Oklahoma Tornado History The May 3, 1999, Oklahoma Tornado Outbreak was the first stage of a severe weather event that lasted
from May 3 to May 6 and brought violent storms to Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, and Tennessee. This
article concentrates on the events in Oklahoma.
On May 3, 66 tornadoes broke out in Oklahoma and Kansas. The most significant tornado first touched
down southwest of Chickasha, Oklahoma, and became an F5 before dissipating over Midwest City,
Oklahoma. The tornado tore through the town of Bridge Creek, Oklahoma, leveling the town. Forty-eight
people perished during the outbreak.
This tornadic event ranks in severity with the Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1965. With a total of 66
tornadoes, it was the most prolific tornado outbreak in Oklahoma history, although not the deadliest.