Tornado Touches Down Near Blanchard, Oklahoma
McClain County Hit by EF-1 Tornado
40 mph Winds Cause Damage
A tornado touched down approximately one mile south-southwest of Blanchard, Oklahoma, in McClain County on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. CST. The National Weather Service classified the tornado as an EF-1, with winds reaching 110 mph. The tornado traveled north-northeast at a speed of 40 mph, causing damage along its path.
According to the NOAA Severe Weather Database, this is the first F1 or larger tornado to touch down near Blanchard in the past 75 years. However, the region is considered a Very High Risk area for tornadoes.
The largest tornado ever recorded in the Blanchard area was an F5 that struck in 1999. That tornado caused 583 injuries and 36 deaths.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been tracking tornadoes in Oklahoma since 1950. The state has experienced a total of 2,458 tornadoes during that time, with an average of 55 tornadoes per year.
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