David Vanderhoofven and his wife Linda Vanderhoofven at the site where David's wife Darian and son Joshua died in the tornado that hit Joplin a year ago May 15. At left is a tree that David planted and a rose that he place there on Mothers Day. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Oklahoma had 52 tornadoes in April, breaking our 2011 record of 50.
In May, Oklahoma had four tornadoes.
And since? None.
Today, Sept. 11, 2012, marks the 105th consecutive day without a tornado in Oklahoma.
The zero tornadoes from June through August is a record, said Gary McManus, associate state climatologist for the Oklahoma Climatological Survey. However, back in 2003, we also had an entire summer (June-August) without tornadoes.
2003 and 2012 are the only times, since accurate statistics began in 1950, that Oklahoma has not had a summer tornado reported. Here's the low tornado totals during that time period, according to McManus:
1950: 1 (June)
1978: 1 (June)
1987: 1 (July)
2001: 1 (June)
2002: 2 (both June)
1980: 3 (one in June, two in August)
1984: 3 (all in June)
1986: 3 (one in June, two in August)
1988: 3 (all in June)
2000: 3 (all in June)
If 2012 is like 2003, we will not have any more tornadoes the rest of the year. 2003's final tornado of the year was May 16.
Our tornado drought this year started May 30.
105 days and counting. After our wild fires recently, Oklahoma probably doesn't need any more natural disasters to worry about.
--Althea Peterson
PS: The longest tornado drought in state recorded history was 291 days, May 16, 2003 through March 4, 2004.
