From May 4–6, 2007, a major and damaging tornado outbreak significantly affected portions of the Central United States, with several strong to violent long-track tornadoes occurring across much of the impacted regions. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued a moderate risk of severe thunderstorms for May 4 over portions of Central Nebraska, Western Kansas, Western Oklahoma, Eastern Colorado and portions of the Texas Panhandle. The most destructive tornado in the outbreak occurred on the evening of May 4 in western Kansas, where about 95% of the city of Greensburg in Kiowa County was damaged or destroyed by an EF5 tornado, the first rated as such on the Enhanced Fujita Scale since its introduction months earlier, and the first to reach such a high rating since the 1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado (rated F5 on the legacy Fujita scale). The supercell killed 13 people, including 11 in Greensburg and two from separate tornadoes. At least 63 people were injured in Greensburg alone. It was the strongest tornado of an outbreak which included several other tornadoes reported across Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas and South Dakota that occurred on the same night.
On the morning of May 5, the SPC issued a high risk across central Kansas and Nebraska. The Storm Prediction Center also issued a moderate risk for southern South Dakota and northwest Oklahoma and a slight risk for most of Oklahoma, northern South Dakota, southern North Dakota, eastern Nebraska, western Iowa and northeastern Colorado. Severe weather reports were already coming in by late morning, and the first tornado reports came in during the early afternoon hours. The most intense activity took place during the late afternoon and evening hours as supercells developed along a long line from South Dakota to North Texas. Over 80 tornadoes were confirmed that day, along with hail as large as softballs and straight–line winds as strong as 90 mph (145 km/h). The activity weakened in the late evening, but not before the last tornadoes were reported in Iowa in the overnight hours. The SPC also issued a moderate risk for severe storms over parts of central Kansas and northern Oklahoma on May 6. The activity was far less than on the two previous days, however there were still several additional tornadoes across the Plains, all of which were weak. 14 fatalities and 89 injuries occurred as a result of the tornadoes, nearly all of which came from the Greensburg tornado on May 4.
A total of 132 tornadoes touched down during the two-day outbreak, making it one of the largest to occur in the United States. In 2023, tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis published the outbreak intensity score (OIS) as a way to rank outbreaks. The outbreak received 70 OIS points, ranking it as a major tornado outbreak.
Meteorological synopsis
It is the combination of warm humid air from the Gulf and dry air from the deserts of the Southwest that produce deadly storms. These conditions cause instability that allows severe storms to develop. Although tornadoes occur on every continent except Antarctica, they are most common in North America, especially the United States.
May 4 This severe weather outbreak can be traced back to a powerful, slow-moving low pressure area with a warm front to the north over Nebraska and Missouri. On May 4, the low stalled over the High Plains and additional moisture coming from the Gulf of Mexico moved in behind the warm front and increased amounts of instability across much of the region, with CAPE values as high as 5,500 J/kg. In addition, the dry line, which marks a divided line between the dry and humid air mass, was positioned over the southern High Plains. This allowed for the initiation of scattered supercells on May 4. High wind shear also allowed for intense rotation in the atmosphere. All of the ingredients were present in the atmosphere for the developing of supercell thunderstorms producing damaging wind, large hail and tornadoes.
The Storm Prediction Center issued a moderate risk for severe weather across western Kansas and small portions of Oklahoma, Colorado and Nebraska for May 4, while temperatures were in the mid to high 80s°F (near 30 °C). The atmosphere remained capped for much of the day, but storms began to develop in the late afternoon hours in western Oklahoma and the eastern Texas Panhandle. The most intense supercells developed in the early evening hours across northwestern Oklahoma and southwestern Kansas. They eventually produced 25 tornadoes, including the devastating Greensburg tornado and three other extremely large tornadoes which followed the Greensburg tornado late that evening. The supercells remained intact well into the overnight hours as the extremely unstable air mass precluded rapid dissipation expected with the loss of daytime heating which would normally be expected in the Plains. The last tornado of the night did not lift until shortly after 2:00 a.m. early on May 5.
May 5–6 On May 5, the SPC issued a high risk of severe weather for Central Kansas and central Nebraska, while moderate and slight risks for severe weather extended for areas far beyond. The low pressure system in place moved northward, but the extending front had barely moved. The storms were quick to develop. Severe weather reports were already coming in by late morning, and the first tornado reports came in during the early afternoon hours. The most intense activity took place during the late afternoon and evening hours as supercells developed along a long line from South Dakota to North Texas. Over 80 tornadoes were confirmed that day, along with hail as large as softballs and straight–line winds as strong as . The activity weakened in the late evening, but not before the last tornadoes were reported in Iowa in the overnight hours.
The low gradually weakened and became less conducive for severe weather development on May 6. Nonetheless, the SPC issued a moderate risk for severe storms over parts of central Kansas and northern Oklahoma as the trough remained in place. The activity was far less than on the two previous days, however there were still several additional tornadoes across the Plains (all of them weak, mostly EF0). The system finally left the area on May 7 and did not produce any more significant severe weather.
Confirmed tornadoes
Over the course of the outbreak, 132 tornadoes touched down. By far the most notable events took place on May 4, when a supercell in Kansas produced multiple intense to violent tornadoes, including the Greensburg tornado. Altogether, the Greensburg supercell produced 22 tornadoes over a period of 8 hours, including eight weaker and satellite tornadoes that occurred along with the four large wedge tornadoes. The new Enhanced Fujita scale was implemented on February 1, 2007, and the Greensburg tornado was the first tornado to be rated EF5 on it. Including tornadoes from the older Fujita scale, the most recent F5 to hit the United States had been on May 3, 1999, during the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak, when the Bridge Creek–Moore tornado affected parts of Central Oklahoma.
This tornado event surpassed the number of fatalities registered on May 4, 2003, during the May 2003 tornado outbreak sequence when eight people were killed by three separate tornadoes that affected areas around Kansas City and points south and west of the city; the last major deadly outbreak registered in Kansas prior to the Greensburg event. It was also the deadliest day and single tornado to hit the state of Kansas since April 26, 1991, when an F5 tornado (which was also the last F5 in that state before this event) hit Wichita and Andover in Sedgwick and Butler counties, killing 17 people.
Greensburg, Kansas tornado family
The storm that produced the Greensburg tornado began forming after 5:00 pm CDT (2200 UTC) in the northeastern corner of the Texas Panhandle, and went through phases in the early evening across the Oklahoma panhandle with a few isolated tornadoes. It slowly organized itself as it moved northeast through portions of Oklahoma, and then into Kansas. The first tornado warning associated with this cell was issued at 8:35 pm CDT (0135 UTC) for Clark County, Kansas. Greensburg, Kansas
This extremely large and violent tornado first touched down at about 9:00 pm CDT (0200 UTC). Several storm chasers captured the formation of a tornado south of Greensburg around 9:20 pm CDT (0220 UTC), which apparently strengthened as it neared Greensburg and began moving due-north towards the town, and at 9:38 pm CDT (0238 UTC), storm chasers reported that it had grown to over 1/2 mile in diameter. Eyewitnesses and storm chasers reported that multiple vortices were circulating around the perimeter of the large, wedge-shaped tornado during its early stages. A short time later, at least two distinct satellite tornadoes, including a narrow rope tornado, were reported by local media and observed by multiple weather spotters and storm chasers.
As the main tornado continued through rural areas, many trees were snapped and debarked, severe ground scouring occurred, and oil tanks were destroyed, with oil strewn across pastures and roads. It continued to grow in size as the very large wedge tornado approached the city of Greensburg from the south. As the tornado crossed Highway 183 south of town, it reached its maximum width of 1.7 miles wide. Several farmsteads along the highway were damaged or destroyed, livestock was killed, and trees were denuded and debarked in this area as well. At 9:41 pm CDT (0241 UTC) the National Weather Service office in Dodge City issued a tornado emergency for Greensburg. A tornado emergency is an unofficial product used only for extremely life–threatening situations when a large and likely violent tornado is on the ground and approaching a populated area.
The massive tornado continued due-north, following Main Street into the south side of Greensburg. Multiple homes, including an entire row of seven adjacent residences, were swept completely away and scattered across a field in this area at the south edge of town. Three of the houses were well-bolted to their foundations, and ground scouring occurred nearby. Damage in this area was rated EF5 as a result.
Two schools, a Tractor Supply Company store, the Greensburg City Hall and other businesses fell victim to the violent winds and were destroyed or flattened. A motel on the west side of town was severely damaged, trees throughout the town were completely denuded and stripped clean of all bark, and vehicles were thrown hundreds of yards and mangled beyond recognition. Several fire hydrants were ripped from the ground in town as well. Greensburg High School was mostly destroyed by the tornado, sustaining high-end EF4 damage. One wing of the school was completely flattened, despite being well-built and constructed with triple-thick masonry walls.
The Kiowa County Memorial Hospital was severely damaged at EF3 intensity, and a 4.9-ton reinforced concrete beam was lifted from the structure and thrown onto a nearby vehicle. Past downtown, neighborhoods in northern Greensburg were completely flattened, and many homes were swept cleanly away. A large brick Mennonite Church in this area was completely leveled with the foundation partially swept clean of debris, vehicles were thrown and mangled, trees sustained complete debarking, and severe ground scouring occurred before the tornado left the city limits. The tornado continued north of Greensburg, executing a loop in a farm field before dissipating. The total path length was , and the width of the funnel reached . Overall, 95% of Greensburg was destroyed. A total of 961 homes and businesses were destroyed, 216 received major damage and 307 received minor damage.
Trousdale–Belpre, Kansas