Oklahoma City and Moore Faced an F5 Tornado on May 3 1999 When the First Ever Tornado Emergency in US History Was Issued at 6:57 PM CDT
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA — At 6:57 PM CDT on May 3, 1999, forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Norman, Oklahoma made a decision that had never been made before in American history. With an F5 tornado barreling up the H.E. Bailey Turnpike toward the southern Oklahoma City metro, they issued the very first Tornado Emergency ever recorded in the United States.
The Moment Forecasters Knew a Standard Warning Would Not Be Enough
The warning meteorologist on duty that evening recognized immediately that a routine tornado warning could not convey the severity of what was about to happen. Dozens were about to perish. Entire neighborhoods were about to be obliterated. Shortly before 7:00 PM, the Norman office issued language that had never appeared in any official NWS product before.
The original text read in part: a large damaging tornado would enter southwest sections of the Oklahoma City metro area between 7:15 PM and 7:30 PM, and that persons in Moore and South Oklahoma City should take immediate tornado precautions. The statement declared it an extremely dangerous and life threatening situation.
The Exact Words That Changed Severe Weather Warning History
The first-ever Tornado Emergency statement, issued at 6:57 PM CDT, May 3, 1999, by the National Weather Service Norman Oklahoma office, included a critical additional line — Doppler radar indicated the storm may contain destructive hail to the size of baseballs or larger. The radar image from that evening shows the massive supercell centered over Oklahoma City and Moore, with the hook echo clearly visible near Bridge Creek and Newcastle.
314 Tornado Emergencies Have Been Issued Since That Night
The pioneering language issued that evening became a permanent part of the NWS warning toolkit. Since May 3, 1999, 314 Tornado Emergencies have been issued nationwide. The designation is now reserved exclusively for the most significant tornado events carrying the highest fatality potential.
On May 20, 2013, a second Tornado Emergency was issued for the same community of Moore, Oklahoma, as another EF5 tornado struck the city.
The Scene Behind the Scenes at the National Weather Center
Photos from inside the National Weather Center in Norman that evening show forecasters working at their stations as the historic warning was being issued — unaware in the moment that the language they were sending out would permanently change how America warns its citizens about the most violent tornadoes.
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