Tornado Outbreak of May 6th - 8th, 2021

The Tornado Outbreak of May 6th - 8th, 2021 was an extremely significant tornado outbreak that struck portions of the Great Plains and Midwest and produced a violent derecho over the Mississippi River Valley, causing numerous fatalities and injuries.

May 6th
On May 6th a shortwave trough that formed the previous day over the northern Rocky Mountains went negative tilted and slightly intensified. It originated, at ground level a deep surface low over northeastern Colorado and a second, weaker low developed over the central Colorado - New Mexico border. The main surface low made warm moist air surge up into cental and northeastern Nebraska and cold air came down over northern Colorado and Utah. The second surface low brought into the southern Plains even more warm moist air, especially over eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle. This second low was the perfect ingredient for significant severe weather, since both lows had a dryline connected to them but this one produced a bulge along it, enhancing over southeastern Colorado the low level shear, creating a perfect enviroment for supercells and potentially strong tornadoes. The conditions over southeastern Colorado became even more perfect for tornadoes once very moist air was pushed to that area by the nearby low. Supercells started to fire in the afternoon, in a enviroment made out of over 3000 J/Kg in CAPE and about 200 to 250 m2/s2 in 0-1 km SRH and started producing tornadoes. The stronger of the day was an EF4 that struck southeastern Colorado, devastating the towns of Hasty and Wiley. Several other, weaker tornadoes touched down over eastern New Mexico and the western sections of the Texas Panhandle, producing scattered and locally significant damage, like in the Dalhart, Texas area. Along with the tornadoes, numerous reports of tennis ball to baseball sized hail were received on all of the supercells. Later that night, western Oklahoma was hit by a damaging wind producing QLCS, that caused severe damage in the towns of Elk City and Woodward.

May 7th
On May 7th, the shortwave trough intensified and so the surface lows did, especially the southern one. The northern low moved up to the Nebraska-Iowa-South Dakota border, pushing the main warm front up to the Chicago and Cleveland metropolitan areas, creating a localized area of enhanced low level shear over eastern Iowa and northern Illionis, which, mixed with local enhanced moisture from the Mississippi River and southern Lake Michigan made the enviroment perfect for tornadoes, in case any discrete cell would have crossed that warm front. Meanwhile, the second surface low passed over extreme western Kansas, deepening quickly and pushing its warm front up to Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska and Kirksville, Missouri, making it almost collide with the dryline over central Nebraska. With this change in the environment over the Great Plains, a potentially violent tornado outbreak was forecasted for the area, because of the explosive atmosphere (instability was up to 4500 J/Kg in CAPE) mixed with about 300 to 350 m2/s2 in low level SRH. Supercells fired once again along and east of the dryline with multiple areas of development, especially over Kansas, all the way from the Texas Panhandle to northern Kansas, producing numerous strong to violent, in some cases long tracked tornadoes, that strucked multiple populated areas, resulting in heavy damage and several fatalities. The strongest tornado was an EF5 that struck central Oklahoma, hitting the center of the town of Guthrie. During the late evening hours, a MCS formed by the afternoon supercells developed over eastern Kansas and moved over Missouri, leaving an outflow boundary over southeastern Kansas for the next day.

During the afternoon hours, numerous descrete cells fired just south of the warm front over the western Midwest, but only three of them managed to cross it, one of them putting down a devastating EF4 tornado over northern Illinois.

May 8th
On May 8th the shortwave trough started to wedge itself over the central U.S. and the main surface low mover over the Upper Michigan peninsula, pushing its cold front rapidly towards the south. This made the second surface low and associated dryline to mover directly south-southeasterly. Locally enhanched helicity was located southeast of the low, which was over central Kansas. Unstable air (2000 to 2500 J/Kg in CAPE) was confined and squeezed by the dryline, the cold front and the outflow boundary left by the previous day MCS. Thunderstorms were forced to form early in the day, during the morning hours, over southeastern Kansas and move quickly towards the south-southeast. With that, southeastern Kansas was struck by a couple of supercells that produced a few tornadoes, including the last violent tornado of the outbreak, an EF4 that struck the Fall River Lake area. Those supercells quickly grew to form a violent MCC, which reached the derecho status, moving over eastern Oklahoma, west-central Arkansas and northern and eastern Louisiana, causing extensive damage in the Tulsa, Fort Smith and Little Rock areas, due to over 100 mph straight line winds, along with a few isolated tornadoes. A few fatalities took place due to the derecho.

Meanwhile, in the Great Lakes area the cold front acted as a source of lift for unstable air (in the order of 1500 to 2000 J/Kg) in a weakly sheared enviroment. The low level helicity was high enough though to make storms rotate and a few isolated supercells developed, producing a few isolated, in some cases significant tornadoes. More supercells and much weaker tornadoes developed over east-central Texas due to the dryline and outflow boundary from the derecho squeezing unstable air.

Hasty - Wiley Tornado
The first violent tornado of the outbreak developed as a tornadic waterspout over the John Martin Reservoir, produced by the only tornadic supercell in southeastern Colorado on May 6th. From there, the waterspout made landfall southwest of the town of Hasty and moved directly to the east-northeast, making a direct hit on the town after striking a farmstead, where EF2 damage occurred. The middle part of town suffered mostly EF2 damage with points up to EF3. Numerous trees were partially debarked and snapped at mid heigh, homes were either destroyed or badly damaged and cars were picked up and moved up to 150 yards in the backyards of houses. Outbuildings were swept clean and power poles were downed. The tornado then moved towards the east-northeast in fields, barely missing several farmsteads. Once it reached County Road LL, the twister directly struck two farmsteads, causing high end EF3 damage to a house and trees, while barns and grain elevators were destroyed at EF2 strength. Some ground scouring started to occur as well, indicating the tornado was starting to reach EF4 intensity. After that, the tornado struck the south side of the McClave community, causing EF4 damage for the first time as an entire farmstead and surrounding trees were completely destroyed. A nearby steel framed shed was half destroyed, suffering low end EF3 damage on its north side due to a likely suction vortex. East of McClave, the tornado weakened back to an EF3, as another farmstead was directly struck and destroyed, with a tractor picked up and thrown up to 260 yards away. The tornado then continued its weakening trend down to an EF2 and widened up to a mile wide, passing near numerous farmsteads. It weakened more as it passed north of the Keesee community as it struck four farms at EF1 strength. Suddenly, the tornado intensified immensly as it tracked across farmland, ripping out of the ground crops and a couple of trees along with power poles and a windmill, heading right for the town of Wiley. The city got hit dead on at EF4 strength, with heavy damage to almost every structure, especially in the lower two thirds. The school district and the downtown area got hit hard with high end EF4 damage. City Hall and Wiley United Methodist Church were almost leveled, preventing an EF5 rating, the southeastern quarter of town, with a lot of residential housing got completely demolished, grain elevators on the southwestern corner and southern side of town vanished and a parking lot on the southwestern side of town got hit directly. There, numerous cars went airborn and thrown around town, landing in backyards and on houses. Mobile homes were picked up and thrown as well and trees were debarked. Homes east of the school district suffered EF3 damage, being almost completely destroyed, while the northern side of town suffered lighter damage, with the worst being rated low end EF2. Exiting the city, the northern part of the tornado struck two more farms, causing high end EF3 damage and throwing two tractors and a silo in nearby fields. Meanwhile, fields got scoured by the center of the twister and power poles were snapped at their bases. Finally, after 21 miles, the tornado weakened and dissipated turning towards the north-northeast and barely missing a house.

During its about 30 minutes on the ground, this EF4 killed 12 people and injuried 156 more. Most of them were in Wiley, since most of the manifactured homes in the southeast area weren't able to resist a tornado of this magnitude. Three people died in an apartment complex on the east side of town after a car was smashed against their flat.

Streator Tornado
The second violent tornado of the outbreak formed on May 7th just southeast of the little town of Kangley, Illinois. The supercell, after crossing the warm front over north central Illinois and eastern Iowa, turned to the right, towards the east-northeast and put down the tornado in a wooded area. From there, the tornado passed over numerous trees, either uprooting them or destroying them at EF2 strength. Then the twister entered the Streator area, directly in the Eastwood Golf Course, where numerous golf carts were picked up and wrapped around trees. Luckily all players got to shelter after seeing the tornado developing just outside town. The twister passed over housing areas, destroying several homes at EF3 intensity. While moving towards Illinois 23, the tornado passed over seven apartment complexes, causing EF2 to EF3 damage and a parking lot, where tens and tens of cars were picked up and thrown around, some smashing into the previously hit apartment complexes. Others were thrown in the commercial area of town, where a car dealership, two malls and a bowling alley suffered high end EF3 damage. Every single car in the parking lots, along with nearby buildings, suffered severe damage; more cars got picked up and thrown, some of them landing on top of the demolished commercial buildings and others in the nearby and barely missed Anderson Fields Golf Course. From there, the tornado left town, striking the south part of Marilla Park at high end EF3 strength and then head for a windfarm. Meanwhile, at the LaSalle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, golfball sized hail was reported along with pieces of cars and trees falling out of the sky and landing in the lake, causing problems to the water animals for a few weeks after the tornado. Along with over a dozen wind vanes, the tornado swept away three farmsteads. In a up close video of a storm chaser is possible seeing a farmstead being completely destroyed, a power pole being ripped out of the ground and thrown and a wind vane being destroyed and made collapse on itself. This damage, along with extensive ground scouring made the rating go up to EF4. Of the 14 wind vanes hit, 6 of them got completely wiped out, leaving only the base inside the ground with exposed wires. All of the others lost at least one blade or were downed. A tractor was found wrapped around the base of one of the most badly damaged wind vanes. Several trees were almost completely debarked and a nearby solar panles power plant was badly damaged by falling debris as the tornado passed just north of it. After about 20 minutes from touchdown, the tornado finally dissipated less then a mile west-northwest of the town of Ransom.

Over its 15 miles long path the tornado injuried 136 people but luckily nobody was killed. The damage caused by this tornado reached 400 million dollars mostly due to the heavy damage suffered by the wind vanes, the nearby solar panels power plant and to the wildlife area to the north.

Dighton Tornado
This violent tornado formed on May 7th about 6 miles southwest of the town of Dighton, Kansas after an EF2 dissipated south of there. The tornado developed as a bowl shaped funnel with suction vortices and then evolved into a large wedge, approaching a mile in diameter. Nearing town with a speed of about 20 mph, the twister had the chance to gain strength and then hit directly the center of town after causing extensive ground scouring and snapping power poles at their bases. Just before entering town, the tornado shrunk to about three quarters of a mile wide and passed right over the city and then dissipated three miles to the northeast, remaining on the ground for about 9 miles and 25 minutes. Over 2000 structures were affected by the tornado, 200 of them being severely damaged or completely destroyed. Among them were the hospital, St. Theresa Catholic Church, Dighton United Methodist Church and Dighton High School. At the school, over 500 people were seeking shelter after being taken inside during a football match and in Dighton City Park 150 more people were sent home after the tornado sirens went off 9 minutes before the tornado hit. The two churches suffered EF4 damage, along with several other homes which were swept clean with only a pile of debris remaining. The high school suffered EF3 damage, with all of the windows shattered and the roof completely destroyed, along with significant damage to the brick walls. The hospital suffered EF3 damage as well, with the last floor of the building collapsed and three ambulances being pushed against nearby houses. Both the football field and Dighton City Park got filled up with debris of any kind, along with two cars in the field; Dighton City Park itself was stuck at EF2 intensity, with numerous trees downed and structures without roof. Numerous mobile homes on the northeast side of town were taken aloft and slammed back down in the field to the northeast; grain elevators fell down on a stationary train and the Lane County Historical Museum got its roof ripped off and an 18-wheeler thrown against its entrance. Numerous trees got completely debarked and a few cars were wrapped around them. The fact that brick shopping buildings in downtown Dighton were only severely damaged and not completely swept clean prevented an higher rating, even though three homes were completely swept clean from their foundations with no debris left, but it turned out that these homes were not well anchored. Grass was scoured from gardens as well.

Overall the tornado killed 6 people and injuried 98 more, making this a miracle, considering that the warning was issued just 9 minutes before the tornado hit plus the fact that 500 people at the school and 150 more at the park were seeking shelter at the same moment. The economic loss was over 250 million dollars.

Topeka Tornado
Another violent tornado that formed on May 7th struck the western side of Topeka, Kansas. The twister first touched down two miles west of Sherwood Lake and started moving northeast. The tornado was weak at first, damaging some homes at EF0 to EF1 strength but after passing over Lake Vaquero it intesified to an EF3, striking directly Indian Hills Elementary School and Susanna Wesley Untied Methodist Church, ripping the roofs of both buildings and making the cars in the parking lot flip one on the other. A schoobus was picked up and throw in the school fields while power poles were downed. After destroying numerous houses at EF3 strength, the tornado passed just south of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter devastating 2 houses at EF4 intensity. More residential areas got struck at EF4 intensity before the twister reached SW 21st Street. From there the tornado passed right in front of West Ridge Mall, destroying the restaurant Red Lobster, with over 400 people seeking shelter. Next was the Ross Dress For Less shop and then a few industrial buildings between the Hobby Lobby shop and West Ridge Lanes Family Fun bowling alley. As the tornado crossed US Route 75, it reached more residential areas and McCarter Elementary School, destroying numerous buildings at EF4 force. The twister started to weaken as it approached the Mt. Hope Cemetery but destroyed one last building at EF4 strength, the Fairlane apartment complex. The tornado then passed just north of the cemetery, in the Ellenwand community, where more homes suffered low end EF2 damage. The tornado finally dissipated just south of the area's Starbucks, missing the Topeka Zoo to the south. The tornado tracked through Topeka for 9.5 miles and killed 34 people, injuring almost 300 more. Most of these people were in the Red Lobster restaurant, hit at high end EF4 intensity and made collapse on itself. The tornado was a very thin multiple vortex one for most of its life, with a widening trend after crossing US Route 75, while the damage path was not wider than an house and an half for the first part of its duration, striking not more than 250 buildings. Luckily, schools were closed just an hour before, otherwise, by the experts' words, there could have been a disastrous number of young fatalities.

Piedmont - Guthrie Tornado
The only EF5 of the outbreak touched down on May 7th to the west of Piedmont, Oklahoma. The twister developed in front of people at the Chester's Party Barn and Farm, where videos show the tornado forming and growing to a half mile wide. As it passed north of there, the tornado struck a few isolated farms and houses, causing EF3 damage, along with downing trees and power poles. Moving towards the east-northeast, the twister passed over the northern subdivisions of Piedmont destroying several homes and leveling some of them, obtaining an EF4 rating. Ground scouring and debarking of trees started occuring as well and the tornado widened up to a mile and started causing EF5 damage, obliterating numerous farmsteads and leveling completely several homes; trees were completely debarked and snapped to their bases along with power poles; extensive ground scouring was observed in this area, metal power trusses were toppled and two of them were mangled and mobile homes were thrown outside of the tornado's path; cars and tractors were picked up, mangled beyond recognition and deposited back on the ground several miles away. The Promised Land Bible Institute was struck directly at EF5 strength and completely blown away with about 80 people inside; incredibly, only two people died here. The twister then turned towards the northeast, striking a residential area between Edmond and Seward where EF5 damage occurred with a few well constructed homes leveled. The town of Seward itself was spared with the tornado passing just a mile to the west. Moving in this direction, the tornado targeted directly the city of Guthrie. On its path, extensive ground scouring continued and hundreds of trees were completely debarked; more farms got swept clean and asphalt was destroyed as well. The Guthrie-Edmond Regional Airport was barely missed to the west although debris fell down on it, damaging windows and planes. An entire subdivision west of the airport was devastated with EF5 rated damage, the Autoquip Corporation was destroyed at EF3 strength while a McDonald's and the Walmart Supercenter suffered high end EF4 damage. Other restaurants in the area were severely damaged before the tornado passed right through the middle of Guthrie, where downtown suffered EF2 to EF3 damage. The area between Broad Street and Drexel Street was the worst hit, with high end EF5 damage to numerous homes. The |Oklahoma Territorial Museum, the Scottish Masonic Temple, the Logan County Sheriff building and the Logan County Courthouse all suffered high end EF4 damage. Homes were flattened, in many cases with nothing left if not severely damaged foundations, the few trees left standing lost parts of their bodies, cars were left completely irrecognizable and grass was scoured from gardens; debris and destroyed cars fell down from the sky on the football and baseball fields, where EF3 damage occurred. More EF5 damage occurred to the north, especially in and around Highland Hall park where all the water was sucked out of a swimming pool and the pool itself became a muddy hole as all the materials it was made of were taken aloft. Two tennis fields were reduced to mud as well and all the trees were completely debarked and reduced to splinters. As it exited the main part of Guthrie, the tornado caused EF5 damage to a last subdivison and turned sharply towards the east, passing just north of the Interstate 35 and Oklahoma Highway 33 intersection where numerous motorists made a mistake, seeking shelter under overpasses as debris fell on them. More debris fell on the Guthrie Summit View Cemetery. The twister crossed Oklahoma Highway 33 northeast of town and threw a few cars off the road and destroyed farms and houses at EF4 strength while doing so. From there, the tornado weakened rather quickly and dissipated between Meridian and Langston. On its 47 miles long path, the tornado caused only 5 fatalities and injuried 74 people. This miraculously low death toll was caused by a 45 minutes long Tornado Emergency issued for the Guthrie area as the tornado was causing severe damage in Piedmont. Infact, two deaths occurred at the Promised Land Bible Institute and three more as cars were thrown off Oklahoma Highway 33 and nobody was killed in the middle of town. Experts said that because the tornado was heavily covered by local meteorologists in its stronger phases, a lot of people decided to evacuate north in the hail core of the storm before the twister got there and even more people evacuated in the morning hours knowing the potential for a big tornado outbreak in the area. Overall, this tornado was the costliest of the event, with about 2 billion dollars in damage.