However, it is important to realize that storms are not entertainment or games. However, smoke's effects on supercells might actually depend on the particulars of a given weather day, as suggested in a 2014 modeling study. An outbreak occurred overnight on October 20, 2019. EF3 tornado, part of several tornadoes produced by the remnants of Hurricane Ida. As noteworthy as the days severe weather was, it wasnt as extensive as what many short-range models had predicted, and it probably didnt match up with many residents expectations of more widespread calamity. As the storm continued tracking to the northeast, we had a choice to make in order to keep up with it: we could either go north then east or take a little more time and go east then north. A couple of several tornadoes (up to EF3) produced by photogenic and cyclic cold-core supercells, part of the largest December tornado outbreak in Illinois on record. There were 14 billion-dollar disasters in 2019, making it the fifth consecutive year with at least 10 billion-dollar disasters. Many of meteorologists, including me, pursued weather because of hurricanes, storms or awe-inspiring observations. ET, May 23, 2019 Remember me Not recommended on shared computers. A highly visible tornado developed about 8 miles southwest of Mangum, then moved northeast through the northwestern and northern portions of Mangum before dissipating about 3, Want to leave a comment? Tornado which made what was likely the first recorded tornadic sonic boom upon dissipation. Our weather forecasts continue to improve as our technology and understand advance but tornado forecasting is still hard. Winds were strongest a few minutes before it crossed N of Mangum. EF2 tornado, part of a local tornado outbreak around the DFW metro. I was excited. The event highly resembled, at least in HRRR model space, high-impact Dixie Alley events where strong to violent tornadoes are more common than anywhere else in the world. Elevated storms north of the warm-front were occurring during most of our drive from Amarillo to Childress and largely precluded the feel. The forecast seemed spot on. Other tornadoes struck northwest Texas, and a mammoth 5.5-diameter hailstoneone of the states largest on recordfell near the town of Wellington in the eastern Texas Panhandle. 1.8-mile-wide EF3 tornado, part of an infamous outbreak of tornadoes across western Kansas. May 23rd, 2019. 0305: 6 N BALD HILL : OKMULGEE : OK: 3583: 9584: EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTED A TORNADO. EF3 tornado, highly-visible for the area and time of occurrence. As bust was making it around social media, tornadoes, hail, and intense rainfall were still on the table for many people, and they needed to remain alert. Several tornadoes produced by a cluster of cyclic supercells in rapid succession. Assuming some kind of subsidence at that level keeping a lid on things? Tornado outbreak sequence of May 15-20, 2017 - This was day 4 of the outbreak sequence. May 20, 2019 It would seem to be a subtle effect, but the sublime is everything when it comes to the dynamics of tornadic supercells. I think there is a time for the discussion about forecast verification, and it is not in the midst of an evolving, dangerous event. Our weather forecasts continue to improve as our technology and understand advance but tornado forecasting is still hard. Part of the 2011 Super Outbreak. There was such a heightened sense of alert about the storms on Monday. In general (especially prior to 2021), RAP has a bias toward warm, dry surface conditions and weak low-level shear, especially on drier days. May 20th, 2019 SPC 1630z day tornado probabilities An outbreak of tornadoes, some potentially long-track and violent, is expected today into this evening over portions of northwest Texas into western and central Oklahoma. Looking for inspiration? Only a few days after the infamous and frustrating "high risk bust" in Oklahoma on May 19th (which remains the worst chase day I've had), we found ourselves in the Texas Panhandle under a Moderate risk - having driven all the way from Missouri the . 3-6 hours difference is what saved Oklahoma today. The last time a 45% tornado outlook was issued was during the Tornado Outbreak in Oklahoma and Kansas on 14 April 2012. Upon making it to Childress, we noticed something odd; the tornadic mid-morning storms hadnt developed. Infamous long-tracked EF4 tornado that killed 6 people and destroyed an already decaying town. EF3 tornado that struck parts of metro New Orleans. But there is nothing that gets chasers blood flowing like seeing the issuance of a high risk for tornadoes. The timing of bust declarations. Robust supercells, such as the one shown below, began developing across the Texas panhandle. The tornado outbreak sequence of May 2019. Just the fourth time in history a 45% probability had been issued and the wording in the discussion was terrifying. We knew all along that these storms wouldnt be the real show, so we didnt worry too much. Some of the attributes pertaining to vertical distribution of instability were not well captured in our state-of-the-art prediction models. Monday May 20, 2019 was a high risk day in Oklahoma. These challenges highlight why the emergence of social science research on communication, psychology, sociology, and geography is so important. A few tornadoes (up to EF2, though likely stronger) occurring primarily from the same supercell in rapid succession (with a brief period of two simultaneous tornadoes), part of a local outbreak in and around the Texas panhandle. I wont delve too deeply into the meteorology behind the event, but it largely busted. Drawing on my earlier research days attempting to grow mathematically simulated, intense thunderstorms on a Cray supercomputer, I can attest to the nonlinearity of the atmosphere: Very slight changes in the thermodynamic environment of a storm can have disproportionately large profoundly large impacts on the response of cloud systems, most notably the vigor and depth of cloud updrafts. Texas State record hailstone measured at 6.4 diameter, produced by a particularly massive supercell storm. Schools and colleges in central Oklahoma were closed for the day, not only out of safety concerns for the sheltering in place but also because of vulnerable bus routes. What a silly, unforced error. Often regarded as one of the greatest days of modern storm chasing. The short of it: I hold a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and have been chasing storms in the plains since 2006. Infamous U.S. derecho that travelled 800 miles over 18 hours, killing 22 people and resulting in an estimated $2.9 billion in damage. The list was procured by how impactful the storms were to civilization, how abnormal they were for the area, or how memorable they were to storm chasers. Please read There was considerable haze and smoke in the air, some of it apparently related to smoke from wildfires in southern Mexico. EF3 tornado, part of a surprise outbreak of 24 tornadoes (up to EF3) produced by mini-supercells across northern IN and OH that went largely unforecast. The HRRR and NAM showed an extraordinary day with many, May 6, 2019 - Severe Storms in central KS including tornadic supercell at night north of Greensburg. I previously discussed pros and cons of long-lead time outbreak forecasts in. The abstract says that very high and very low false alarm rates led to inferior decision making, but that lowering the false alarm rate slightly did not significantly affect compliance or decision quality. These results are counter to previous studies that linked cry wolf with non-compliance to warnings. Long-lived EF3 tornado, the strongest recorded in southeast MT. A curiosity was sparked that has not faded to this day. Long-tracked EF4 tornado that killed 64 people and was infamously covered on air. Two tornadoes, the first a particularly photogenic EF4, and the second an EF3 wedge tornado with winds measured by mobile radar to be over 200 mph. If you are using the metrics of 45% coverage of tornadoes or long-track, violent tornadoes, then the Monday outbreak probably doesnt meet that threshold. See the weather.com article for the latest on Tuesdays ongoing severe weather and impacts from the outbreak. EF3 tornado, part of an outbreak of tornadoes across MS and AL. We got well out ahead of the circulation and stopped to get out of the car and watch it approach. In a thread on his personal Twitter account, Edwards offered wide-ranging thoughts on what happened and what we can learn from it. The corridor of activity closely matched the moderate- and high-risk areas outlooked by SPC the night before (see below). Fortunately, it appeared at this point that the tornado had mostly missed town. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. As of June 3, 295 twisters have been confirmed* per the hard-working crew over at Wikipedia. EF4 tornado that killed 8 high school students. The cap won. 18:25 - Future Jet Stream Strength 20:31 - Future Storm Ingredients 21:58 - Valentine's Day Storm Season? Mobile radars had winds well within the violent category (I know, I know). We got into the hook of the storm and looked back at the mesocyclone south of Kirkland, Texas a spot that shouldve provided us with a perfect view of the tornado. They very much hoped I'd be scared straight to the point of wanting to cancel the trip. Photogenic supercell that produced a few tornadoes. At this point, we assumed that the storm would recycle and produce another, larger tornado. Given the relatively quick storm motion and the now lengthening line of chasers behind us, we were only able to stop for 30 seconds or so at a time to take photos. 1 month ago At least 14 tornadoes rip through the Gulf Coast Homes and businesses were gutted in the Texas suburb of Pasadena after a tornado brought torrential rains and wind. A sequence of tornadoes, including two at one time, emerged from a compact supercell that passed just to the west of Oklahoma City. ERA5 soundings are occasionally marked by an incongruent disconnect in the low-level thermodynamic profile. Multiple particularly photogenic tornadoes (rated up to EF2) from the same supercell. Excerpt from the May 20th, 2019 SPC 1630z day one outlook The proclamation quickly became a lead story among the major news outlets. Ultimately, Monday was a day with truly sobering high-end potential, so we can be grateful that supercells didnt end up developing in the right places and at the right times to take full advantage of the situation. From a messaging standpoint, many people already feel that weather is hyped. One of the costliest severe thunderstorm events in U.S. modern history at an estimated $11 billion. Long-lived EF4 tornado, part of an outbreak of tornadoes across IN and OH. There was the northward surge of highly unstable, tropical air with high moisture off the Gulf of Mexico. Widely-photographed cone tornado produced by nearly stationary supercell. Particularly photogenic surprise tornado. Part of an outbreak of tornadoes across the central Plains. Even as a storm chaser who actively wants to see high-end tornadoes, a day like May 20th, 2019 not living up to its expectations is a blessing. (624 Miles) May 12, 2022 - 80-90 MPH Straight line winds in a fast moving Derecho near Huron, SD (1585 Miles) 13:48 - Tornado Season is Expanding? Aside from the occasional burst of wind and clap of thunder, we don't exactly get much in the way of interesting severe weather. May 23, 2008: Quinter, Kansas EF4 wedge tornado, part of an infamous outbreak of tornadoes across western Kansas. Indeed, as I was monitoring weather maps across the threat area, these factors did appear to materialize. High-precipitation, cyclic supercell that produced multiple weak tornadoes. Particularly photogenic flying saucer-like supercell. We need continued integration of technical and social science research as we have seen recently in the VORTEX-SE campaign. Part of an outbreak of tornadoes across the central Plains. Particularly photogenic low-precipitation supercell. Meteorologists seemed awestruck at the tornado outbreaks potential, using terms such as nightmare scenario and a rare kind of event that may take many lives. And a horde of storm chasers converged on Oklahoma, with some hoping the day would bring the chase of a lifetime. As a byproduct of falling in love with chasing, I was fortunate enough to pursue and complete a B.Sc in Meteorology from the University of Miami in 2014 and a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 2018. They had only issued a watch like this once before, and it came on the day of the April 27th, 2011 super outbreak in Dixie Alley the largest tornado outbreak in history. At 1.7 miles in width, the hit would prove unnecessarily excessive. It had the smell. What emerged was a bona fide severe weather outbreak, but less fierce and extensive than the one many computer models and official outlooks had indicated was a strong possibility. Moreover, this resulted in a daily average of 19.8 . may 20, 2019 tornado bust. Probability of a tornado within 25 miles of a point. A strong tornado late Monday night, clearly evident on radar, carved out at least a mile-wide path and produced at least EF2 damage, according to a survey under way Tuesday afternoon by the NWS/Tulsa office. Two days prior on May 18th, the SPC issued a relatively rare Day three moderate risk, and re-upped the moderate risk the following day. We got south and ahead of a tornado warned storm near Paducah, Texas just as the first of what we expected to be multiple tornadoes touched down. Canadas only (particularly photogenic) EF5 tornado. In fact, NOAAs Storm Prediction Center(SPC)tweeted that morning: The latest forecast from SPC has increased the tornado probabilities from 30% to 45% from northwest Texas into central Oklahoma. EF5 tornado from a particularly photogenic supercell for the area that killed 3 people. Snow totals of 3" to 7" were widespread from Denver to Boulder. Yet, the word forecast bust started creeping into the narrative of our insular meteorology community. The long of it: Growing up in Maplewood, New Jersey, its hard to become obsessed with the most extreme weather on the planet. May 22, 2008: Windsor, Colorado EF3 wedge tornado, particularly long-tracked, wide, and at an early time of day for the area. Heres a guide. 20 p.m. Simultaneously, heavy rains from severe thunderstorms flooded roads and houses and triggered water rescues. EF5 tornado, one of the U.S.s deadliest on record due especially to a particularly rapid evolution, killing 158 people. Probability of a tornado within 25 miles of a point. Particularly photogenic orange carrot tornado. clip. Particularly photogenic supercell that produced an anticyclonic tornado amongst others. To understand my journey towards an obsession with weather is to start over 20 years ago (!!!) The most honest short answer is we dont know yet, but there are already a few clues. Long-lived EF3 tornado (though measured by mobile radar to be stronger) from a high-precipitation supercell. Photogenic and dusty EF2 tornado that hit an oil workers camp. Being from NJ, we knew nothing about severe weather much less had the ability to chase it ourselves. Long-lived EF2 tornado from an HP supercell with northwest flow. These points have certainly been noted by forecasters responsible for issuing Mondays 45 percent chance of tornadoes within 25 miles of a point. Many school systems closed for the day, and shops and restaurants shuttered their doors in advance of the anticipated onslaught. A thin layer of warm air about two to three miles aloft flowed across the high-risk area from the deserts of northern Mexico and southwest Texas. Particularly photogenic, cyclic supercell that produced several tornadoes up to EF2. Infamous twin EF4 tornadoes from a supercell which produced 5 tornadoes, 4 of which were rated as EF4. The tornado probabilities on the watch were astounding: greater than 95% chance of two or more tornadoes; 90% chance of one EF2+ tornado. A quick recap of rainfall and flood reports over the past 24 hours, compared to the WPC Excessive Rainfall Outlook at 15Z yesterday (after High Risk was expanded). As May 19th rolled on however, subsequent model runs across multiple high-resolution modeling platforms began to show considerable inter- and intra-model consistency in a solution similar to that initial HRRR forecast. This statement is not particularly unusual at this time of the year. March 11, 2019, 9:20 PM Tornado wreaks havoc in northern Michigan community. Particularly cyclic supercell that produced over 20 tornadoes up to EF3 in strength, including two at once at times. We continued on into Mangum as the tornado began to rope out in the form of a tall elephant trunk. The tornado was just one part of a three-day severe weather event. Slow-moving EF4 wedge tornado lasting over 90 minutes, often referred to as Bennington II. We were confused, as we didnt have a visual of a ground circulation even given our ability to see the rapidly rotating wall cloud just to our west. A new study entitled Cry wolf effect? Long-lived EF3 tornado that killed 3 people. Meteorologists @AriWeather and @bhensonweather explain what happened and why it was or wasn't a "bust": https://t.co/durkL9acaS pic.twitter.com/fZudyh2klN. I always default to the human responses before meteorological numbers. Why wasnt the tornado outbreak in Oklahoma and Texas as bad as feared? Even so, the storm remained discrete and we just couldnt leave it in favor of other storms when it was in that environment. Nearly 2.5-hour duration EF3 tornado from high-precipitation supercell, the longest-tracked tornado recorded in Wisconsin. Widest and strongest recorded tornado on Earth, at 2.6 miles wide and 302 mph winds measured by mobile radar, that exhibited particularly erratic motion and killed 8 people, including storm chasers and 3 members of the TWISTEX research team. SPC warning coordination meteorologist Patrick Marsh also pondered the day's perplexities on Twitter. (1/2) A 2nd look at *prelim* DOW data from Mangum, OK tornado reveals a potentially violent tornado: ~80m/s peak winds (~180mph), *Delta-V* of 140 m/s, and a pronounced debris ball. Such events reveal a certain scientific giddiness coexisting with a sense of dread among meteorologists and weather enthusiasts. The OH extent of the event was largely a surprise until late in the forecast period. EF3 tornado, the strongest recorded tornado to hit New Orleans. May 20: 2019: Oklahoma, Texas: 39 EF3. Long-tracked EF4 tornado that killed 9 people. EF2 tornado, one of multiple photogenic tornadoes from a cyclic supercell. Dedicated meteorologists like those in the picture below recognized that level of alert for this event was warranted. Overcast skies limited surface heating. Understandably, those in the region unaffected by the severe weather breathed a collective sigh of relief. We turned on the radio to listen to local reports that were coming through. Long-tracked EF3 tornado near Plains, and two EF3 tornadoes, including one wedge tornado, in close proximity to Pampa. 15:35 - Stronger cap = R.I.P. Created and maintained by Cameron Nixon. Neither RAP nor ERA5 will not perfectly represent the observed environment. Much of the Texas Panhandle and nearly all of Oklahoma dodged a serious bullet. Particularly photogenic tornado, part of a cold-core outbreak of tornadoes across south/central NE. #okwx #txwx #arwx #mowx #kswx pic.twitter.com/y2p1mNtrjV. A rare PDS outbreak stokes our basic curiosities even as we know the storms could alter lives in an instance. For example, the wealth of computer model runs issued before the event can be compared with data from special efforts like the TORUS field campaign, to figure out what the models did and didnt capture ahead of time. Copyright TWC Product and Technology LLC 2014, 2023, Category 6 Sets Its Sights Over the Rainbow, Alexander von Humboldt: Scientist Extraordinaire, My Time with Weather Underground (and Some Favorite Posts). Particularly photogenic mothership supercell that produced a couple of tornadoes. One of multiple tornadoes produced by a cyclic supercell. May 20, 2019 Tornado Mangum, Oklahoma. Long-lived, heavily rain-wrapped EF4 tornado. Photogenic and well-structured supercell. Learn how your comment data is processed. You wake up and notice a distinct difference when you walk outside the air is virtually dripping. The Department of Children and Family Services announced Wednesday that as of March, recipients will no longer receive the extra pandemic-related benefits they've been getting since March 2020.. It was at this point we realized that most had made the choice to go north then east and were now behind the storm which had begun to deviate to the right. There was the unusual strength of the upper-level weather system, including jet stream winds. NOAAs Storm Prediction Center(SPC)tweeted that morning: Parts of Arkansas, Missouri, andOklahoma were under tornado warnings and flooding threats early Tuesday morning as I write this article. Around 9:50 p.m., the tornado that would almost fully destroyed Greensburg began shredding it to bits. EF4 tornado, part of a localized outbreak of tornadoes. This was the highest probability watch Id ever been in, let alone chased. Photogenic supercells that produced hail up to 4.25 inches and a couple tornadoes. Theres a constant breeze. Two long-tracked EF5 tornadoes from separate supercells that, together, killed 95 people. Many meteorologists saw this as a rare combination of extremes, by late May standards, that would trigger a swarm of rotating thunderstorms or supercells, unfolding in several rounds from early afternoon through late evening. EF3 wedge tornado, also known as Bennington III. He spent many years at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and is the author of The Thinking Persons Guide to Climate Change and Weather on the Air: A History of Broadcast Meteorology.. Hatched Area: 10% or greater probability of EF2 - EF5 tornadoes within 25 miles of a point. EF2 tornado, one of several produced by a slow-moving supercell. I personally don like the knee jerk bust declarations as a real-time event is unfolding. We decided on the latter, as the storm wasnt looking imminently tornadic and we felt that this strategy would give us the best opportunity to stay ahead of the storm should a strong mesocyclone develop and cause the storm to deviate to the right. Meteorologists who had stressed the extreme nature of the threat on Monday found themselves with a whole different communication challenge on Tuesday: how to explain a catastrophe that almost but didnt quite happen. EF4 tornado that killed 9 people after impacting an elevated highway bridge. Long-lived, dusty, and nearly stationary EF2 tornado. A majority of the May 2019 tornadoes occurred over many of the Central Plains and Midwestern states in three multi-day events (May 17-18, May 20-22 and May 26-29). To me, the atmosphere around us is about the most fascinating thing there is. Right on the dot at 1 am, they did it: a high risk with some of the most aggressive and serious wording Id ever seen. Hype or hope? A derecho that damaged over 850,000 acres of crops across eastern IA and destroyed over 1,000 homes in Cedar Rapids alone, where a gust of 126 mph was recorded nearby. SPC noted that This is only the second watch in SPC history where every category of watch probabilities (torn, wind, hail) are at greater than 95%. There was virtual certainty that these things were going to happen, and they actually did. There are five levels of severe weather risk issued by the SPC, the details of which can be seen below. Photogenic tornado produced by supercell in an anomalously unstable environment in the high terrain of NE NM. Two EF-4 tornadoes from separate supercells, killing 3 people. This is only the second watch in SPC history where every category of watch probabilities (torn, wind, hail) are at greater than 95%. may 20, 2019 tornado bustview from my seat theatreview from my seat theatre This event should result in a significant threat to life and property. First and foremost, Im so, so proud of how we navigated around the storm. The tornado had already been on the ground for almost an hour, and was entering the final part of its 26 mile track. Canadian, TX tornado - May 23 2019. Long-tracked, EF3 wedge tornado, part of the largest tornado event in AZ on record. Since I started chasing, I've seen a host of significant tornado events, including the 2011 Joplin EF5 and the 2013 El Reno EF3 (El Reno was an EF5), amongst many others. Particularly photogenic, stationary supercell that produced a few brief tornadoes. While tornadoes and other forms of severe weather did materialize in the threat area, the highly anticipated violence of extremely intense, widespread tornadoes did not. Widespread flash flooding began Monday afternoon and was still under way on Tuesday. Around the same time, the storm inexplicably began to shrivel up. This is one possible realization of the May 20, 2019 tornado outbreak, had the run of the High Resolution Rapid Refresh model (HRRR), initialized at 00z on May 20, materialized. 1/9 Those rooting for long-track tornadoes & destruction yesterday probably were wondering what went "wrong" with the forecast. It is this that leads me to continue to head out to the plains each year in hopes that I'll get to take in Mother Nature's most explosive scenery. Pair of photogenic tornadic waterspouts over Lake Michigan. At that moment, we knew the day was done. What if we had had 5 of those yesterday in the warm sector? With at least 19 tornadoes, flooding on Interstate 40, and hail damage, how could this be a forecast bust? A Tweet by Michelle Lynn strongly resonated with me: For those calling it a bust, say that to my family who live in Mangum, OK. Luckily, they are ok, but that tornado was NOT A BUST. Search the case index below for cases by state, month, year, location, and other key info. In the latter of the two, the feel was absolutely undeniable. Supercell that produced a large wedge EF3 tornado before acquiring a particularly photogenic mothership structure. Monday, 20 May 2019 could be a higher-end severe weather day. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. What came out next blew us away: 45% hatched tornado probability from the Texas Panhandle extending east into Oklahoma. This meant the outbreak was the country's 11 th billion-dollar disaster in 2019. Bob Henson is a meteorologist and writer at weather.com, where he co-produces the Category 6 news site at Weather Underground. Frustrating as it must've been for him, I made sure he came with that same book every week thereafter. Monday will offer plenty of material for review. Nocturnal cyclic supercell that produced multiple large tornadoes, at times hidden by fog. Outflow storm modes dominate. Long-tracked EF4 tornado that killed 8 people, the strongest February tornado on record in Oklahoma. Such high rates could lead to a cry wolf situation in which people change how they respond to future warnings. EF3 tornado, part of an outbreak of tornadoes across OK and AR. There was an electricity a nervousness that only comes with a truly high-end severe weather day. ERA5 has a bias toward cool surface temperatures and weak buoyancy. It just didnt make sense. Day 4 of our 2019 chasecation. Family of photogenic tornadoes, with twins at times. Particularly photogenic tornadoes, part of a cold core tornado outbreak across eastern CO and western KS. Now a quick scientific opinion: to me, every weather forecast should be formulated and communicated probabilistically using multiple models and model runs (re: ensemble models) in order to best understand the full spectrum of possible outcomes that a particular event might span. Particularly photogenic, cyclic tornadic supercell (up to EF3). Sign In. A tornado outbreak occurred during the afternoon and evening hours of the May 20, 2013, and was the last day of a three-day stretch of significant severe weather from May 18-20, 2013. The first of several tornadoes from a particularly photogenic and cyclic mothership supercell, part of an unusual outbreak of tornadoes across WY into the NE panhandle. The tornado outbreak is expected to continue into the overnight period. These heavy rains certainly materialized, albeit focused a bit further north than expected. EF3EF4-equivalent tornado that killed 6 people, highly unusual for the area. They reported that roughly 75% of tornado warnings in the U.S. are false alarms. After having it read to me just once, I was hooked. Long-tracked EF4 tornado, part of a local outbreak of intense tornadoes in the ArkLaTex. Massive and particularly photogenic crown-shaped supercell that also produced a rain-wrapped EF2 tornado. There was a real possibility that many lives could have been lost or permanently altered by the weather that day, but that simply didnt happen. 10:02 p.m.: . Map last updated June 3 in the evening. The era of 24/7 news cycles, extreme chaser videos and social media are partly responsible. Here's a picture from Cassie Colson of hail up to 5.5" inches in diameter, found in Wellington yesterday, after 3:30 pm. Multi-vortex tornado, known for chasing storm chasers, that went on to become a long-lived EF3. If you are using the metrics of 45% coverage of tornadoes or long-track, violent tornadoes, then the Monday outbreak probably doesnt meet that threshold. Photogenic and tornadic mothership supercell. Several days before, there were many indicators of unusually severe potential converging over the southern Plains. Tornado (cyclic) May 20, 2019: Mangum, Oklahoma: Tornado (EF2, wedge, hp) May 22, 2019: Jefferson City, Missouri: Part of a High Risk event regarded by some as a Recovery is ongoing.