ARTICLE -2011 HAS BEEN A YEAR OF NATURAL DISASTERS IN OKLAHOMA

2011 has been year of natural disasters in Oklahoma

Compiled by Bryan Painter   

Published: November 25, 2011

Even though there is more than a month left in 2011, it has been quite the year for disasters including weather-related events, earthquakes and wildfires. Following is a list of some of those compiled with the help of the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, National Weather Service, Norman and state Emergency Management Department, The Oklahoman archives. Although there were certainly others, this gives an idea of the wide-range of what Oklahomans have faced in 2011.
January:The month was the 33rd coolest and 6th driest since 1895.
February:In January/February, there were 4 fatalities related to the snowstorm that began on January 31, according to the State Medical Examiner's office.
Up to 21 inches of snow fell in northeast Oklahoma and widespread reports of 6-12 inches over much of the state.
A new all-time 24-hour record of 27 inches of snow fell in Spavinaw between February 8-9. The temperature plummeted to a never before seen low of -31 degrees at the Nowata Mesonet site. Mother Nature brought a swift and steady warm up through the next seven days, culminating in a 110-degree temperature swing at Nowata in a week's time.
Destruction of a significant portion of the state's wheat crop was well underway at this time as the drought continued to intensify.
March:The month ended as the 31st warmest and 8th driest since 1895. Drought continued to intensify.
Wildfires included on March 11 there were reports 15 people were injured in fires, according to The Oklahoma State Department of Health. On March 11 more than 42 fires were reported statewide, according to reports from Oklahoma Forestry.
Preliminary damage assessments received from the American Red Cross and local emergency managers, included 30 homes destroyed in Oklahoma County alone.
April:The month brought the most tornadoes,50,in April since accurate records began in 1950.The previous record was 40 back in 1957.
Two people were killed by an EF3 tornado that struck Tushka in Atoka County on April 14.
Ponca City reported a 94 mph wind gust on April 8 to go along with more than a half dozen instances of softball size hail during the month. There was flooding in the eastern half of the state.
The drought continued to intensify.
By the evening of April 3, the state Emergency Operations Center was aware of more than 100 fires burning across the state.
On April 6, the state Emergency Operations Center was working with the Oklahoma National Guard to provide aerial fire suppression via Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters equipped with buckets. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is assisting with traffic control. Oklahoma Forestry Services is providing ground firefighting equipment.
May:Tornadoes, including an EF5 tornado, ravaged the state during May. And yes, the drought continued to intensify. The 46 twisters during May killed 11, including nine by the EF5 that traveled from near Hinton to Guthrie on May 24.
Two EF3s, two EF4s and the EF5 all struck on May 24th.
On May 23, a storm near Gotebo dropped a 6-inch diameter hailstone, a new statewide record in that category,
The drought raged on in the west.
June, July and August:This was the hottest summer in terms of statewide average for any state since records began in 1895 with a statewide average of 86.8 degrees. Early reports showed Texas with the hottest summer, but the National Climatic Data Center continued to study information. Not only did Oklahoma beat its own record for the previous hottest summer of 85.2 degrees from 1934, it destroyed it by 1.6 degrees. In fact, Oklahoma now owns five of the 10 (11 with a tie) hottest summers across the U.S. since records in 1895.
The statewide record was broken for the most triple digit days. The previous record for most days at or above 100 degrees for a single location in the state was 86, set at Hollis back in 1956. Grandfield had 101 days.
July's statewide average temperature for Oklahoma was 89.3 degrees. The previous hottest July in state history was 88.1 degrees back in 1954. The 88.1 degrees in 1954 had also been the hottest month in any state back to 1895, until this July in Oklahoma.
In this span there were numerous wildfires with 15 resulting in Fire Management Assistance Grants, according to state Emergency Management Department.
September:The drought was at its zenith and then quickly received some relief from the heat. Nearly 70 percent of the state was covered by the exceptional drought category by early September, and 85 percent was extreme/exceptional. The sun, heat and lack of precipitation had taken its toll for three very long months.
The statewide average temperature for September was 1.4 degrees below normal and the 32nd coolest since 1895. Ft. Supply reached a low of 37 degrees on Sept. 6. The month was also the 20th driest on record at 2.15 inches below normal.
October:Some drought relief came for central and northeastern Oklahoma. The Panhandle even saw a bit of snow late in the month.
November:There was a 4.7-magnitude earthquake at 2:12 a.m. Nov. 5 northwest of Prague,
Then later on Nov. 5, there was a 5.6-magnitude quake. The epicenter was northwest of Prague. The 5.6 earthquake broke the state's previous record for strongest recorded earthquake – 5.5 magnitude in El Reno in 1952, according to the Oklahoma Geological Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Another earthquake, registered at 4.7 magnitude, was centered in Lincoln County on Nov. 7. The epicenter was about five miles northwest of Prague.
Welcome to November 2011, the May of Autumn. There was flooding, and some tornadoes, including an EF4 grinder on Nov. 7 that tore through the Tipton area. It was the first violent tornado, EF4/EF5 in November on officials records for tornadoes in Oklahoma, dating back to 1950.
There are now 10 tornadoes confirmed for November, bringing the annual total to date, to 114 for 2011, topping the 107 in 1957 for second place. The most was 145 in 1999.