Tornado outbreak of April 2–3, 1999
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (April 2009) |
 Shreveport, LA NEXRAD image at 3:28 pm. | |
| Duration | ~2 days |
|---|---|
| Tornadoes confirmed | 17 |
| Max. rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Fatalities | 7 |
| Damage | $16.6 million (2006 USD) |
| Areas affected | Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale | |
The Easter weekend 1999 tornado outbreak was a series of tornado touchdowns which occurred on April 2–3, 1999 from Kansas to Louisiana. The most powerful tornado occurred in Caddo Parish and Bossier Parish in northwestern Louisiana where an F4 tornado killed 7 people and injured 112. Damages from the outbreak were estimated near $16.6 million (2006 USD). A total of 17 tornadoes were confirmed across the southern Plains during the two-day event.
Tornado event
A first series of tornadoes touched down on April 2 across Oklahoma causing mostly minor damage to some structures.
The strongest tornadoes of the outbreak took place across the Arklatex region during the afternoon hours, where the strongest and lone killer tornado of the outbreak took place. At 3:52 PM, a supercell thunderstorm spawned a tornado over Cross Lake, north of Shreveport Regional Airport. The tornado moved northeast. In Caddo Parish the tornado damaged 66 buildings. In Caddo Parish, damages were estimated at near $1.6 million (2006 dollars).[1] At 4:01 PM, the tornado entered Bossier Parish as an F4 tornado. In Bossier Parish, 227 buildings suffered major damage or were destroyed. An additional 162 buildings were damaged. Damages in Bossier Parish are estimated at near $8.1 million (2006 dollars).[2] The tornado dissipated about eight miles northeast of Benton. In all, 7 people were killed and 112 were injured. The tornado was on the ground for about 20 miles. It reached a maximum width of 200 yards.
Three additional tornadoes touched down besides the Caddo-Bossier Parish tornado. These tornadoes injured 1 person and caused up to $6.6 million in damages. Heavy damage was reported near Logansport, Summerfield and Athens heavily damaging several residences.
Weaker tornadoes (rated either F0 or F1) touched down across most of central and northern Arkansas into Missouri as well as in eastern Texas. 4 people in total were injured in two separate tornadoes near Ben and Mammoth Spring with isolated damage to some structures and also to trees and power lines. The outbreak ended just before 6 PM on April 3.[3][4]
Tornado table
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 17 |
Confirmed tornadoes
April 2 event
| F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | ||||||
| F0 | SW of Watchom | Noble | 2145 | 1 miles (1.6 km) |
Weak tornado with no damage. | |
| F0 | NW of Stafford | Custer | 0107 | 0.3 miles (0.5 km) |
Damage was limited to downed tree limbs. | |
| F1 | W of Bloomington | Harmon, Greer | 0125 | 7.5 miles (12 km) |
Barns, grain bins, and Quonset hut-type buildings were damaged. | |
| F1 | W of Moravia | Greer, Beckham | 0213 | 6 miles (9.6 km) |
Damage to grain silos, a barn, one home, an ostrich building, and tractors. | |
| F1 | S of Dill City | Washita | 0250 | 1.1 miles (1.8 km) |
A shed was destroyed while a home, trees, and power lines were damaged. | |
| F0 | N of Custer City | Custer | 0355 | 1.1 miles (1.8 km) |
Weak tornado with little or no damage. | |
| Texas | ||||||
| F0 | NE of Aspermont | Stonewall | 2315 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
Brief touchdown with no damage. | |
| Source: Tornado History Project - April 2, 1999 Storm Data | ||||||
April 3 event
| F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | ||||||
| F1 | E of Stippville | Cherokee | 1110 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
Three homes were damaged, including one heavily. | |
| Texas | ||||||
| F0 | NW of New Waverly | Walker | 2142 | 0.3 miles (0.5 km) |
Damage was limited to trees. | |
| F3 | Logansport, LA area | Shelby, TX, De Soto, LA | 2151 | 5.4 miles (8.6 km) |
Damage to farms, outbuildings, and numerous trees in Texas. In Logansport, Louisiana, several homes had moderate to heavy damage. A church was also damaged with its steeple being knocked down and roof torn up. One person was injured. | |
| F0 | Willis area | Montgomery | 2217 | 0.3 miles (0.5 km) |
Caused damage to a mobile home and trees. | |
| Louisiana | ||||||
| F4 | NW of Shreveport to N of Midway | Caddo, Bossier | 2152 | 19.3 miles (30.9 km) |
7 deaths - 66 structures in Caddo Parish were damaged including Southern University and several homes. A hardware store was also leveled. In Bossier Parish, 389 structures were affected including 227 homes and businesses sustaining major damage or complete destruction. Brick homes were leveled with one of the structures being left with only a slab. Several horses were reportedly thrown across a highway. 12 people were injured in Caddo Parish and 90 other in Bossier Parish where all the fatalities took place. | |
| F3 | Athens area | Claiborne | 2258 | 8.5 miles (13.6 km) |
Two mobile homes were destroyed and 10 homes were heavily damaged. | |
| F3 | N of Lisbon to NW of Randolph | Claiborne | 2313 | 14.5 miles (23.2 km) |
15 homes were severely damaged. | |
| Arkansas | ||||||
| F0 | NW of Fivemile | Stone | 2235 | 1 miles (1.6 km) |
A few sheds and outbuildings were destroyed. Trees were also blown down. 2 people were injured. | |
| F1 | Mammoth Spring area | Fulton, AR, Oregon, MO | 2250 | 10.5 miles (16.8 km) |
A mobile home and a barn were destroyed. Another mobile home, homes, businesses, and a recreational vehicle were damaged. 2 people were injured. | |
| F1 | N of Getsemane | Jefferson, Lonoke | 2325 | 6.5 miles (10.4 km) |
Caused damage to outbuildings, signs, power poles, and trees. | |
| Source: Tornado History Project - April 3, 1999 Storm Data | ||||||