
EF Rating	EF-1
Est. Peak Winds	90 mph
Path Length	4.42 miles
Max Width	100 yards
Injuries/Deaths	none
Summary: Several outbuildings were destroyed and one house had minor damage to siding and roof. Numerous trees were uprooted or snapped along the path. The path width was approximately 100 yards and the path length was approximate 4 miles. Maximum winds were up to 90 mph.

Track Map

Tornado - NW of Polk
Eastern Polk County

Date	05/18/2015
Time (Local)	2:15 AM - 2:22 AM
EF Rating	EF-0
Est. Peak Winds	80 mph
Path Length	7.23 miles
Max Width	100 yards
Injuries/Deaths	none
Summary: Numerous large tree branches were broken and tree tops snapped. Several large trees were uprooted along the path. A couple houses had minor roof and siding damage.

Track Map

Tornado - East of Flemington
Western Polk County

Date	May 18th, 2015
Time (Local)	2:11 AM - 2:14 AM
EF Rating	EF-0
Est. Peak Winds	80 mph
Path Length	2.42 miles
Max Width	100 yards
Injuries/Deaths	none
Summary: Several trees uprooted. Numerous tree tops snapped or broken. Numerous large tree branches broken. A couple outbuildings destroyed. Another short-lived EF-0 tornado touched down east of Dunnegan around 2:07 AM.

Track Map

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0 Weak 65-85 mph	EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph	EF2 Significant 111-135 mph	EF3 Severe 136-165 mph	EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph	EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph

Radar:

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