text: february 2009 tornado outbreak the february 2009 tornado outbreak occurred on february 10 and february 11 , 2009 , affecting portions of both the central and eastern united states . during the two - day period , 15 tornadoes touched down in seven states . oklahoma was struck by six tornadoes , the most of any state . the first day of the outbreak produced the most tornadoes ; the second brought mainly high wind damage and rain or snow in most of the northeast . the storm system responsible for the tornado outbreak resulted from the unusual congruence of a cold , dry system , originating in the four corners and a warm , moist system , moving north out of texas . complicating factors included daytime heating and a strong wind field favorable to the creation of circulating thunderstorms . on the second day , the stronger cold front limited discrete supercell activity and the risk of tornadoes decreased significantly . a squall line , however , produced high winds and rain along the river valleys , primarily those of the mississippi and ohio rivers . this squall line continued to renew its energy as it passed through the midwest , pennsylvania , new jersey , new york , and new england , causing wind and water damage , and dumping 6 inches ( 15 cm ) of snow in central and eastern massachusetts . the resulting power outages affected homes throughout the northeastern seaboard . the most destructive of the weather events , an ef4 tornado , traveled for nearly an hour through four counties in oklahoma during the evening of february 10 . it destroyed 114 residences in lone grove alone . all casualties ( 8 deaths and 46 injuries ) from the outbreak were due to the tornado in the lone grove area in carter county . it was the deadliest tornado to hit oklahoma since may 3 , 1999 and the strongest tornado during the month of february in oklahoma since 1950 . meteorological synopsis february 10 during the afternoon hours of february 10 , 2009 , a strong , middle and upper storm system moved across the four corners region into the central and southern great plains . a moist , low - level air mass streamed northward across texas and louisiana into eastern oklahoma and the ozarks ahead of the system . daytime heating of the boundary layer increased throughout the afternoon across oklahoma and texas as cloud cover shifted eastward . cooling aloft , in conjunction with the approaching storm system , led to atmospheric instability , resulting in thunderstorms . a very strong wind field increased with height through the lower troposphere , resulting in a wind shear favorable for rotation in the thunderstorms . meteorologists expected large hail stones and damaging winds , and recognized the potential for strong tornadoes as thunderstorms developed from central oklahoma southward into north - central texas in the afternoon . during the night , a cold front moved eastward toward the mississippi valley and organized the thunderstorms into a lengthy squall line . along with a continued threat of hail and tornadoes , the risk of damaging winds increased . the storm prediction center announced a " moderate risk " of severe weather for portions of eastern oklahoma , northeastern texas , western arkansas , and northwestern louisiana . at around 1 : 00 pm cst ( 19 : 00 utc ) , a line of violent thunderstorms began developing near the wichita mountains in comanche county , oklahoma . the supercell that eventually produced the first tornado of the outbreak moved northeast through caddo and grady counties over the next 30 to 45 minutes , before reaching southeastern canadian county at around 2 : 00 pm cst ( 20 : 00 utc ) . by 2 : 14 pm cst ( 20 : 14 utc ) , the line had formed a hook echo , which was fully developed four minutes later . observers reported wall clouds from the yukon area into western portions of oklahoma city during the next 10 to 15 minutes . at 2 : 36 pm cst ( 20 : 37 utc ) , the supercell produced a tornado near the wiley post airport in oklahoma city , causing damage at the northwest expressway . according to the doppler weather radar , the hook continued to show signs of rotation as it moved northeast across oklahoma county . at 2 : 52 pm cst ( 20 : 52 utc ) , the supercell produced its second tornado on the northwestern side of edmond which caused its most severe damage near the oklahoma and logan county line . the tornado dissipated north of the logan county line at 3 : 05 pm cst ( 21 : 05 utc ) . the supercell produced three more tornadoes in oklahoma as it continued to move northeast . the third tornado occurred northwest of meridian in logan county at 3 : 26 pm cst ( 21 : 36 utc ) . a fourth developed near langston in logan county and moved to about 4 mi ( 6 . 4 km ) southwest of stillwater in payne county . the fifth tornado occurred in pawnee county . in addition to the five oklahoma tornadoes , three tornadoes struck northern sections of texas and one tornado hit springfield , missouri . the most significant tornado , later named the lone grove tornado , first touched down in southeast jefferson county , oklahoma at 6 : 48 pm cst ( 00 : 48 utc ) near the red river . the tornado crossed through rural areas as it moved to the northeast into love county , before going into carter county at 7 : 10 pm cst ( 01 : 10 utc ) . the tornado continued moving to the northeast for the next 15 minutes before striking lone grove , oklahoma . the tornado then crossed interstate 35 just north of the prairie valley road exit ramp and tracked through rural areas of northeastern carter county to the east of springer , ending at 7 : 43 pm cst ( 01 : 43 utc ) . february 11 the storm prediction center issued a slight risk warning for february 11 . the warning included parts of the deep south , ohio valley , midwest , and appalachians . the risk of tornadoes was lower on february 11 due to a stronger front , which limited discrete supercell activity and decreased atmospheric instability . the " slight risk " was later upgraded to a " moderate risk " as a powerful squall line developed . notable tornadoes edmond , oklahoma the second tornado to touch down during the outbreak formed at around 2 : 52 pm cst ( 20 : 52 utc ) about 3 mi ( 5 km ) north - northwest of edmond , oklahoma . the tornado traveled towards the northeast , crossing into logan county and dissipating at 3 : 05 pm cst ( 21 : 05 utc ) . following a survey by the national weather service , the tornado was estimated to have been about 75 yd ( 70 m ) wide and was rated as an ef2 . most of the downtown residences were left without power after the tornado struck the area around 2 : 59 pm cst ( 20 : 59 utc ) . ten minutes earlier , tornado sirens were sounded as a tornado warning was issued for the area . students who were being taken home by bus at the time were immediately taken to the nearest school for shelter . the schools were placed in lockdown for about two hours following the tornado sirens . in edmond , six homes were destroyed , eight structures received major damage , 51 received minor damage and another 166 structures were affected . some of the homes damaged by the tornado were estimated to be worth over $ 1 million . the oak tree golf club sustained severe damage , with numerous trees being uprooted . hundreds of trees were uprooted or significantly damaged along the tornado 's path . in oklahoma county , the tornado left an estimated 28 , 500 people without power . monetary damage numbers were not available . lone grove , oklahoma at 6 : 48 pm cst ( 00 : 48 utc ) , a large wedge tornado – a tornado that is wider than the distance from ground to cloud base – touched down near the red river , along the texas - oklahoma border . it crossed through jefferson and love counties before entering carter county where it proceeded to slam into lone grove . the tornado dissipated at 7 : 43 pm cst ( 01 : 43 utc ) after remaining on the ground for nearly an hour and traveling an estimated 35 mi ( 56 km ) . after an assessment by the national weather service office in norman , oklahoma , the tornado was rated as an ef4 on the enhanced fujita scale with winds reaching an estimated 170 mph ( 270 km / h ) . the lone grove tornado was the deadliest to hit oklahoma since may 3 , 1999 , and the strongest tornado during the month of february in oklahoma since 1950 . the previous strongest were two f3 tornadoes which touched down on february 17 , 1961 . the tornado destroyed businesses and residences across a swath over 0 . 5 mi ( 0 . 80 km ) wide and 35 mi ( 56 km ) long . in lone grove alone , buildings were thrown off their slabs and the local chamber of commerce office was flattened . the tornado destroyed a furniture store , and shattered the glass lobby of the local ups building . the destruction of a mobile home park containing 40 homes left close to 100 people homeless . one mobile home was thrown 100 yd ( 91 m ) from its foundation . a total of 114 residences were destroyed in lone grove . to the east of lone grove , the area north of ardmore was also hard hit . several buildings , including those of the beaver academy and the ardmore adventist academy , were destroyed . although damage centered on the ardmore academy gymnasium , most of the campus was considered a total loss . in ardmore , eight homes were destroyed and another 20 sustained damage . eight people were confirmed dead as a result of the tornado . seven of these fatalities were in the town of lone grove ; most were determined to have been caused by “ blunt - force trauma to the head " . three of the victims were found inside their homes and two were found outside . a victim found in an open field was reportedly picked up and thrown by the tornado , and died on impact with the ground . one victim was crushed when a pickup truck fell on him ; similarly , a truck driver died after being pinned under his vehicle on interstate 35 . two other victims , the parents of a 13 - year - old girl , were killed when the tornado picked the three of them out of their home and threw them 400 ft ( 120 m ) . three people were rescued after being trapped in the ruins of their home for almost a day . officials stated that 10 to 15 people remained unaccounted for on the night of february 12 but they were presumed to have left the area . an additional 46 people were injured . total monetary damages from the tornado were estimated at $ 3 million . non - tornadic events during the evening of february 10 , a long line of severe thunderstorms developed along the tail - end of a cold front in central texas . meteorologists predicted embedded supercell thunderstorms that could produce hail up to 2 . 5 inches ( 6 . 4 cm ) in diameter and wind gusts up to 90 mph ( 140 km / h ) . north of the squall line , bow echo thunderstorms developed in missouri , causing widespread wind damage . by the morning of february 11 , the squall line reached as far southeast as eastern louisiana , where winds were recorded in excess of 70 mph ( 110 km / h ) along with hail up to 1 inch ( 2 . 5 cm ) in diameter . around 12 pm est ( 17 : 00 utc ) , the first line of thunderstorms significantly weakened , but a new , narrow line developed in eastern kentucky and tennessee . a strong , deep layer wind field prevented a number of tornadoes from forming but instead caused widespread wind damage . throughout the day , the line of low - topped thunderstorms continued eastward , reaching ohio and west virginia by 4 pm est ( 21 : 00 utc ) . several hours later , the line broke apart , with the strongest storms tracking through pennsylvania . by february 12 , rain showers , accompanied by high winds up to 60 mph ( 97 km / h ) , affected most of the northeastern united states . oklahoma in addition to the strong tornadoes , oklahoma was affected by high winds and large hail . the hail , measuring up to 4 . 5 inches ( 11 cm ) in diameter , caused significant damage in . numerous cars were hit and several houses sustained roof damage ; the cost of the hail damage was estimated at $ 100 , 000 in the town . heavy rains produced by the storms also caused isolated flooding , inundating numerous streets with several feet of water . lightning also produced damage in the state , with one bolt striking an oil tank , igniting a fire . the fire severely damaged the tank , leaving $ 13 , 000 in damages . throughout the state , an estimated 61 , 000 people lost power : 29 , 000 lost power due to thunderstorms and 32 , 000 due to tornadoes . in mississippi , strong winds on the backside of the cold front blew a metal roof off a power company building , bringing down several trees and power lines . damages in the state amounted to $ 35 , 000 . texas strong straight - line winds near 70 mph ( 110 km / h ) caused significant damage in hamilton county , texas . a barn sustained severe damage and a home lost most of its roof . 80 mph ( 130 km / h ) wind destroyed a small outbuilding and carried debris about 1 . 5 mi ( 2 . 4 km ) north . a trailer near hamilton municipal airport was broken off its moorings and moved 20 ft ( 6 m ) . several mobile homes near hamilton sustained damage after tree limbs fell on them . in huron , several outbuildings were damaged or destroyed and a permanent building was damaged at a youth retreat center . an estimated 15 , 000 residences were without power following the storms in texas . one home in mcgregor was destroyed by the winds . the three people who lived in the home , one of whom was a child , all sustained injuries . the father had a few broken ribs and several scratches , injuries sustained during a search for his son . in louisiana , 12 , 000 residences lost power due to the storm system . two wildfires were sparked in kenedy county and county , burning 300 and 20 acres ( 121 . 4 and 8 . 1 ha ) respectively . the larger of the two fires was along texas state highway 77 . the second fire burned three homes and threatened 20 others . arkansas in arkansas , high winds produced by the squall line knocked out power to 315 , 324 residences and caused widespread structural damage . trees and power lines were brought down in eight counties , and several homes in independence and van buren county sustained damage . the damage in these counties was caused by winds gusting up to 57 mph ( 92 km / h ) and leaving $ 200 , 000 in damages . an 80 mph ( 130 km / h ) wind gust in van buren blew a barn onto arkansas highway 9 . hundreds of trees were blown down , many of which fell on homes , causing widespread damage which amounted to approximately $ 625 , 000 . in conway county , a sawmill and two barns were destroyed , while several homes and a church also sustained damage , mainly roof damage . damages in the county were estimated at $ 300 , 000 . numerous homes sustained wind damage and two mobile homes and a recreational vehicle were overturned . damages in the county were estimated at $ 750 , 000 . total damages throughout the state were estimated at $ 2 . 4 million . seven people sustained injuries in the state . ohio in ohio , 70 mph ( 110 km / h ) wind gusts led to a highway accident that killed a truck driver . the high winds also caused significant damage throughout the state . heavy rains produced by the same system inundated several streets in flood - prone towns in ohio . in scioto county , the high winds destroyed a brick house and brought down power lines . the most significant damage resulted from the strong pressure gradient behind the frontal system . thousands of tree were knocked down or uprooted by winds gusting in excess of 75 mph ( 121 km / h ) , cutting power to 585 , 775 residences . ten railroad cars were knocked off their tracks near shelby . several hundred homes lost shingles and gutters due to the winds . wind also overturned two semi - trailers , though the drivers of both vehicles were unharmed . a vacant school building in epworth lost its entire roof . some windows were damaged or broken by flying debris or fallen trees . power outages forced numerous schools to close for at least two days following the storm . a large barn was leveled just north of brighton in lorain county by 64 mph ( 103 km / h ) winds . throughout the state , damages from the storm system amounted to $ 4 . 7 million . missouri , kentucky , tennessee and michigan in missouri , high winds caused widespread damage and knocked out power to 7 , 629 residences . several homes and businesses lost their windows due to 65 mph ( 105 km / h ) wind gusts produced within squall lines . in huntsville , alabama , a car carrying four people lost control on rain - slicked roads and crashed into a van , killing one of the occupants and injuring the other three . another fatality occurred in kentucky when a utility worker was knocked over by high winds and fell 30 ft ( 9 . 1 m ) to his death while trying to restore power . following the widespread power outages from a severe ice storm , an additional 161 , 588 residences lost power due to 60 mph ( 97 km / h ) winds . flooding and high winds in michigan knocked out power to about 57 , 000 residences . in southern michigan , upwards of 0 . 8 inches ( 2 . 0 cm ) of rain fell , leading to faster snowmelt . in tennessee , several structures were damaged and numerous trees were knocked down , closing roads throughout the state as the squall line tracked eastward . a total of 74 , 052 residences lost power due to the winds . winds gusting up to 85 mph ( 137 km / h ) caused substantial damage in rutherford county . several commercial buildings had major roof damage , leaving $ 150 , 000 in damages . throughout tennessee , damages from the storm system were estimated at $ 1 . 1 million . iowa , indiana and virginia in iowa , heavy rains triggered rapid snowmelt , causing isolated flooding . only minor impacts resulted from the flooding and total damages from the event was estimated at $ 25 , 000 . a total of 14 , 590 residences lost power in indiana . several large trees were brought down by high winds , one of which fell on a home in south bend , leaving $ 50 , 000 in damages . in the town of carmel , a total of 2 . 75 inches ( 70 mm ) of rain fell , the highest in the state . the heavy rains , in combination with unseasonably warm temperatures , led to significant snowmelt and flooding . the highest wind gust recorded in the state was 80 mph ( 130 km / h ) in crawford county . a total of 70 , 695 residences lost power in illinois . rainfall up to 4 inches ( 100 mm ) fell throughout most of the state . several major roadways were covered in flood waters . the little wabash river overflowed its banks and inundated nearby roads . along illinois route 1 , a large tree blocked a section of the road near georgetown . the fallen tree resulted in a vehicle accident but the driver was unharmed . one person was killed by high winds in davy , west virginia when a gymnasium roof collapsed . throughout the state , power was knocked out to an estimated 225 , 000 residences . in montgomery county , virginia , winds knocked down power lines which sparked two brush fires , one of which burned a total of 12 acres ( 4 . 9 ha ) . winds up to 65 mph ( 105 km / h ) cut power to 28 , 059 residences in the state . the strong winds also cut power to 50 , 820 residences in maryland . western pennsylvania and chesapeake watershed hurricane - force wind gusts up to 92 mph ( 148 km / h ) caused significant damage and power losses in pennsylvania . throughout the state , at least 400 , 000 residences lost power due to the winds . allegheny power stated that the loss of power due to this system was the largest ever experienced by the company . thousands of trees and power lines were brought down by strong winds and numerous homes sustained significant damage . although most of the damage to homes consisted of shingle damage , several homes lost gutters and had portions of their siding blown off . in pottstown , a large portion of the roof of a four - story building was blown off , forcing residents to evacuate the building . an 18 ft ( 5 . 5 m ) pillar was knocked down at the first moravian church in easton . in northampton county , a fire sparked by fallen power lines destroyed a barn and partially melted a nearby metal shed . the blaze was fully contained by 40 firefighters . another fire sparked by fallen power lines destroyed a garage in lower merion township . in philadelphia , the roof of a portable classroom began to peel off , forcing the forty students inside to evacuate to a safer structure . a large tree fell through one house and severely damaged the roof of a nearby home . numerous major highways and local streets were shut down for several hours to allow cleanup crews to clear debris . throughout the state , damages from the storm system amounted to $ 3 . 7 million . new york in upstate new york , winds in excess of 50 mph ( 80 km / h ) shattered windows , toppled numerous trees , and brought down power lines , cutting power to more than 50 , 000 residences . unseasonably warm temperatures and heavy rains from the storm system increased the snowmelt rate in northern areas of the state . in genesee county , an estimated 2 to 5 inches ( 5 . 1 to 12 . 7 cm ) of the snowpack melted , triggering flash floods along several rivers . the tonawanda creek reached a height of 14 . 38 ft ( 4 . 38 m ) , 2 . 38 ft ( 0 . 73 m ) above flood stage . several homes were inundated by flood waters throughout the region . in all , 84 , 624 residences lost power in new york state . the storm system continued producing gusty winds through february 12 , which caused tree damage and power outages , and killed a construction worker in the new york city metropolitan area . the construction worker was killed after a cinder block wall collapsed due to high - winds . winds in the city gusted to 65 mph ( 105 km / h ) in the bronx . throughout long island , an estimated 4 , 000 people lost power . new jersey , connecticut and massachusetts in new jersey , strong winds gusted up to 55 mph ( 89 km / h ) , bringing down tree limbs that killed two people . a total of 93 , 816 residences were also left without power at the height of the storm . high winds on the backside of the storm brought down a power line that sparked a small fire in galloway township , burning a total of 40 acres ( 16 ha ) . a total of 8 , 486 connecticut residences were left without power and one boy was injured after high winds damaged numerous power lines and tree limbs . in massachusetts , gusts up to 55 mph ( 89 km / h ) brought down several trees and cut power to residences in middleborough , boston , brookline and hingham . the western massachusetts electric company reported that at least 360 residences lost power during the storm . moderate snow fell across portions of the berkshires late on february 12 as the storm system began entering the atlantic ocean , while isolated areas received upwards of 6 inches ( 15 cm ) . aftermath in the wake of the tornado outbreak law enforcement officers , including 30 national guard troops , were sent to lone grove to provide security . the american red cross opened shelters in ardmore , edmond , and oklahoma city . about 100 volunteers from the sorghum mill estates neighborhood association traveled to affected areas in edmond to help with cleanup efforts . a local restaurant provided free meals to the volunteers as they assisted relief workers . the salvation army had two canteens in oklahoma city , one in lone grove , and one in perkins . about 2 , 000 meals , drinks , and snacks were provided by the salvation army to emergency responders . feed the children sent two truckloads of relief supplies to carter county . they also sent three food trucks , containing a total of 619 meals , 900 drinks , and about 500 snacks , to ardmore . on february 22 , the new life baptist church sent drinks and prepackaged snacks , along with items needed for clean - up . baptist disaster relief assisted in lone grove with food and emotional care . the oklahoma city thunder of the national basketball association ( nba ) gave away two tickets to anyone who made a donation of $ 25 or an equivalent amount of food to benefit victims of the tornado . a concert featuring chris cagle and other local musicians at heritage hall in ardmore raised over $ 18 , 000 to benefit carter county tornado victims . another concert set up by the salvation army raised $ 2 , 300 more for victims . the governor of oklahoma brad henry declared a state of emergency in 17 counties and described the outbreak as the worst natural disaster he had seen since becoming governor . on february 15 , president obama approved henry 's request for federal assistance in carter , logan and oklahoma counties . a disaster recovery center was set up by the federal emergency management agency ( fema ) on february 20 . homeowners were allowed to borrow $ 200 , 000 to repair damages to their home or find a temporary or permanent shelter . they were also allowed to borrow up to $ 40 , 000 to replace lost property . businesses were allowed to borrow up to $ 2 million for damage repair , property loss , and economic loss . by february 23 , about $ 781 , 000 had been given in federal grants . on february 25 , fema approved governor henry 's request for public assistance in carter , coal and love counties . the estimated cost to clear the 7 , 000 tons of debris in lone grove was placed at $ 500 , 000 , of which $ 90 , 000 has been paid for by fema . the department of homeland security offered to assist with the reconstruction of homes and businesses and to support those who were left homeless . president barack obama passed along his condolences and best wishes to the victims of the tornado .