From April 27–29, 1912, a major tornado outbreak generated at least six violent tornadoes in Oklahoma, with near-constant activity until early the next day. At least 15 cities were affected, 40 people died, and 120 others were injured. Tornado researcher Thomas P. Grazulis considered this outbreak to be among the worst on record in the state of Oklahoma, as measured by fatalities and violent tornadoes. At least five strong tornadoes affected Washita County, Oklahoma, during this outbreak.[1][nb 2][nb 3][nb 4]
Background
Limited weather data were collected and recorded at that time in Oklahoma. Antedating upper atmospheric measurements, most data collection was of human observations, along with temperature, pressure, wind speed and direction, and rainfall.[1] A cold front moved south through Oklahoma into Texas on April 26, before stalling as a stationary front draped across Central Texas, oriented from northeast to southwest. Early on April 27, it pushed back northward against a warm front to the east, due to a vigorous upper-atmospheric trough approaching from the west. The warm front was noted to have moved from the southeast on April 27 to the northeast on April 28; this movement of warm air against the cold front, in proximity to a low-pressure area over western Oklahoma, provided sufficient atmospheric lift, thereby fuelling the storms that provided the tornado activity.[1]
5 deaths – Major, long-tracked tornado killed five people, injured 23 others, and caused $77,000 in losses, including $65,000 in Texas and $12,000 in Oklahoma. Four of the five deaths were in a single family. Tornado struck 43 farms and destroyed or damaged 30 homes, some of which were swept away.[12]
7+ deaths – Tornado leveled all but two buildings in Lugert, killing a mother and her daughter there. Papers were found 75 mi (121 km) distant. Tornado also caused at least three—possibly five—deaths and killed at least 100 cattle near Hobart. 25 people were injured and losses totaled $300,000.[14][13][15]
Tornado destroyed about 50 homes, a school, and 10 barns in and near Rocky. Tornado began 5 mi (8.0 km) southwest of town and ended 15 mi (24 km) northeast of town. Two injuries were reported.[14][13][15]
4 deaths – Tornado hit Corn, then called Korn until World War I, and the nearby "Korn Valley", where four people died. No other information is available.[13][14]
3+ deaths – Strong tornado hit the towns of Hinton and Calumet, destroying 26 structures in the latter, where three people died. Four others may have been killed in Hinton. A sign from Hinton was found to have been carried north of Calumet. Losses totaled $125,000 and four injuries were reported.[14][15]
Violent tornado destroyed at least five barns, along with three farmhouses. An entire farmstead was swept clean. Four people survived the tornado in an orchard, but with injuries.[14]
2 deaths – Tornado destroyed 35 buildings, killed 15 livestock, and injured 15 people. Tornado destroyed 11 homes and caused fatalities near Sayre. Five funnel clouds were observed along the path of the storm, and debris from homes was strewn for miles.[14][15]
6 deaths – Tornado destroyed the town of Foss and 32 homes on the eastern side of Butler. Debris from the latter town was found in Putnam, 15 mi (24 km) to the northeast. Losses totaled $50,000 and 20 injuries were reported.[14][15][16]
4 deaths – Violent tornado damaged or destroyed about 60 homes in Sentinel, mostly in the western half of the town. No injuries resulted, as the entire population had seen the funnel approaching 15 minutes in advance. Two people died on a farm southwest of Sentinel. The tornado then continued to the northwestern edge of Cordell, destroying six more homes and killing two people before turning east and dissipating. Losses reached $75,000 and 15 injuries occurred along the path.[14]
4 deaths – Long-tracked tornado destroyed 30 or more homes in six communities. It destroyed a brick home, killing a man inside. Two people were thrown 500 yd (460 m) as well. Downburst damage occurred in Tatum. 14 injuries occurred along the path.[14]
^All losses are in 1912 USD unless otherwise noted.
^An outbreak is generally defined as a group of at least six tornadoes (the number sometimes varies slightly according to local climatology) with no more than a six-hour gap between individual tornadoes. An outbreak sequence, prior to (after) the start of modern records in 1950, is defined as a period of no more than two (one) consecutive days without at least one significant (F2 or stronger) tornado.[2]
^The Fujita scale was devised under the aegis of scientist T. Theodore Fujita in the early 1970s. Prior to the advent of the scale in 1971, tornadoes in the United States were officially unrated.[3][4] While the Fujita scale has been superseded by the Enhanced Fujita scale in the U.S. since February 1, 2007,[5]Canada utilized the old scale until April 1, 2013;[6] nations elsewhere, like the United Kingdom, apply other classifications such as the TORRO scale.[7]
^Historically, the number of tornadoes globally and in the United States was and is likely underrepresented: research by Grazulis on annual tornado activity suggests that, as of 2001, only 53% of yearly U.S. tornadoes were officially recorded. Documentation of tornadoes outside the United States was historically less exhaustive, owing to the lack of monitors in many nations and, in some cases, to internal political controls on public information.[8] Most countries only recorded tornadoes that produced severe damage or loss of life.[9] Significant low biases in U.S. tornado counts likely occurred through the early 1990s, when advanced NEXRAD was first installed and the National Weather Service began comprehensively verifying tornado occurrences.[10]
^ abcAll dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time and dates are split at midnight CST/CDT for consistency.
^ abcPrior to 1994, only the average widths of tornado paths were officially listed.[11]
^Edwards, Roger (5 March 2015). "Enhanced F Scale for Tornado Damage". The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC). Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
Grazulis, Thomas P. (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, Vermont: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
