1999 Bridge Creek-Moore tornado facts for kids
| F5 tornado | |
|---|---|
The tornado near peak intensity
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| Formed | May 3, 1999, 6:23 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Duration | 1 hour, 25 minutes |
| Dissipated | May 3, 1999, 7:48 pm. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Max rating1 | F5 tornado |
| Highest winds |
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| Damage | $1 billion (1999 USD) $1.8 billion (2025 USD) |
| Total fatalities | 36 fatalities (+5 indirect), 583 injuries |
| Areas affected | Grady, McClain, Cleveland and Oklahoma counties in Oklahoma; with the worst impacts occurring in the towns/cities of Bridge Creek, Moore, Oklahoma City, Del City, and Midwest City |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale Part of the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak | |
The 1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado was a very powerful tornado that hit parts of Oklahoma on May 3, 1999. It was rated an F5 tornado, which is the strongest rating on the old Fujita scale. This means it caused incredible damage.
This tornado had the highest wind speed ever recorded. Winds reached about 301 miles per hour (484 km/h). The tornado caused a lot of destruction in areas like Bridge Creek and Moore. It sadly led to 36 deaths and injured 583 people. The total damage was estimated to be $1 billion.
Because of how strong and dangerous this tornado was, the National Weather Service office in Norman issued the first-ever "tornado emergency." This special warning tells people that a very large and destructive tornado is happening. Years later, in 2013, Moore was hit by another very strong tornado, an EF5 tornado.
Images for kids
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The tornado near its strongest point.
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Damage caused by the tornado.
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A map showing the weather conditions that led to the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak.
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Satellite views of the powerful storm clouds (supercells) that created the tornadoes.
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F5 damage to a house in Bridge Creek. You can see trees stripped of their bark and ground dug up.
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The paths of the supercells during the outbreak. The storm that made the F5 tornado is marked "A".
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An aerial view of the damage in Oklahoma City.
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Rescue teams helping to search for missing people after the tornado.
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People looking for their belongings in the remains of their homes.
