User:SilentShadow87/Archive/2024 Super Outbreak

'''NOTICE: This article is being rewritten. I'm keeping the original version here since I worked so hard on it, but I've gained a lot of meteorological knowledge in the last couple of years. '''

The May 2024 Super Outbreak was an extremely deadly and prolific tornado outbreak sequence which impacted the Central United States between May 26 and June 1, 2024. The system was first "super outbreak" to occur in the Central United States, rather than the Midwest or the "Dixie Alley" region. The outbreak affected most of the Great Plains states, along with the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas. The storm complex produced a total of 612 tornadoes, including 32 EF4 and eight EF5 tornadoes. This broke the record the record for the greatest number of tornadoes and the greatest number of violent tornadoes produced in a continuous tornado outbreak sequence, although the greatest number of tornadoes spawned in the space of a year would occur in 2030.

One of the tornadoes produced in the outbreak would break the record for the longest duration of a single tornado and prove to be the deadliest in Oklahoma since 1947. Three other tornadoes would be responsible for more than 30 fatalities; eight would be responsible for more than 20. Another tornado produced in the outbreak broke the record for the longest path of any tornado in the Great Plains states since 1979.

The system was overall responsible for 412 fatalities, 84 of which would be caused by the Canadian County, Oklahoma tornado. Most of the tornadic fatalities caused by the outbreak were the result of 25 individual tornadoes. The outbreak also broke the record for the costliest tornado outbreak in world history; its record would later be broken by the May-June, 2034 tornado outbreak sequence and the April 2039 tornado outbreak sequence. A smaller secondary system affected the Southeastern United States in the afternoon of May 31, while the Super Outbreak was near its peak roughly 450 miles to the west.

Meteorological synopsis
In the late evening of May 26 into the early morning of May 27, a pronounced upper-level trough moved over the Northwestern Plains. A dry line developed through central Montana and Wyoming; areas east of the dry line had experienced temperatures upwards of 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.6 degrees Celsius) over the previous week, with dew points in the upper-60s (roughly 20 degrees Celsius) in the morning of May 27.

May 27
The Storm Prediction Center issued a slight risk of severe weather for May 27 in the 1730 Day 2 outlook on May 26; by the morning of May 27, an enhanced risk of severe weather was issued for southeastern Montana, northeastern Wyoming, a significant portion of western and central South Dakota, and far northeastern Nebraska. A 10% risk of tornadoes was forecast for the main risk area. The 1630 outlook contracted the enhanced risk in its width, but extended it northwestward into central Montana, and added a small hatched tornado risk (indicating a probability of EF2-EF5 tornadoes) for northeastern Wyoming and central-western South Dakota.

Supercells began to develop unusually early on May 27, with several having formed in Montana by 11:00 AM. Within an hour, several weak tornadoes were reported in the state, most of which were short-lived and inflicted minimal to no damage. One tornado caused two injuries in rural Rosebud County, while another narrowly missed an elementary school in the town of Sumatra. More pronounced tornadic supercells began to develop within the hour, and tornado warnings began to be issued for several counties in Montana and Wyoming. The small unincorporated community of Kingley was struck by a powerful EF2 tornado at 11:47 AM, which demolished several mobile homes and removed the roofing from frame houses, resulting in one critical injury and several minor injuries. No tornado warning was ever issued for its parent supercell, and the lack of fatalities was considered surprising by the National Weather Service.

In northeastern Wyoming, another supercell produced the first violent tornado of the outbreak, rated EF4. This tornado touched down at 12:30 PM MDT and destroyed several dozen homes and shops in and near the town of Sundance. Four fatalities and eleven injuries were reported over the tornado's 19-mile path, making the tornado the deadliest in Wyoming state history and the first violent tornado in the state since 1987.

After the Sundance tornado dissipated, four more tornadoes were reported in the surrounding areas. No significant damage was reported in the following hours, though 15 tornadoes were reported in the state, the most in a single day in Wyoming since July 13, 2021. Several additional tornadoes, all weak, were reported around the same time in eastern and central Montana. The next significant tornado of the day, a mid-range EF2, occurred in rural Pennington County, South Dakota, and grazed past the community of Owanka, inflicting considerable damage to roadside shops and farmhouses. Three minor injuries were reported as a result of this tornado. Another EF2 tornado struck the town of Reliance at 4:13 PM, resulting in one fatality. Weak tornadoes were reported well into North Dakota and as far east as Corona, barely within the 2% tornadic risk area. In the late afternoon, an exceptionally fast-moving supercell produced a long-track, high-end EF3 tornado which demolished several hundred buildings along its path and impacted the communities of Oelrichs, Smithwick, Buffalo Gap, Fairburn, and Hermosa. While it was not responsible for any fatalities, the tornado injured around 10 people and left considerable damage in its path.

Several more short-lived and weak tornadoes were reported in the Dakotas and Montana into the evening hours. A total of 47 tornadoes were reported on May 27, of which 33 were confirmed. Five fatalities were reported, along with 39 injuries. The day’s event, while significant, was the second-least-active day of the outbreak after June 1, with only six significant (EF2+) tornadoes and one violent (EF4+) tornado.

May 28
The Storm Prediction Center issued an enhanced risk for the Upper Midwest in its 0600 Day 2 outlook on May 27; by the morning of May 28, a moderate risk had been issued for southern Minnesota, with a 15% risk of tornadoes and a 45% hatched risk of damaging wind gusts. Squall lines passed through the area in the early morning shortly before sunrise, producing large hail, gusts in excess of 70 miles per hour, and a few unverified tornado reports. The rest of the morning into the early afternoon saw warm, humid and overcast conditions over much of the area; by the mid-afternoon, several supercells began to develop to the east of a dry line extending from central-eastern North Dakota to north-central Kansas. Tornadoes developed in the far eastern Dakotas and northern Nebraska in the afternoon hours; most were weak. An EF3-rated wedge tornado impacted the town of Redfield, South Dakota at 3:34 PM CDT, demolishing over 65% of the town and causing three fatalities. A high-end EF2 tornado caused considerable damage in Amenia, North Dakota at 3:51 PM, injuring an additional 8 people.

In the 2000 Day 1 outlook, the SPC expanded the 15% tornadic risk area to cover much of northern Iowa, eastern Nebraska, and far western Wisconsin, and added a 15% hatched risk area for southern Minnesota, northern Iowa, and eastern Nebraska. At 4:20 PM, a fast-moving EF3 wedge tornado impacted the towns of Aplington, Parkersburg, and New Hartford in Iowa, resulting in four fatalities, and notably following a very similar path to the 2008 EF5 Parkersburg-New Hartford tornado. To the southwest, a narrow elephant trunk tornado cut through western Daykin, Nebraska at 5:46 PM, leveling over 90 homes and receiving a rating of EF4. No fatalities occurred as a result of this tornado, but several injuries were reported. Many more tornadoes were reported over the course of the next hour, though no fatalities or injuries occurred. At 6:59 PM, a narrow cone tornado touched down to the west of Ivanhoe, Minnesota, and steadily intensified as it tracked almost due east, before impacting the city of Marshall at EF5 intensity, sweeping away numerous homes, severely damaging the Southwest Minnesota Regional Airport and State University, and causing 46 fatalities, making it the second-deadliest tornado of the outbreak, and the first EF5-rated tornado in the year of 2024. The tornado's parent supercell produced a mid-range EF2 tornado that caused one additional fatality shortly after the EF5 Marshall tornado had dissipated.

Several strong tornadoes impacted northern and central Iowa in the early evening hours, causing five fatalities and over 20 injuries. At 8:06 PM, a violent and fast-moving tornado followed an unusual southeastward path through the towns of Algona, Corwith, Kanawha, and Belmond, leveling numerous buildings including a three-story brick office building and a stone-walled winery, causing nine fatalities. The tornado received a rating of mid-range EF4, and was the first violent tornado in the state of Iowa since October 4, 2013.

Sundance, Wyoming
The first violent tornado of the outbreak, rated EF4, touched down at 12:30 PM MDT on May 27 to the southwest of the town of Moorcroft, Wyoming. Initially a thin rope, the tornado inflicted EF1-level damage on trees and outbuildings. The tornado widened into an elephant trunk after crossing a ridge and pushed a large oil tanker truck from a highway, earning an EF2 rating. Moorcroft itself was impacted by the tornado at 12:35 PM; while the tornado entered Moorcroft at mid-range EF2 strength, it rapidly intensified as it cut through the center of the town and had achieved EF3 strength by the time it exited. Houses on the western side of Moorcroft had roofing removed, and, in some cases, external walls collapsed, while on the eastern side of the town, houses were demolished with both interior and exterior walls collapsed; one house was completely leveled but lack of contextual evidence of intensity in the surrounding area prevented a rating higher than EF3 for the damage in Moorcroft. The tornado narrowed into a thin, needle-like rope after exiting Moorcroft but maintained considerable strength; at 12:41 PM the tornado crossed Duck Creek, tossing a fishing boat at mid-range EF3 strength. Shortly afterward, the tornado straightened and widened into a well-formed cone and began to intensify again.

The tornado attained EF4 strength immediately before impacting the town of Sundance at 12:54 PM. Houses were completely demolished and leveled to the ground, parked cars were thrown up to 60 yards, and trees were debarked. The tornado began to weaken as it exited Sundance and continued toward the South Dakota border; by 12:58 PM it had weakened to EF2 strength, and narrowed into a relatively straight rope at 1:00 PM. At 1:02, the tornado weakened further to EF0 strength, and dissipated shortly afterward at 1:03 PM.

The tornado was responsible for four fatalities and 103 injuries. It was photographed by storm chasers across much of its track, and was described by one team as "the most beautiful violent tornado ever caught on camera". One survey found "borderline EF5" damage at one house in eastern Sundance; however, later analysis revealed the home was likely not anchored properly.

Fairburn, South Dakota
This high-end EF3 tornado, which touched down late in the afternoon of May 27, would prove to be one of the fastest-moving significant tornadoes in history. Touching down in an empty field south of Oelrichs, the tornado initially inflicted EF0 to low-end EF1 damage on a small grove of trees, widening and straightening from an elephant trunk into a strong stovepipe as it impacted the town itself. Travelling at 55 miles per hour, the tornado grazed past the eastern fringes of the town at EF2 strength. The roofing from several buildings was removed; several parked vehicles including a large pickup truck were flipped; and loose, cracked pavement was scoured from a side road. The tornado continued to accelerate as it exited the town, briefly exceeding a forward speed of 70 miles per hour in a field between Oelrichs and the unincorporated community of Smithwick.

The tornado impacted the town of Buffalo Gap at high-end EF2 strength. One house had its entire rear portion removed; several others had roofing torn off. Parked cars were flipped and a picnic table was thrown through the roof of a small restaurant. The tornado achieved EF3 strength shortly after exiting Buffalo Gap and maintained its strength as it impacted the town of Fairburn, demolishing houses, tossing small parked cars short distances, and severely mangling a large transmission tower. Around 20 people in the town were injured, but no fatalities occurred. The tornado slowed significantly after exiting the town and widened into a wedge, debarking trees in a small grove at high-end EF3 intensity. It weakened soon afterward; grazing past extreme eastern Hermosa at mid-range EF2 intensity and causing no damage beyond that point. At 4:27, the tornado narrowed into a long, thin rope, and then dissipated just to the south of Daughenbaugh Road.

While it was not responsible for any fatalities, the tornado injured around 10 people and left considerable damage in its path. Experts have speculated that the tornado's extreme forward speed minimized the damage it inflicted somewhat; it was suggested at one point for a rating of at least EF4; ultimately it was rated EF3 due to the limited nature of evidence suggesting greater strength.

Marshall, Minnesota
The first EF5 tornado, and the second-deadliest tornado of the outbreak, touched down in a wood lot to the west of Ivanhoe, Minnesota at 6:59 PM on May 28. The tornado was initially a narrow cone, which inflicted high-end EF0 damage on a farm just outside Ivanhoe, then impacted the town itself at 7:00 PM, inflicting EF1 to low-end EF2 damage on buildings. Houses had their roofing removed; parked cars were flipped, and a portion of guardrail was torn from a road. After exiting Ivanhoe, the tornado began to rapidly grow in size and intensify; at 7:05 PM it impacted a farm at EF3 strength, completely demolishing several barns and leveling the farmhouse. By 7:08 PM the tornado had widened into a wedge and become rain-wrapped. High-end EF3 damage was observed at a grove of trees, many of which had been partially debarked and stripped of their branches. As it shifted from a northeastward to an almost perfectly eastward track, the tornado became violent; at 7:13 PM the tornado impacted a large car carrier truck, tossed it 90 yards from a highway, and rolled it an additional 230 yards, earning a rating of EF4. Limited ground scouring began at around 7:18 PM; within a minute, the tornado began to scour soil across most of its path. The tornado attained EF5 strength at 7:21 PM, just to the west of Marshall. A large irrigation sprinkler system originating outside of Marshall was located six miles to the east, and crops were scoured to within a few inches of the ground. The tornado impacted Marshall itself at 7:24 PM; at the point of entering the town, the tornado had reached a peak width of 1.6 miles.

The Southwest Minnesota Regional Airport in Marshall was struck head-on and sustained EF5 damage, with the main building having several interior walls demolished and a portion in the middle collapsed; warehouses were shredded and swept away, and an airplane wing was carried for 11 miles. To the south of the airport, a chemical plant was struck and swept away; fertilizer chemicals worked their way into Marshall's water supply and made the town's water unsafe for several weeks afterward. Homes in residential districts were swept away, with carpeting ripped from several foundations and plumbing uprooted. Parked cars were thrown up to 700 yards and a large trailer was thrown 400 yards and through the steel wall of a warehouse. The Southwest Minnesota State University sustained severe damage, with its main concrete building being twisted nearly off its foundation, and several smaller buildings being completely demolished and swept away in some cases. The tornado maintained EF5 strength as it exited Marshall, scouring several inches of soil to the east of the town and tossing a small van 0.75 miles (1.2 kilometers). It began to weaken at 7:31 PM; inflicting EF4 damage on a barn and farmhouse to the east of Marshall, and impacting another farm minutes later at mid-range EF3 strength. At 7:37 PM the tornado narrowed from a wedge into a V-shaped cone, and its forward speed slowed. It inflicted EF1 to low-end EF2 damage on shops at a small intersection, then roped out and dissipated to the north of the town of Lucan at 7:43 PM.

The tornado was responsible for 46 fatalities and over 700 injuries, making it the second-deadliest tornado of the outbreak and the fourth-deadliest of the year 2024. The tornado's path was 42 miles long and 1.6 miles wide at its peak. The most intense damage occurred in eastern Marshall, at and around the university, where 19 of the 46 fatalities occurred. In the aftermath of the tornado, attempts at repairing damage were slow due to the widespread and catastrophic damage left by other tornadoes in the outbreak, which stretched resources thin across the central United States.

Algona-Corwith-Kanawha-Belmond, Iowa
In the evening of May 28, a violent and fast-moving tornado, rated EF4, touched down in northern Iowa, causing severe damage in the towns of Algona, Corwith, Kanawha, and Belmond. The tornado first touched down at 8:06 PM in a field to the northwest of Fenton, and began an unusual southeastward path towards the town. It inflicted low-end EF1 damage on houses and shops in the town, but began to rapidly intensify as it exited the town's eastern limits. A farm roughly one to the so mile to the southeast of the town was impacted at EF2 strength; barns were stripped to their framework and the farmhouse was mostly demolished. The tornado widened into a strong stovepipe as it continued over empty fields and groves of trees, attaining EF3 strength over another farm at 8:13 PM. At 8:15 PM the tornado cut across a group of farms in the Lotts Creek community, completely demolishing barns and farmhouses. Damage in the area was rated mid-range EF3. The tornado impacted the town of Algona at 8:18 PM, where hundreds of houses and many businesses and warehouses were demolished. Near the center of the town a winery was obliterated and a large truck was thrown around 40 yards; while the damage in Algona was officially rated high-end EF3, one survey team described the damage as "minimal EF4". The tornado morphed into a large cone as it tracked over empty fields between Algona and attained EF4 strength at 8:22 PM.

The town of Corwith was struck at 8:24 PM; houses were leveled to the ground, parked cars were thrown up to 70 yards, and trees were debarked. Virtually all buildings in the northern half of the tiny town sustained either EF3 or EF4-level damage; one shop was swept from its foundation; however, poor anchoring prevented a rating higher than EF4. Three fatalities occurred in Corwith, all occurring on roads. The tornado maintained EF4 intensity as it exited the town, and began to develop a multiple-vortex structure as it tracked over fields between Corwith and Kanawha. A farm was impacted at 8:27 PM, with the farmhouse being swept away and a small tractor being thrown 80 yards. The tornado grazed past the community of Denhart, where it reduced grain silos to piles of crumpled metal just a few feet high; then impacted the town of Kanawha at 8:31 PM while still maintaining EF4 strength. Within Kanawha, houses were leveled and warehouse buildings were completely demolished with steel roofing and supports shredded. Large portions of walls and roofing from an equipment warehouse were thrown in excess of 200 yards; a parked truck was lifted and thrown through the roof of a neighboring shop, and trees were completely debarked. The tornado maintained EF4 strength after exiting Kanawha, but narrowed into a thin, cylindrical stovepipe. Shortly afterward, the tornado weakened to EF3 intensity. The northern portion of the town of Belmond was impacted at low-end EF3 strength at 8:37 PM; while several dozen houses were demolished, no fatalities occurred. By the time it exited Belmond, the tornado had weakened to high-end EF1 strength; shortly afterward it narrowed further into a rope, and dissipated in an empty field to the west of Alexander.

The tornado was responsible for nine fatalities and over 300 injuries. Its peak forward speed, which occurred between Algona and Corwith, was in excess of 68 mph, making it the seventh-fastest moving significant tornado in recorded history. Despite being relatively long-tracked, the tornado was responsible for a surprisingly low number of fatalities; the lack of a higher death toll was primarily attributed to a lengthy lead time between the issuing of a tornado warning and the tornado's actual touchdown.

Stockton-Winona, Minnesota/Tamarack, Wisconsin
In the mid-to-late evening of May 28, the same supercell that produced the Marshall, Minnesota EF5 would produce another violent tornado, rated EF4. The tornado touched down at 8:12 PM as a V-shaped cone as the sun began to set. The tornado inflicted EF0 to EF1-level damage on houses and trees in the town of Dover, and low to mid-range EF2 damage in the neighboring town of St. Charles. One fatality occurred in St. Charles as a moving car was tossed from a road. The tornado intensified as it exited St. Charles and impacted the town of Utica at 8:23 PM at EF3 strength. Houses were demolished in town and small cars were thrown up to 50 yards; three fatalities occurred in the area. The tornado maintained EF3 strength after exiting Utica and began to widen into a wedge. At around the same time, the tornado became lightly rain-wrapped. At 8:29 PM the town of Lewiston was struck at high-end EF3 strength, with well-built houses being demolished and houses of moderate construction being leveled. A water tower was toppled and burst, causing a surge of water which pushed one house off its foundation, and parked cars were lifted and thrown. The tornado continued northeast towards Winona, developing a multiple-vortex structure at 8:33 PM. The city of Stockton was impacted at 8:36 PM, with buildings and vegetation sustaining very high-end EF3 damage. One abandoned and poorly-construced house was swept from its foundation; several well-built houses were almost completely leveled with only portions of interior walls left standing, and many trees were partially debarked. The tornado attained EF4 strength in northeastern Stockton, where a well-built house on the extreme fringes of the town was completely leveled.

The tornado became more heavily rain-wrapped as it entered Winona itself at 8:40 PM at EF4 strength. Several hundred homes were completely leveled; two unanchored homes were swept from their foundations; dozens of vehicles including a large RV were thrown up to 90 yards; trees were debarked, and some pavement scouring occurred. In the northeastern portion of the town, warehouses and a recycling plant were completely demolished with large portions of steel walls and roofing thrown up to 500 yards and crumpled into tight balls. At a train yard, stationary boxcars were blown over and rolled several times. As the tornado's leading edge reached the Missisippi River, a large tugboat was flipped. The tornado weakened dramatically as it crossed the river, inflicting low-end EF3 damage on trees and small shops immediately afterward. The tornado weakened to EF2 strength as it continued northeastward, flipping a large truck and removing the roofing from a small warehouse. By 8:53 PM the tornado had weakened to EF1 strength and narrowed into a stovepipe, and abruptly dissipated to the west of Tamarack.

The tornado was responsible for 17 fatalities and over 350 injuries. The tornado's path was 36 miles long and 1.4 miles wide at its peak. While the tornado's wind speeds were never recorded, damage surveys gave an official estimate of 190 mph. There has been some speculation by experts that the tornado's peak winds may have occurred over an empty field between Stockton and Winona, and that those winds may have been in the EF5 range; however, very little objective evidence exists to support this speculation.

Auburn, Nebraska
In the afternoon of May 29, a slow-moving multiple-vortex tornado, rated EF5, cut a path through southeastern Nebraska, most notably impacting the town of Auburn. The tornado touched down at 2:34 PM CDT as a thin rope over a wood lot to the southeast of the town of Stella. Following an unusual northwestward path, the tornado inflicted EF0-level damage on a barn and farmhouse, cut across another wood lot, snapping tree branches, then grazed past the western portion of Stella at EF1 strength. Dozens of homes sustained heavy damage to their roofing, with one older house having its roof completely removed. As the tornado tracked over empty fields to the north of Stella, it widened from a rope into a curved cone, and inflicted mid-range EF2 damage on a farmhouse and several barns at 2:43 PM. A neighbouring farmhouse sustained high-end EF1 damage shortly afterward; the tornado attained EF2 strength again at 2:45 PM and had reached EF3 intensity by 2:48 PM. As it continued to intensify, the tornado struck the town of Howe at 2:46 PM at high-end EF3 strength. Virtually every building in the small town was demolished or otherwise severely damaged; an empty trailer was tossed 90 yards, and a few transmission towers along the fringes of the town were mangled. At 2:57 PM, the tornado widened into a large wedge, attaining a peak width of 1.1 miles over farmers' fields between Howe and Auburn.

The town of Auburn was impacted by the tornado at 3:03 PM; buildings in town including a library and several large factories were completely leveled; telephone poles were snapped less than a foot above the ground, and vehicles were tossed long distances, including a van weighed down with a load of concrete blocks, which was thrown 240 yards into a field outside the town. Damage in the town itself was considered "extreme high-end EF4" by official surveys due to the lack of contextual evidence of greater intensity; however, several experts questioned the rating. At 3:07 PM, shortly after the tornado exited Auburn, its forward speed nearly doubled from around 15 miles per hour to 28 miles per hour. Extensive ground scouring, in places up to 13 inches deep, occurred in fields to the north of Auburn, and corn stalks were shredded with the husks peeled from the ears. Additionally, small, decorative shrubs near farmsteads were ripped apart, and a portion of a dirt road in the area was scoured "from ditch to ditch". Due to multiple instances of extreme damage in rural areas north of Auburn, the tornado received a rating of EF5. The tornado began to weaken at 3:09 PM; ground scouring ceased and damage to crops became much more moderate. By 3:18 PM the tornado had weakened to EF3 strength; simultaneously, the tornado narrowed into a stovepipe, and then an elephant trunk. The tornado impacted two neighboring farmhouses and several barns at EF2 strength at around 3:20 PM; shortly aferward, the tornado inflicted EF0-level damage on a large storage shed before roping out and dissipating to the west of the town of Julian.

The tornado was on the ground for a total of 47 minutes over a 22-mile path; at its peak, the tornado was 1.1 miles wide, with winds estimated at 210 miles per hour based on damage surveys. Ten fatalities and around 180 injuries occurred as a result of the tornado; an official statement stated that the tornado's death toll was "surprisingly low, considering the fact that a town of several thousand was hit head-on when the tornado was near peak strength". A tornado warning was issued for Nemeha County around 20 minutes before the tornado touched down; the early warning, coupled with the tornado's relatively slow forward speed, is widely credited to be the cause of the relatively low number of casualties.

Perry, Iowa
This destructive, long-tracked, high-end EF4 tornado impacted several towns in central Iowa in the late afternoon of May 29. The tornado touched down at 4:11 PM CDT as a narrow cone over a small farm to the southwest of the town of Templeton. It inflicted low-end EF1 damage on the roofing of the farmhouse and a barn, thinning out into a rope as it began an eastward track across farmers' fields. The town of Coon Rapids was struck at 4:17 PM at high-end EF1 to low-end EF2 strength; homes had their roofs stripped to the decking or removed completely; parked cars were flipped or tossed short distances, and transmission towers were heavily damaged. The tornado morphed into a large cone shortly after exiting the town, and intensified between Coon Rapids and Bayard, the latter of which was stuck at high-end EF2 intensity; a number of older houses on the fringes of the town were completely demolished, and a few grain bins were heavily damaged. Continuing to track east, the tornado reached EF3 intensity as it grazed past the tiny town of Bagley at 4:29 PM, demolishing warehouses and a few homes in the northern portion of the town. The tornado became heavily rain-wrapped after exiting Bagley and struck the neigboring town of Jamaica at high-end EF3 intensity, sweeping away a small, unanchored home, partially debarking small trees, and mangling a radio tower.

At 4:37 PM a tornado emergency was issued for Perry; two minutes later, the tornado impacted the town of Dawson at EF4 intensity. The tornado was 0.7 miles wide at the time; wider than the town itself. Every building in the town sustained some degree of damage, with the majority of the buildings in the northern portion of town completely demolished and leveled to the ground; two well-built houses were determined to have sustained mid-range EF4 damage. Damage in the southern half of Dawson was far less severe, with most being mid-range EF2 to low-end EF3. Two fatalities occurred in Dawson, both in the northern half of the town. The tornado accelerated to over 60 mph as it impacted Perry at 4:42 PM while maintaining EF4 intensity. A large manufacturing plant in far western Perry was completely leveled with piles of debris shifted off the foundation; parked vans in the area were tossed up to 90 yards, and a portion of steel roofing from the plant was found embedded in the roof of a shop in central Perry, six miles to the east. A business district was struck at high-end EF4 intensity with virtually every shop being leveled to the ground and parked vehicles, including two large trucks, being tossed between 80 and 150 yards. Virtually every home in the norther portion of the town sustained high-end EF4 damage, with one older, unanchored house being completely swept away and most others being leveled with piles of debris scattered around the foundations. The neighboring Perry Middle School and Perry High School both sustained severe damage, with the high school being entirely leveled. As the tornado exited Perry, it began to weaken, inflicting EF3-level damage on barns to the east of Perry. The tornado narrowed from a wedge into a large stovepipe at 4:59 PM CDT and struck the town of Woodward at high-end EF2 strength, removing the roofing from houses and flipping parked cars. After exiting Woodward, the tornado inflicted no further damage; at 5:01 PM it narrowed further into a rope and dissipated to the south of the town of Madrid at 5:02 PM.

The tornado caused 21 fatalities and 500 injuries over a 59-mile path. At its peak the tornado was 1.2 miles in width with damage-estimated wind speeds of 190 mph. The Perry tornado was the deadliest tornado in the state of Iowa since the September 21, 1894 Kossuth County tornado, and the costliest in state history; additionally, it was the sixth-deadliest tornado of the outbreak and the seventh-deadliest overall in the year 2024.

Blackburn-Slater-Gilliam, Missouri
In the early evening of May 29, a highly destructive, long-tracked tornado cut through northern-central Missouri, impacting the communities of Alma, Blackburn, Mt. Leonard, Marshall, Slater, Gilliam, Cambridge, and Aholt. The tornado proved to be among the deadliest of the outbreak, and received a rating of EF5. The tornado touched down as a needle-like rope over a dairy farm to the southeast of Higginsville at 7:33 PM CDT. Moving northeast at 25 miles per hour, the tornado grazed past a barn, inflicting EF0-level damage to its roofing. At 7:35 PM, the tornado began to intensify rapidly while simultaneously expanding into a strong and highly visible stovepipe. A farmhouse and two nearby barns were struck at 7:36 PM and sustained high-end EF1 damage. As the tornado crossed Summers Road at 7:38 PM, it attained EF2 strength, peeling back the roofing from a steel vehicle shed and toppling one of the exterior walls. One fatality occurred in the area. Consistent high-end EF1 to mid-range EF2 damage was noted as several more farms were impacted between Higginsville and Alma. At 7:43 PM, the tornado attained EF3 intensity, sweeping away an unanchored farmhouse and partially debarking several trees nearby. The town of Alma was impacted at 7:47 PM, by which time the tornado had widened to over 350 yards. Around four dozen homes were demolished and nearby vehicles were tossed up to 70 yards. Additionally, a water tower sustained considerable damage and several trees were stripped of their branches and partially debarked. Damage in Alma was rated high-end EF3, with estimated wind speeds of 165 miles per hour. The tornado narrowed slightly to around 300 yards as it exited Alma; shortly afterward, a farmhouse was cleanly swept away at EF4 intensity. Ground scouring began to occur shortly before the tornado impacted Blackburn at 7:49 PM. Numerous houses in Blackburn were completely leveled with debris pushed off the foundations in many cases. Several vehicles were tossed up to 150 yards, and grass was scoured from lawns. The greatest damage in Blackburn was determined to be high-end EF4; four fatalities occurred in the city.

The tornado weakened somewhat after exiting Blackburn, inflicting mid-range EF3 damage on a pair of neighbouring farmsteads. As the tornado approached the city of Marshall, it dramatically widened, increasing from slightly under 325 yards to well over 700 yards over the course of two minutes. At 7:59 PM the tornado regained EF4 strength, tossing a small tractor nearly 120 yards, and beginning to cause widespread ground scouring. Several more farmsteads and barns were destroyed along the tornado's path. The tornado reached EF5 strength at 8:06 PM, sweeping away a large two-story stone house to the east of the city of Slater. A 700-foot (213-metre) high radio mast was struck at 8:11 PM at EF5 strength; the mast was snapped in the middle and toppled, with the upper portion being thrown well over 200 yards. A garbage truck was thrown roughly 450 yards moments before the tornado impacted Slater itself at 8:22 PM near peak strength. Clusters of homes in town were swept cleanly away, and several ground floors were broken off, leaving basements exposed, particularly along Parker Street At one home, several of the anchor bolts themselves were snapped off.. Pronounced wind-rowing of debris from several homes was noted, a curtain rod was found speared through the brick wall of a house, and a bathtub was embedded deeply into the ground. Many vehicles were thrown over 700 yards through the air and mangled beyond recognition, with three being stripped down to their frames, and a 100,000 gallon water storage tank was tossed 130 yards through the air. Additionally, many trees in town were completely debarked and denuded, and several were reduced to stubs. Damage in Slater was rated EF5, with estimated wind speeds of 260 miles per hour. Twelve fatalities occurred in Slater.

The tornado maintained EF5 strength after exiting Slater, leaving a wide swath of deep ground scouring in its path and shredding transmission towers. Its width increased to roughly 900 yards as it approached Gillam; at around the same time, it began to weaken, sweeping away a farmhouse and several barns at mid-range to high-end EF4 intensity. Gillam was impacted at 8:28 PM; nearly half of all buildings in the small town were demolished or leveled, with several older frame houses on the north side of the town being completely swept away. Damage in Gillam was rated EF4; two fatalities occurred in the town. As the tornado continued northeast over rural areas, it weakened dramatically while still remaining over 800 yards in width. Farmhouses near Missouri 240 were leveled at mid-range EF3 strength, and several tractors were tossed short distances. At 8:33 PM, the tornado weakened to EF2 strength while narrowing to roughly 250 yards wude, stripping barns down to their frames and snapping numerous trees as its path shifted towards the north. The town of Cambridge was struck at low-end EF2 strength at 8:37 PM; roofing was stripped from houses, small shops were demolished, and parked cars were flipped. After crossing the Missouri River, the tornado narrowed into a narrow V-shaped cone, inflicting EF1 damage to homes and trees in the town of Aholt. The tornado narrowed into a rope at 8:44 PM, and dissipated completely to the south of Roanoke at 8:46 PM.

The tornado remained on the ground for 73 minutes over a 52-mile path and was responsible for a total of 18 fatalities and over 200 injuries. The tornado was the first EF5 tornado in the state of Missouri since the May 22, 2011 Joplin tornado, and was described by the Central Regional Headquarters office in Kansas City as "possibly the most violent tornado in Missouri state history". The tornado was followed by storm chasers along virtually all of its track, and remained highly visible for its duration, making it one of the best-recorded tornadoes in storm chasing history.

Maryville, Missouri
Eight minutes after the Slater, Missouri tornado touched down, another violent tornado, rated EF4, would touch down 120 miles to the northwest and follow an even more heavily curved path. Touching down in a stretch of forest near the Iowa border to the southwest of the town of Braddyville, the tornado initially snapped a few branches and blew over wooden fences before impacting a farmhouse and stripping the roof down to the supports. Damage in the area was rated low-end EF1. At 7:47 PM, the tornado expanded from a narrow rope into a nearly horizontal elephant trunk; immediately afterward it inflicted high-end EF1-level damage on trees and mobile homes to the west of the town of Elmo. One fatality occurred in this area. The tornado began to shift its path eastward at 7:53 PM while attaining EF2 intensity. Large steel grain bins in the western portion of the town of Burlington Junction had their roofing removed, small frame houses were partially demolished, a few trailers were tossed short distances, and oak trees were snapped. At 7:58 PM the tornado's path shifted further eastward, and its forward speed increased to around 55 miles per hour. High-end EF2 to mid-range EF3 damage occurred between Quitman and Maryville; farmhouses sustained severe roofing and wall damage, barns were completely leveled, and farming equipment, including a combine harvester, was tossed.

The tornado widened to around 450 yards at 8:01 PM shortly before impacting northern Maryville at high-end EF3 intensity. Homes in northwestern Maryville were demolished with parked cars being tossed up to 140 yards; trees were stripped of many of their branches and partially debarked, and minor ground scouring occurred. Six neighboring homes on E 14th Street in Maryville were swept away, resulting in two fatalities; however, the bolts on the bare slab foundations were found to have not been appropriately spaced; as a result, damage in the area was rated EF4. Five fatalities occurred in Maryville itself; an additional 151 people were injured. At 8:06 PM, the tornado adjusted its path from an almost perfectly eastward path to a more northeastward path. Outside of Maryville, a Freightliner truck was tossed 190 yards and the Laclede Chain Manufacturing Plant was completely leveled. At 8:12 PM, the tornado cut across Mozingo Lake; shortly afterward, it weakened to EF3 strength, demolishing several barns and farmhouses between the lake and the town of Ravenwood. The tornado shifted to a north-northeastward path at 8:19 PM while simultaneously inflicting mid-range EF2 damage on a cluster of barns which were stripped down to their steel frames. The tornado continued to track over empty fields and caused no further damage; at 8:25 PM, it narrowed into a thin rope, and dissipated two minutes later to the north of the town of Parnell.

The tornado was responsible for 15 fatalities and around 470 injuries, mostly in the city of Maryville itself. The tornado was rated a mid-range EF4, with estimated wind speeds of 180 mph and a peak width of slightly over 450 yards. Due to the erratic motion of the tornado's parent supercell, the tornado's path was roughly U-shaped; the number of casualties was attributed to the tornado's unexpected changes in its path, coupled with its abrupt acceleration between Quitman and Maryville. Due to significant flooding in the area, rescue efforts were hampered and several victims were cut off from their communities.

Deerfield, Kansas
In the late afternoon of May 30, a narrow but violent tornado impacted portions of southwestern Kansas, most notably the town of Deerfield. The tornado was spawned by a large, low-precipitation supercell and initially touched down in rural Kearny County at 4:53 PM CDT. No hook echo was identified, and consequently no warning was issued. A tool shed and small garage were impacted shortly after the tornado's touchdown, sustaining high-end EF0 damage. After tracking northeast for just 400 yards, the tornado intensified considerably, completely removing the roofing from a farmhouse and collapsing one of its exterior walls. An above-ground swimming pool near the farmhouse was tossed over 40 yards, and several trees were blown over. Damage in the area was rated low-end EF2. The tornado continued northeast, crossing Country Road 24 at 4:55 PM, where a moving van was tossed approximately 20 yards; both the driver and passenger survived with relatively minor injuries. A farmhouse and two barns were struck at high-end EF2 intensity at 4:57 PM; both barns were leveled and the farmhouse was mostly demolished. The tornado maintained its high-end EF2 strength as it impacted and demolished a tractor shed on 3 Mile Road; several tractors in the vicinity were tossed up to 60 yards. As the tornado impacted the town of Lakin, it attained a peak width of 120 yards. Numerous homes and businesses in Lakin were demolished; four newly-built brick homes were almost completely leveled with only portions of interior walls left standing, and several vehicles including a large van were tossed up to 150 yards; the greatest damage in Lakin was rated high-end EF3.

Shortly after exiting Lakin, the tornado narrowed to approximately 90 yards in width. A warehouse to the east of the town was leveled, grain bins were demolished, and a garbage truck was toppled and rolled from a road. The tornado crossed U.S. 400 at 5:05 PM and shifted to an almost perfectly eastward path while simultaneously becoming violent. Several homes near the edges of the highway were leveled, and one was swept from its foundation; due to poor anchoring of all the affected houses, damage in the area was rated low-end EF4. All buildings on a farm to the west of Deerfield were leveled and a marble statue weighing approximately 14 tons was thrown 170 yards. At 5:09 the tornado narrowed to 65 yards in width; at around the same time, a narrow swath of intense ground scouring occurred. The tornado continued to narrow but maintained EF4 strength as it impacted Deerfield at 5:12 PM. Numerous unanchored homes were swept cleanly from their foundations; a large stone house was leveled and several small shops were swept away. The tornado's greatest damage occurred on Diana Lane, where a well-anchored brick house was swept from its foundation. While such damage is normally indicative of EF5 intensity, surveys found that shrubs near the house were not shredded, a parked dump truck in the road was rolled rather than lifted and tossed, and neighboring homes were only partially leveled. As such, the damage was rated EF4. Notably, the tornado had narrowed to 45 yards as it crossed Diana Lane, and was reported to have no visible condensation funnel at the time. Shortly after the tornado exited Deerfield, its condensation funnel reformed; moments later, several barns to the north of Alfalfa Mill Road were impacted and swept away. The tornado widened to 70 yards at 5:16 PM while simultaneously beginning to weaken. Farmhouses and barns to the south of U.S. 400 were leveled at mid-range EF3 intensity; at 5:20 PM, a warehouse was struck at high-end EF2 intensity; one of its walls collapsed, three forklifts were tossed up to 35 yards, and transmission towers in the area were deformed. By 5:25 PM, the tornado had weakened to EF1 intensity as it struck another farmhouse to the southwest of the unincorporated community of Peterson; shortly afterward, its forward speed slowed to around 18 miles per hour, and no further damage occurred. The tornado dissipated abruptly after crossing Lowe Road.

The tornado caused eight fatalities and nearly 200 injuries over a 19-mile path. A tornado warning was not issued for Kearny County until 5:17 PM, three minutes after the tornado had exited Deerfield, and no warning was issued for Finney County. The tornado was rated a low-end EF4, with estimated wind speeds of 175 miles per hour. On June 1, the National Weather Service released an official statement that "it is remarkable that that the death toll in Deerfield was not higher, given the lack of warning".

Liberal, Kansas
This violent, long-tracked multiple-vortex tornado, rated EF5, devastated the northern outskirts of the city of Liberal, Kansas, and surrounding rural areas in the late evening of May 30. The tornado touched down at 9:03 PM CDT slightly over 11 miles to the southeast of Rolla and began tracking east-northeastward at 40 miles per hour. The tornado's first damage occurred at 9:07 PM; several farm buildings sustained low-end EF1 damage to their roofing, and a few trees had branches snapped. The tornado then rolled a moving tractor-trailer from a highway at high-end EF1 intensity, before becoming obscured by rain. At 9:10 PM, the tornado inflicted EF2 damage on a small farm, partially demolishing the farmhouse and destroying a vehicle shed. The tornado continued to track over rural areas and inflicted no damage over the next seven miles of its path. At 9:20 PM, the tornado impacted and leveled a poorly-anchored farmhouse, resulting in three injuries, and severely mangled nearby transmission towers; damage in the area was rated EF3. Minutes later, the tornado dramatically expanded from 90 yards (82 m) in width to over a quarter mile (402 m) while becoming more heavily rain-wrapped. Trees in a small grove were partially debarked as the tornado passed over them at 9:26 PM, and several more barns were swept away. As the heavily rain-wrapped tornado approached the city of Liberal, a tornado emergency was issued at 9:28 PM. The tornado reached EF4 strength at 9:29 PM, sweeping away a small brick house and leaving a 200-yard wide swath of pronounced ground scouring in the area. One fatality occurred at this location.

The tornado impacted Liberal at 9:33 PM; while it was less heavily rain-wrapped at the time, darkness and curtains of hail kept it obscured from view. The tornado continued to intensify as it cut across the northern outskirts of the city. Many homes were entirely leveled with debris pushed off of their foundations; a few older or less well-anchored homes were swept away. A grocery store, three strip malls, several warehouses, and a high school were also demolished, and several cars and trucks were tossed up to 170 yards through the air. Trees in the path were completely debarked and denuded, and hedges were severely mangled. On the northeastern side of Liberal, several cargo containers were tossed in excess of 200 yards, and a trailer was thrown through the steel wall of a warehouse. 22 fatalities occurred in Liberal itself, most of which were in the northeastern quadrant of the city. Damage in Liberal was rated EF4, with estimated winds of 185 to 195 miles per hour. After the tornado exited the city, its forward speed increased slightly to 45 miles per hour. At 9:40 PM, the tornado became much more clearly visible; one minute later, the tornado had attained EF5 strength. Pronounced soil scouring was noted to the east of Liberal, a manhole cover was removed from the ground, and a portion of an underground water supply line was uprooted. The tornado weakened to EF4 strength as it passed over U.S. Route 54, sweeping away four barns and throwing tractors roughly 190 yards. At 9:51 PM, the tornado regained EF5 strength, scouring soil down to 10 inches in empty pastures before passing over a river gorge while maintaining its intensity. A railroad viaduct was collapsed, with steel supports crumpled and shredded, and I-beams twisted and sheared off in places. The tornado weakened to EF4 strength once more at 9:56 PM, completely leveling a small cluster of well-constructed and anchor-bolted brick houses, resulting in two fatalities and eight injuries. The tornado maintained EF4 intensity as it cut across a narrow wood lot, completely debarking trees in its path and uprooting and tossing a sugar maple tree; shortly afterward, it weakened to EF3 strength as it passed over a farm, leveling several barns and destroying a fertilizer tank. The tornado shifted its track towards the north at 10:13 PM, partially demolishing another farmhouse at EF2 strength. At 10:18 PM, the tornado narrowed from a wedge to a low, cylindrical stovepipe; by 10:18 PM, it had assumed a more conical shape. EF1 damage was noted to barns at 10:22 PM before the tornado moved off over empty fields, producing no further damage, and dissipating at 10:31 PM in the rural township of Sand Creek.

The tornado was the fifth longest-tracked and the fourth longest-duration tornado of the outbreak, remaining on the ground for 88 minutes over a 65-mile path. The tornado was 1.4 miles wide at its peak, and attained a maximum forward speed of 48 miles per hour. A total of 26 fatalities and 116 injuries occurred along the tornado's path. The tornado's most intense damage, at and around the viaduct, was described by surveyors as being "comparable in severity to much of the damage left by the Oklahoma City Metro tornado of 1999". Wind speeds in the area were estimated at 240 miles per hour. The tornado was the deadliest in the state of Kansas since since 1955, as well as the first in the state to be rated EF5 since 2007, and the fourth-deadliest of the outbreak overall.

Baxter Springs, Kansas
In the early afternoon of May 31, a violent and very slow-moving tornado touched down near the Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri tri-state area, and remained nearly stationary for much of its 33-minute existence. The tornado formed at 1:18 PM CDT to the east of Baxter Springs, Kansas, and tracked almost due north at 15 miles per hour. Trees and utility poles were downed at EF1 intensity as the tornado shifted slightly to the east at 1:24 PM and its forward speed slowed to less than 10 miles per hour. At 1:27 PM the tornado widened from a narrow stovepipe into a low cylinder roughly 400 yards in width, while simultaneously attaining EF2 strength. A barn was leveled at 1:28 PM, and a nearby feeding trough tossed. As the tornado approached U.S. Route 400, its forward speed slowed further to roughly 4 miles per hour. The tornado took on a more conical appearance, and iits multiple-vortex structure became much more clearly pronounced at 1:33 PM. Minutes later, a farmhouse was entirely leveled with debris pushed from the foundation, resulting in one fatality; a parked pickup truck nearby was tossed 90 yards through the air. Damage in the area was rated EF3. The tornado maintained EF3 intensity as it passed over a McDonald's restaurant and a neighboring truck stop near U.S. Route 400.

The tornado became violent at 1:37 PM as it reached U.S. Route 400, leveling four well-anchored brick houses along the edge of the highway, completely debarking numerous trees in the area, and leaving a swath of ground scouring in its wake. Four injuries occurred in the area. The tornado was at a near-standstill over the highway and was captured on video by local residents at this time. At 1:43 PM, the tornado's forward speed increased to 9 miles per hour. As it moved off of the highway, it leveled a cluster of homes, resulting in several more injuries, before beginning to weaken. EF3 damage was noted to trees and outbuildings before the tornado moved over empty fields, and produced no further damage. At 1:47. the tornado narrowed into a tall, curved cone and continued to accelerate, achieving a maximum forward speed of 18 miles per hour. The tornado roped out at 1:59 PM, dissipating completely at 1:51 PM.

The tornado followed a similar, curved path to the tornadoes that impacted Talhina, Piedmont, and Newcastle, Oklahoma, later in the afternoon. Over its 2.31 mile path, the tornado was responsible for one fatality and eleven injuries. It received a rating of EF4, with estimated wind speeds of 180 miles per hour. Due to the rural nature of the areas affected, the tornado's impact was relatively light. On June 5, the National Weather Service office in Norman, Oklahoma stated that, had the tornado formed four miles to the west and tracked through Baxter Springs itself, "a situation comparable to the impact of the 1997 Jarrell, Texas tornado would have been likely", and that a death toll of over 300 would have been "very possible".

Fargo-Woodward-Mooreland, Oklahoma
This highly destructive, EF5-rated wedge tornado impacted far northwestern Oklahoma in the late afternoon of May 31, with the greatest damage taking place in the city of Woodward. The tornado touched down at 4:32 PM CDT near the Oklahoma-Texas state line as a large cone-shaped funnel, snapping tree branches at low-end EF1 intensity shortly after touching down. As the tornado moved east-northeast at 45 miles per hour, it passed over a rural house, stripping away large sections of roofing, pushing over an elm tree and shifting a parked car. The tornado then struck the city of Shattuck, where consistent EF1 to EF2-level damage was noted. Roofing was removed from numerous houses, and several older houses were partially demolished. Parked cars in town were flipped, several trees were snapped, and a few small office buildings sustained roof damage. The tornado mostly demolished a poorly constructed farmhouse on the outskirts of Shattuck before moving over empty fields. The tornado took on a wedge shape at 4:48 PM; shortly afterward, a tractor shed was partially demolished at high-end EF2 strength. The tornado entered the town of Gage at 4:55 PM while nearing EF3 strength. Numerous homes in the tornado's path were demolished and parked cars were tossed; to the east, several small stores were flattened at low-end EF3 strength. In eastern Gage, a post office and several houses were demolished before the tornado exited the town. At 5:01 PM, the tornado rapidly intensified, sweeping away two farmhouses between Gage and Fargo, earning a rating of low-end EF4. As the tornado continued east, it attained a peak width of 1.5 miles at 5:08 PM; seconds later, the tornado entered Fargo, completely leveling numerous houses, tossing several cars and trucks up to 170 yards, and debarking trees in its path. At one newly-built brick house, only a portion of a staircase was left standing. Damage in Fargo was rated mid-range EF4, with estimated winds of 175 miles per hour.

At 5:13 PM, shortly after the tornado exited Fargo, a tornado emergency was issued for the city of Woodward. Around the same time, two well-built rural houses were swept away at high-end EF4 strength, and a wide swath of ground scouring occurred. The tornado attained EF5 strength at 5:21 PM, completely debarking and denuding almost all trees in a wood lot and scouring soil to a depth of 6 inches. The tornado entered Woodward at 5:26 PM, where many well-anchored houses in its path were swept away, cars were tossed up to 700 yards, and significant grass and pavement scouring occurred. Wind-rowing of debris was also noted, primarily in southwestern Woodward. At a construction site, a front-end loader was tossed 600 yards, a steamroller was tossed slightly over 500 yards and crumpled into a tight ball, and an excavator was tossed 450 yards and found with its body snapped off of the treads. Winds in southeastern Woodward were estimated at 265 miles per hour; as the tornado continued east, it began a weakening trend. Hundreds of houses were swept away in south-central and southeastern Woodward; however, grass scouring was less extensive and little wind-rowing of debris was observed. The tornado's forward speed increased to 40 miles per hour in southeastern Woodward, and it exited the town at 5:32 PM. Extensive ground scouring continued for several minutes, and four farmhouses between Woodward and Mooreland were completely swept away. The tornado impacted Mooreland itself at 5:44 PM, completely leveling almost all houses in its path and sweeping several older, poorly-anchored houses away. In the eastern outskirts of Mooreland, two trailer homes were thrown 190 yards through the air, a natural gas storage tank was tossed 120 yards, and several trees were completely debarked. Damage in Mooreland was rated high-end EF4, with estimated wind speeds of 190 miles per hour.

Past Mooreland, the tornado began to weaken more rapidly, demolishing several farmhouses and sweeping away barns at mid-range EF3 strength. A cluster of manufactured houses to the east of Mooreland was leveled, trees were partially debarked, and parked cars were thrown up to 110 yards. At 5:49 PM, several small shops at a rural intersection were mostly demolished at high-end EF2 strength, before the tornado moved off over rural fields and open woodland, causing no further damage to structures, but snapping and toppling hundreds of trees in its path at EF2 strength. By 5:57 PM, the tornado had weakened to EF1 strength as it neared the city of Waynoka, while still maintaining its wedge shape. Trees continued to be downed, and a moving car was pushed off of a road, resulting in one additional injury. The tornado entered Waynoka at 6:07 PM, inflicting EF0 damage to the roofs of houses and businesses before dissipating at 6:08 PM.

Over its 64-mile path, the tornado caused 35 fatalities and over 500 injuries, making it the third-deadliest of the outbreak and the deadliest in Oklahoma since the 1999 Bridge Creek-Moore tornado. The deadlier Canadian County, Oklahoma tornado touched down four minutes after the Woodward tornado dissipated; the first instance of two or more EF5-rated tornadoes touching down in the same state on the same day since April 27, 2011. The Woodward tornado and its aftermath received extensive media coverage, along with the tornadoes in Piedmont and Moore, Oklahoma on the same day; survivors from other areas affected by strong tornadoes later complained that extensive coverage of the three tornadoes drew attention and federal aid away from smaller towns.

Talihina/Red Oak, Oklahoma
In the late afternoon of May 31, a violent multiple-vortex tornado struck areas of far eastern Oklahoma, leaving severe damage near the towns of Talihina and Red Oak. The tornado touched down at 5:29 PM CDT in an empty field to the southeast of Fewell, snapping and toppling several trees shortly after touching down. Within a minute, the tornado quickly gained strength, partially demolishing a farmhouse and leveling several barns at high-end EF2 strength. As the tornado passed over a forest, it reached EF3 strength, uprooting hundreds of trees in its path and partially debarking several. Past the forest, the tornado weakened to EF2 intensity as it impacted a small cluster of frame houses. All homes in the area had their roofing removed, and the eastern exterior wall of one house collapsed. The tornado maintained its strength but narrowed slightly as it continued north, tossing a pickup truck 50 yards at high-end EF2 intensity. At 5:48 PM, the town of Albion sustained a direct hit. Houses in the path were demolished, several cars were thrown up to 115 yards, and light debris was recovered several miles to the north. Damage in Albion was rated high-end EF3. As the tornado crossed into Le Flore county, its forward speed slowed slightly. EF3 damage occurred in a row of trees; immediately afterward, an older farmhouse was leveled. The tornado reached EF4 strength shortly afterward, tossing a combine harvester 90 yards in one throw, before sweeping away a few small frame houses near U.S. Route 71.

Talihina was impacted at EF4 strength at 6:03 PM. Large, well-built brick houses were leveled, with some older frame houses being swept away, many trees were completely debarked, vehicles were tossed up to 180 yards through the air, and some ground scouring occurred. One fatality occurred at a convenience store which was completely leveled. Wind speeds in Talihina were estimated at 185 miles per hour. Past Talihina, the tornado continued over rural areas, debarking trees and toppling several truss towers. The tornado's shape shifted slightly from a low cylinder to a more classic wedge shape at 6:15 PM. At 6:18 PM a wind farm was struck at high-end EF4 intensity, where several large wind turbines were destroyed, and a tractor-trailer was tossed 210 yards. At around this time, winds of 261 miles per hour (420 kph) were recorded in the tornado by a Doppler on Wheels, suggesting that it was likely capable of causing EF5 damage. Damage to the turbines was rated EF4 in official surveys due to a lack of contextual evidence of greater strength. The tornado's path shifted slightly to the east past this point; several more barns were swept away before the tornado struck eastern Red Oak near peak strength. Several homes and small shops were swept away, parked cars were tossed well over 100 yards and mangled beyond recognition, and trees were completely debarked. All of the obliterated buildings were either of only moderate construction or not properly anchored to their foundations; therefore, a rating of high-end EF4 rather than EF5 was assigned to the damage in Red Oak. The tornado maintained EF4 strength for a time afterward, debarking almost all trees in a small wood lot, before shifting to a northeastward path and beginning to weaken. A farmhouse was leveled at EF3 strength along U.S. Route 82 and nearby barns were partly swept away; to the north, another row of trees was partially debarked, and a tractor in the area was thrown 90 yards through the air. The tornado passed to the south of Lequire at 6:46 PM, inflicting EF1-level damage to the roofs of houses, then moved over empty fields and caused no further damage. The tornado dissipated at 6:54 PM to the south of McCurtain.

The tornado was responsible for two fatalities and 27 injuries over a 45-mile path, and was officially rated an "extreme high-end EF4", with estimated wind speeds of 195 miles per hour. It maintained its wedge shape for nearly all of its 85-minute existence, reaching a peak width of 0.75 miles near Albion. Like most of the tornadoes that touched down in Oklahoma on May 31, it followed an unusual curved path, initially moving north before shifting to the east.

Canadian County, Oklahoma
This extremely violent and long-tracked tornado passed through the western Greater Oklahoma City area in the evening of May 31, leaving catastrophic EF4 and EF5 damage in and near Minco, Southwest Oklahoma City, El Reno, Piedmont, and Guthrie, and proved to be the deadliest tornado of the outbreak. The tornado touched down at 6:12 PM CDT as a thin elephant trunk to the northwest of Cyril, initially snapping several tree branches at EF0 strength. Tracking north for the first 22 miles of its path, the tornado caused EF3-level damage as it passed near Anadarko before weakening to EF2 strength and directly impacting the small town of Gracemont. The tornado rapidly reintensified past this point, becoming violent shortly after entering Grady County, and inflicting EF4-level damage in rural areas to the west of Minco.

By the time the tornado entered Canadian County, it was nearing EF5 strength. Numerous houses were swept away in El Reno and many cars and trucks were tossed and mangled beyond recognition. Even greater damage occurred in the city of Yukon, where a two-story mansion, a hardware store, two warehouses, and several well-anchored homes were swept away. The tornado may have reached peak strength as it neared Piedmont, scouring soil down to nearly 24 inches and sweeping away several more large, well-constructed and anchor-bolted houses before passing over an industrial area. Several factories and warehouses, along with a power substation, several large oil tanks, fractionating columns, and oil pumpjacks were severely damaged or destroyed, and trucks and freight train cars were tossed several hundred yards and mangled beyond recognition. EF5 damage continued as the tornado passed through Piedmont, sweeping away dozens of houses and again leaving extremely deep ground scouring in its path. 63 fatalities occurred in Canadian County, and surveys determined that most of the people killed were in a "recommended place" (i.e. a basement or ground-level interior room).

The tornado weakened to EF4 strength shortly before crossing into Oklahoma County, leveling or sweeping away several houses and small stores on the northwest outskirts of Oklahoma City. High-end EF3 to low-end EF4 damage occurred in the city of Edmond, where the tornado reached a peak width of 1.4 miles. Almost every building in the northern half of the town was damaged, with hundreds being demolished or completely flattened. EF3-level damage continued as far east as Luther, after which the tornado rapidly weakened, inflicting EF0 to EF1-level damage to trees and houses in the towns of Wellston and Warwick, before dissipating just to the west of Chandler.

The tornado remained on the ground for 4 hours and 24 minutes over a 102-mile path, making it the longest-duration tornado ever recorded. 84 fatalities and 208 injuries occurred over the tornado's path, with 63 fatalities in Canadian County alone. The tornado was by far the deadliest of the outbreak, as well as the third-deadliest in Oklahoma state history behind the 1947 Woodward, Oklahoma tornado, which killed 181, and the 1905 Snyder, Oklahoma tornado, which killed 97. As with most of the other tornadoes which touched down in Central Oklahoma on May 31, the Canadian County tornado followed a curved path, at first tracking almost due north before turning to the east.

Blanchard-Newcastle-Moore, Oklahoma
Roughly an hour before the EF5 tornado impacted Canadian County, the Greater Oklahoma City area was struck by another violent tornado, rated EF4, which cut through the cities of Blanchard, Newcastle, and Moore. Touching down at 6:23 PM to the west of Bradley, the tornado caused EF1-level damage to trees and the roof of a tool shed shortly after forming. As it tracked north, it struck a radio shed, removing the roofing and causing minor damage to the nearby mast. A tractor tractor trailer less than 100 yards to the north was tipped over and rolled several times, suggesting that the tornado was rapidly intensifying. The tornado passed over the town of Alex at 6:29 PM while at EF2 strength, demolishing many manufactured homes, removing the roofing from several large, well-constructed brick houses, and flipping several cars. Past Alex, two neighboring rural houses were mostly demolished at high-end EF2 strength. The tornado reached EF3 strength at 6:36 PM as it neared Blanchard, completely leveling a farmhouse, sweeping away a nearby small barn, and tossing an SUV 110 yards. A cluster of trees to the north was partially debarked before the tornado entered Blanchard. Houses were entirely demolished with several being leveled; warehouses and large storage sheds suffered severe damage, with one being demolished, and several vehicles were tossed up to 150 yards through the air. Damage in the outskirts of Blanchard was rated high-end EF3; as the tornado grazed past the center of the town, it became violent, completely leveling several large and well-constructed houses and completely debarking trees nearby. At 6:36 PM, the tornado's path shifted to the northeast as it moved towards Newcastle, leveling several more homes in its path.

In the outskirts of Newcastle, several manufactured homes were completely swept away and a large mansion was demolished; trees in the path were debarked and a small car was thrown 230 yards. As the tornado continued northeast, it passed over a residential neighbourhood, sweeping away several homes and completely leveling two large and well-constructed stone houses. As the tornado struck a small business district to the south of downtown, more houses, several small shops, two warehouses, a department store, and the Newcastle Water Department building were flattened. The Newcastle Middle School was narrowly missed by the tornado, but sustained considerable damage believed to be caused by an inflow jet. A streak of pronounced ground scouring began shortly before the tornado crossed the Canadian River into Cleveland County, debarking trees and leaving considerable ground scouring in northwestern Norman before entering southern Moore near peak strength. Numerous large and well-constructed brick houses were completely leveled with debris pushed from the foundations; the Southmoore High School was demolished with only a few interior walls still standing; several parked cars were tossed up to 300 yards, and a portable classroom was tossed 120 yards. Debris from obliterated houses was found embedded into the ground at the Moore Golf & Athletic Club shortly before the tornado crossed Interstate 35, leveling a Home Depot store, several warehouses and storage sheds, and a restaurant. An empty city bus nearby was tossed 160 yards and severely mangled.

Past Interstate 35, the tornado weakened slightly, leveling houses and demolishing several department stores at low-end EF4 strength. After passing over another residential neighbourhood, the tornado weakened to EF3 strength, partially debarking trees and destroying football stands at a stadium. The tornado's forward speed increased slightly as it neared Oklahoma City; at around the same time, low-end EF3 damage occurred to houses near SE 4th Street. By the time the tornado exited Moore, it had weakened to EF2 intensity, removing the roofing from houses in Southeast Oklahoma City and flipping several parked cars. At 7:38 PM, the tornado narrowed from a large stovepipe into an elephant trunk while weakening to EF1 strength. Minor tree damage was observed near a water plant before the tornado dissipated over Stanley Draper Lake at 7:50 PM.

The tornado remained on the ground for 87 minutes over a 41 mile path. As with most of the tornadoes which touched down in Central Oklahoma, it followed a curved path, moving primarily northward for the first 18 miles of its path before shifting to the northeast; by the time the tornado crossed Interstate 35, its path was almost due east. The tornado resulted in 23 fatalities and over 400 injuries, making it the fifth-deadliest of the outbreak and the sixth-deadliest overall in the year 2024.

Ardmore, Oklahoma
In the evening of May 31, a deadly, long-tracked and violent tornado cut a path through south-central Oklahoma, earning a rating of EF5. The tornado touched down at 7:26 PM CDT as a pencil-like rope tornado to the south of Thackerville, roughly 2.6 miles to the north of the Texas state line, moving almost due north along U.S. Route 77 at 30 miles per hour. Initially, the tornado downed several trees and power poles at EF1 intensity. The tornado attained EF2 strength at 7:31 PM after crossing Joe Whittington Road and approaching Thackerville itself, where several mobile homes were demolished and nearby parked cars were flipped. The tornado maintained EF2 strength while cutting through the outskirts of Thackerville and simultaneously widening into a thick elephant trunk. Roofing was completely removed from frame houses, a tractor-trailer was rolled off of a road, killing the driver, and hundreds of trees were snapped or uprooted. The tornado's forward speed slowed slightly as it continued to the north of Thackerville. Between Thackerville and Marietta, several farmhouses and rural frame houses were partially demolished, barns were leveled, and an older industrial building sustained moderate damage.

As the tornado approached Marietta at 7:48 PM, it was nearing EF3 strength; four mobile homes to the south of the town were completely leveled, and nearby parked cars were tossed up to 120 yards. The tornado inflicted low-end to mid-range EF3 damage on Marietta itself, demolishing several frame houses, tossing parked cars, partially debarking trees, and lofting a trailer through the top floor of a nearby split-level house. One fatality and over 30 injuries occurred in Marietta; past the city, the tornado took on a large stovepipe shape. Shortly afterward, the tornado swept away a cluster of small, unanchored rural houses at high-end EF3 strength and mostly debarked nearby trees. The tornado crossed Interstate 35 at 7:58 PM, tossing three moving cars up to 160 yards from the highway and severely mangling them, killing all three drivers. Nearby trees were completely debarked, but no ground scouring occurred; as a result, damage in the area was rated high-end EF3 rather than EF4, with estimated wind speeds of 165 miles per hour. The tornado maintained its intensity while beginning to take on a more conical shape as it continued north along the highway, debarking hundreds of trees in a wood lot and sweeping away a few manufactured homes before impacting Overbrook at 8:07 PM while maintaining high-end EF3 strength. Numerous homes in Overbrook were completely leveled with debris pushed from their foundations in some cases; however, the majority were found to have improperly spaced anchor bolts, preventing a rating higher than EF3. Parked cars were thrown as much as 140 yards, and several trees were mostly debarked. Twelve injuries occurred in Overbrook; three of the victims were placed on life support. As the tornado continued past Overbrook, its path shifted slightly to the east. The tornado became violent at 8:13 PM, scouring soil near U.S. Route 77.

The tornado passed near Ardmore at EF4 strength at 8:17 PM, completely debarking hundreds of trees before impacting a residential area where numerous homes were completely leveled with debris pushed from their foundations, and a few older, rebar-anchored houses were swept away. Parked cars in the area were thrown up to 210 yards, many more trees were debarked, and transmission towers were ripped from their anchorings and tossed. To the north, the Hardy Murphy Coliseum was demolished, while several trailer homes in the nearby Plaza Mobile Homes Park were tossed well over 200 yards. A swath of continuous high-end EF4 damage was noted in residential areas as the tornado continued north-northeast before the tornado continued over rural areas. The tornado was nearing EF5 intensity as it approached the Ardmore Municipal Airport; between Ardmore and Gene Autry, numerous rural houses were cleanly swept away, and a narrow swath of intense ground scouring, 8 inches deep in places, occurred. Additionally, an oil tanker truck was tossed 500 yards from a compression station, numerous trees were completely debarked and denuded, with some being reduced to stumps, and a warehouse along Mt. Pleasant road to the south of Gene Autry was entirely leveled. The tornado reached EF5 strength at 8:36 PM, moments before impacting the Ardmore Municipal Airport. The main building of the airport was completely leveled, while nearby cargo warehouses were swept away; cargo inside the warehouses was found as much as 3.2 miles away. Several small to mid-sized airplanes including an Airbus A319 were flipped or tossed, and a refueling truck was tossed and found 0.85 miles away in a meadow, while another was never located. Additionally, a layer of thick and newly-laid asphalt was scoured from the ground along with 8 inches of soil beneath it, and debris from airport buildings was finely granulated.

The tornado maintained EF5 intensity for around five miles to the north of the airport, leaving a wide swath of extensive ground scouring, completely debarking trees and throwing a moving car slightly under one mile from a road, before rapidly weakening. At 8:50 PM, a cluster of frame houses was impacted and demolished at EF3 strength; past this point, trees in a wood lot were snapped and uprooted at high-end EF2 strength. Continuing over more rural, the tornado narrowed from a large cone to an elephant trunk; EF1-level damage was noted at a tractor storage shed at 9:04 PM. Past this point, the tornado moved over empty fields and forests for several miles; EF0 to EF1-level tree damage was noted to the southwest of the town of Sulphur, before the tornado roped out and dissipated at 9:13 PM.

The Ardmore tornado remained on the ground for 97 minutes over a 53-mile path, resulting in 14 fatalities and 98 injuries. The tornado reached a peak width of 500 yards, with estimated winds of 280 miles per hour. Several meteorologists have stated that this tornado was likely at least as violent as the Canadian County tornado as well as being potentially one of the most violent in Oklahoma state history.

Burkett-Williams-May, Texas
In the late evening of May 31, a violent and deadly tornado impacted several small towns in Central Texas, leaving severe damage in its path and receiving a rating of EF4. The tornado touched down at 9:21 PM CDT in rural Coleman County as a thin and wispy rope, and initially inflicted high-end EF0 damage on a pair of tool sheds near a farmhouse. The tornado tracked east-northeast at 30 miles per hour, while simultaneously widening into a tall and narrow cone and attaining low-end to mid-range EF1 strength as it passed over two neighboring mobile homes; both were partially demolished, and one person at this location was injured. As the tornado continued to intensify, its forward speed increased slightly to 35 miles per hour. At 9:00 PM, two barns were stripped of their roofing and walls, and a nearby pickup truck was tossed 22 yards through the air; damage in the area was rated mid-range EF2. The tornado weakened to EF1 strength immediately afterward, toppling several trees and snapping power poles as it passed over a small dirt road. The tornado nearly doubled its width from 90 to 170 yards from 9:25 to 9:27 PM; as it crossed U.S. Route 283, it had attained EF3 strength, completely leveling an older, unanchored farmhouse near the edge of the highway. Nearby trees were partially debarked, and a portion of guard rail on the highway was removed. The tornado briefly weakened to EF2 strength to the east of the highway, regaining EF3 intensity at 9:09 PM. An unanchored farmhouse was swept away at 9:35 PM at high-end EF3 strength, resulting in two fatalities. The tornado became violent at 9:38 PM, to the southwest of village of Burkett. Two larger farmhouses were swept cleanly away, though poor anchoring prevented a rating higher than EF4. The tornado was illuminated by frequent flashes of lightning as it impacted Burkett itself, where over two dozen homes, several small shops, and a post office were leveled, parked cars were thrown up to 135 yards and severely mangled, and trees were almost entirely debarked. Two fatalities and 18 injuries occurred within Burkett. Damage was rated low-end EF4, with estimated wind speeds of 170 miles per hour.

The tornado continued to intensify after passing through Burkett, and was near its peak intensity as it passed through rural areas to the south of the tiny, unincorporated community of Williams. Three neighboring mobile homes were described as being "utterly obliterated" by the tornado, with very little visible debris remaining where they had stood; nearby trees were completely debarked, and a swath of pronounced ground scouring occurred in the area. Damage in the Williams area was rated mid-range to high-end EF4, with winds estimated at 185 miles per hour. The tornado weakened slightly as it continued eastward, demolishing homes and partially sweeping away a vehicle shed at high-end EF3 strength near the village of May. Shortly afterward, several barns were leveled and a farmhouse partially demolished to the east-northeast of May. The tornado continued over empty fields for several minutes before impacting a grove of trees at mid-range EF2 strength, resulting in the death of a hiker in the area. Two barns sustained high-end EF1 damage at 10:29 PM, after which the tornado inflicted no further damage. At 10:32 PM, the tornado narrowed from a cylindrical stovepipe into a thin elephant trunk, before dissipating at 10:33 PM in rural Comanche County.

The tornado followed an east-northeastward path, in sharp contrast to the paths of the other tornadoes in Texas and far southern Oklahoma on the same day, most of which moved almost due north. It remained on the ground for 72 minutes over a 43-mile path, and was responsible for a total of five fatalities and 41 injuries. Notably, the tornado's path crossed the paths of two other significant tornadoes that touched down in the same year, rated EF2 and EF3; the first known instance of such an occurrence since May 13, 2021.

Seymour, Texas
The final EF5 tornado of the outbreak sequence cut a path through northern Texas in the late evening of May 31, most notably devastating the city of Semour and surrounding rural areas in Baylor County. The tornado touched down at 10:06 PM CDT as a lightly rain-wrapped cone in rural areas to the northeast of Paint Creek, and inflicted mid-range EF1 damage to the roofing of a farmhouse shortly after touching down. As the tornado moved north-northeast at slightly under 40 miles per hour, it became more heavily rain-wrapped. The tornado had attained EF2 strength by the time it crossed U.S. Route 380, rolling a tractor-trailer from the highway and injuring the driver. The heavily-rain-wrapped tornado removed the roofing from several frame houses and demolished several mobile homes as it continued north-northeastward. By 10:18 PM, the tornado had become heavily rain-wrapped, and its forward speed had decreased to 35 miles per hour. The tornado reached EF3 strength shortly after entering Baylor County, leveling a small farmhouse and tossing a parked van nearby roughly 60 yards. A cluster of mobile homes was completely demolished at 10:22 PM, with debris scattered well away from the site. One fatality and nine injuries occurred at this location. The tornado began to widen rapidly at 10:25 PM; at 10:27 PM, an abandoned farmhouse and three barns were swept away at high-end EF3 strength. Beginning at 10:31 PM, the tornado began to become less heavily rain-wrapped. Two more farmhouses in the area were swept away before the tornado attained EF4 strength. A cluster of small, older frame houses was swept away at 10:33 PM, and nearby trees were completely debarked. A tornado emergency was issued for the city of Seymour at 10:37 PM. By this time, the tornado was much less heavily rain-wrapped and made visible by almost constant lightning; the tornado's visibility gave many residents time to seek shelter. Several more frame houses were swept away three miles to the south of Seymour at 10:46 PM at high-end EF4 strength.

The tornado impacted Seymour itself at 10:51 PM, devastating much of the western half of the city. Hundreds of homes were swept away along the tornado's path, including several which were described in damage surveys as being "particularly well-anchored to their foundations". At several homes, ground floors were broken off and swept away, while at others, tiles were scoured from foundations and plumbing was removed. Two shopping malls and several warehouses were leveled, and a three-story library was demolished and partially swept away. Additionally, several cars were thrown over 400 yards and mangled beyond recognition; trees were completely debarked and denuded, and some grass scouring occurred. To the north, an amusement park was struck, where several brick buildings were swept away, roller coaster tracks were demolished and several cars tossed up to 1,200 yards through the air, and a Ferris wheel was completely demolished and crumpled into a tight ball. Damage survey teams assigned a rating of EF5 to the damage in Seymour. Past Seymour, the tornado maintained EF5 strength for a brief time, completely removing all vegetation from a small hillside. A steel truss tower was uprooted and tossed at high-end EF4 intensity past this point, with a nearby pickup truck being tossed 200 yards and left unrecognizable. The tornado's path shifted slightly to the east; minutes later, two neighboring brick houses were leveled. The tornado continued over rural, uninhabited areas and did not impact any more structures along its path; vegetation damage showed a consistent weakening trend. Trees in a grove impacted at 11:23 PM were partially debarked at EF3 strength and corn stalks in surrounding fields were flattened. The tornado continued over empty fields for several minutes before impacting another forested area at 11:34 PM, inflicting low-end EF2 damage. Past this point, the tornado became heavily rain-wrapped once again and its forward speed increased to just under 50 miles per hour. EF0-level damage, strongly suspected to have been caused by this tornado, occurred to several mobile homes in a park to the southeast of Lockett before the tornado dissipated.

Over the course of its 58-mile path, the tornado caused 22 fatalities and over 200 injuries. The tornado remained on the ground for 104 minutes, attaining a peak width of 1.9 miles, and receiving a final rating of EF5, with estimated wind speeds of 245 miles per hour. Many of the tornado's survivors credited their survival to the issuance of a tornado emergency before the tornado impacted Seymour itself, which prompted the sounding of secondary warning sirens; coupled with the tornado's visibility due to frequent lightning. The tornado was the first to receive an F5 or EF5 rating in the state of Texas since the May 27, 1997 Jarrell tornado; the next tornado to receive such a rating occurred on June 10, 2026, impacting the city of Sanderson.