On Memorial Day weekend 2024, a particularly dangerous situation unfolded in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas as the National Weather Service issued tornado watches. This rare designation indicated the possibility of exceptionally strong storms covering areas that include cities such as Wichita, Kansas, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Storm Prediction Center reported several tornadoes - a few intense ones - over the affected region. In addition to this, an additional tornado watch was added to portions of Kansas until 1 a.m. CT affecting half a million people. This period saw severe thunderstorms with tornadoes, giant hail, damaging winds, and flooding rains affecting the Plains.
This tornado season had been unusually active with 924 reported tornadoes through Friday compared to a typical season of 733. Storm chasers were able to capture footage of a tornado in Jackson County, Oklahoma on May 24, 2024, which had multiple vortexes. At least four people were killed by an EF4 tornado in Greenfield, Iowa on Tuesday.
The severe weather outbreak also caused damage in cities most at risk including Wichita, Oklahoma City and Abilene, Texas. Overnight, severe weather may have shifted east affecting Dallas-Ft. Worth, Tulsa and parts of Missouri and Arkansas. The tornado watches were issued due to all the ingredients needed for spawning powerful tornadoes being present: winds blowing at different speeds and directions with height, high humidity, and extremely unstable air.
The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma issued a
