How Dangerous is Tornado Season in Oklahoma

It is true that Oklahoma has a long history of beingmiles and dropped it in Arkansas!
pummeled year after year by volatile tornadoes,On May 3, 1999 sixty six tornadoes broke out in
usually in the late spring or early summer, causingOklahoma and Kansas. The most significant tornado
millions of dollars in damage to vehicles, aircraft, andfirst touched down southwest of Chickasha
Oklahoma real estate. The cost in casualties andOklahoma and became an F5 (defined by winds
injuries, however, is typically much lower than might261-318 mph and damage including strong frame
be expected.houses lifted off foundations and carried considerable
April showers are supposed to bring May flowers, butdistances to disintegrate; automobile sized missiles fly
if you live in Oklahoma, April showers may bringthrough the air in excess of 100 meters; trees
tornadoes. Between 1950 and 1995 Oklahomadebarked; steel re-enforced concrete structures
recorded 2,379 tornadoes of varying severitybadly damaged) before dissipating.
averaging fifty two tornadoes a year. The averageThe tornado tore through Bridge Creek, Oklahoma
cost in tornado damage to property and Oklahomaand Moore, Oklahoma, causing $1.1 billion in damage to
real estate a year is $23,221,264.Oklahoma real estate. The F5 tornado was the
Tornadoes are one of nature's most violent storms,deadliest (36 killed), costliest ($1 billion in damage), and
and although tornadoes occur in many parts of themost violent (first and only F5) tornado on record in
world, they occur most frequently in the centralOklahoma. This tornado was the most prolific tornado
plains areas of the United States. A tornado isoutbreak in Oklahoma history.
defined as a violently rotating column of air extendingHowever, despite all the frightening statistics and
from a thunderstorm to the ground. The most violenthorror stories of loss and damage to Oklahoma real
tornadoes are capable of tremendous destruction toestate, scientists estimate that there is roughly only
everything unfortunate enough to by in their paththree chances in 1,000,000 of having your home
including Oklahoma real estate, with wind speeds offlattened by the F4-F5 winds in a violent tornado. So
250 mph or more. Damage paths can be more thanif worries of tornadoes crushing your Oklahoma real
one mile wide and fifty miles long. Once a tornado inestate investments keep you up at night, you can
Broken Bow Oklahoma carried a motel sign thirtysleep easy.