# Tornado outbreak of April 30 – May 1, 1949

From April 30–May 1, 1949, a tornado outbreak swept eastward across the United States, beginning over the Great Plains. The severe weather event claimed 10 lives and inflicted over 100 injuries. It produced several deadly tornadoes, mostly in Oklahoma, including a pair that killed three each on April 30. The most intense tornado of the outbreak, retroactively rated a violent F4, tracked across parts of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area that day. A deadly F3 the following day claimed a life in Louisiana as well. This outbreak alone set an official monthly record of tornadoes to date in Oklahoma.

## Outbreak statistics

Daily statistics of tornadoes during the tornado outbreak of April 30 – May 1, 1949 :
| Date | Total | F-scale rating | F-scale rating | F-scale rating | F-scale rating | F-scale rating | F-scale rating | F-scale rating | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
| Date | Total | FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
| April 30 | 18 | 3 | ? | ? | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 86 | $1,113,500 |
| May 1 | 6 | 3 | ? | ? | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 | $225,000 |
| Total | 24 | 6 | ? | ? | 8 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 103 | $1,338,500 |

## Confirmed tornadoes

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating :
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
| 6 | ? | ? | ≥ 8 | 9 | 1 | 0 | ≥ 24* |
* A possible F2 tornado "almost certainly" hit Nelson in northwestern Choctaw County, Oklahoma, on April 30.
Prior to 1990, there is a likely undercount of tornadoes, particularly E/F0–1, with reports of weaker tornadoes becoming more common as population increased. A sharp increase in the annual average E/F0–1 count by approximately 200 tornadoes was noted upon the implementation of NEXRAD Doppler weather radar in 1990–1991. 1974 marked the first year where significant tornado (E/F2+) counts became homogenous with contemporary values, attributed to the consistent implementation of Fujita scale assessments. Numerous discrepancies on the details of tornadoes in this outbreak exist between sources. The total count of tornadoes and ratings differs from various agencies accordingly. The list below documents information from the most contemporary official sources alongside assessments from tornado historian Thomas P. Grazulis.

### April 30 event

Confirmed tornadoes — Saturday, April 30, 1949 :
| F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Time (UTC) | Path length | Width | Damage |
| FU | N of Lakin to NE of Garden City | Kearny, Finney | Kansas | 20:00–20:30 | Un­known | Un­known | $10,000 |
| Possibly a tornado family, this event consisted of many funnel clouds, damaging "rural property". Four remote spots north of Garden City were hit. ||||||||
| F2 | S to E of Eldorado | Jackson | Oklahoma | 20:45–? | 8 mi (13 km) | 50 yd (46 m) | $1,000 |
| This strong tornado unroofed a pair of homes, strewing debris up to 1⁄2 mi (0.80 km). One of the homes, seven rooms in all, lost its front and shifted on its foundation. A third home, then unoccupied, was wrecked as well. ||||||||
| F4 | Lindsay Ridge to Norman to W of Stella | McClain, Cleveland | Oklahoma | 20:57–? | 22 mi (35 km) | 400 yd (370 m) | $800,000 |
| This violent tornado, the first member of a long-lived family, struck the onetime site of the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), the University of Oklahoma (OU) north campus. Scattered damage began just south of Blanchard. Well-built structures were leveled, and nine farmhouses were wrecked. Of the 48 injured were several military personnel, nine of whom were badly wounded. Near Norman the tornado damaged 10 airplanes, a dozen vehicles, and 31 buildings. Damage at OU alone totaled $600,000. The path ended near the F4–F5 Moore tornadoes in 2010 and 2013. ||||||||
| F3 | S of Lawton to S of Agawam | Comanche, Grady | Oklahoma | 21:00–? | 35 mi (56 km) | 200 yd (180 m) | $20,000 |
| Part of a family, this intense tornado wrecked five farmhouses and a school in the Marlow–Richland area. A trio of other homes were destroyed as well. A few semi-trailer trucks were tipped onto their sides. A pickup truck and an automobile were tossed off a road, injuring a pair of men. In all, four injuries occurred. ||||||||
| FU | Oakley | Logan | Kansas | 21:30–? | Un­known | Un­known | $2,500 |
| An incomplete Veterans of Foreign Wars hall was destroyed, and a flower shop was shorn of its roof. A garage and trailer were tipped onto their sides as well. Trees in town were shredded. ||||||||
| F3 | W to N of Frederick | Tillman | Oklahoma | 22:00–? | 6 mi (9.7 km) | Un­known | Un­known |
| This was one of six funnel clouds sighted in the area this afternoon. A well-built farmhouse incurred "near-F4" damage. ||||||||
| F2 | Burt | Tillman | Oklahoma | 22:00–? | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known |
| This tornado wrecked a barn and a porch. A home lost part of its roof as well. An injury occurred. ||||||||
| F3 | Near Antioch to NE of Wayne | Garvin, McClain | Oklahoma | 22:30–? | 17 mi (27 km) | 150 yd (140 m) | $39,000 |
| This intense tornado passed just east of Maysville, flattening barns and half a dozen farmhouses. Seven other farmhouses were damaged, and another home was wrecked near Wayne. Trucks were flipped as well. One person was injured. ||||||||
| F2 | Econtuchka | Seminole, Pottawatomie | Oklahoma | 22:45–? | 8 mi (13 km) | 200 yd (180 m) | $10,000 |
| Eight homes were destroyed or damaged. ||||||||
| F3 | E of Stella to E of Meeker | Cleveland, Pottawatomie, Lincoln | Oklahoma | 22:50–? | 20 mi (32 km) | 250 yd (230 m) | $200,000 |
| 3 deaths – Related to the Norman F4, this tornado destroyed 11 homes near Shawnee Lake, resulting in a fatality. The other deaths occurred near Meeker, where the tornado wrecked farmhouses and oil derricks. The Crescent School lost its roof, allowing rain to damage its interior. Damage also affected Payson. The tornado moved a car 400 yd (1,200 ft) and its occupants 200 yd (600 ft). Eight injuries occurred. ||||||||
| F2 | E of Comanche to E of Duncan | Stephens | Oklahoma | 23:20–? | 10 mi (16 km) | 300 yd (270 m) | $6,000 |
| Barns were wrecked. ||||||||
| F3 | W of Liberty to SE of Utica to near Bennington | Bryan, Choctaw | Oklahoma | 23:30–? | 35 mi (56 km) | 600 yd (550 m) | $25,000 |
| 1 death – This tornado family destroyed many homes. Seven injuries occurred. ||||||||
| F3 | S of Boswell to W of Soper | Choctaw, Pushmataha | Oklahoma | 00:00–? | 30 mi (48 km) | 400 yd (370 m) | Un­known |
| 1 death – Another intense family, paralleling the previous, destroyed 11 or more homes, along with many barns. Eight injuries occurred. ||||||||
| F3 | E of Davidson | Tillman | Oklahoma | 00:00–? | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known |
| A few small homes were obliterated, and many barns were wrecked. ||||||||
| F2 | SW to W of Bonham | Fannin | Texas | 00:00–? | 4 mi (6.4 km) | 70 yd (64 m) | Un­known |
| 10 homes were badly damaged or unroofed. Seven injuries occurred. ||||||||
| FU | SE of Jetmore | Hodgeman | Kansas | 00:00–? | 5 mi (8.0 km) | 880 yd (800 m) | Un­known |
| This tornado hit a trio of farmsteads, wrecking a barn, three steel granaries, and chicken coops. A pair of elm trees were downed as well. ||||||||
| F3 | NE of Bonham to N of Lamasco to NE of Telephone | Fannin | Texas | 01:05–? | 8 mi (13 km) | 100 yd (91 m) | Un­known |
| 3 deaths – Four homes were destroyed and a family killed. A few people were injured. Losses from this and the preceding F2 event totaled $75,000. ||||||||
| F2 | NE of Schooler Lake | Choctaw | Oklahoma | 02:00–? | 10 mi (16 km) | Un­known | Un­known |
| 1 death – This tornado only wrecked a single home. ||||||||

### May 1 event

Confirmed tornadoes — Sunday, May 1, 1949 :
| F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Time (UTC) | Path length | Width | Damage |
| F2 | WNW of Houston to Okolona | Chickasaw | Mississippi | 14:50–? | 20 mi (32 km) | Un­known | $25,000 |
| This tornado hit northwestern Houston, tearing off roofs there. It then destroyed homes at Okolona. Only rural areas were hit. Five injuries occurred. ||||||||
| FU | Dickson | Dickson | Tennessee | 17:45–? | Un­known | 400 yd (370 m) | Un­known |
| "Tornadic winds" damaged about 50 homes. Windows were smashed and roofing damaged. A building at a factory was hit, and many gardens were "ruined". This event may have been a downburst, as the "storm" lasted five minutes. ||||||||
| F2 | W of Pulaski | Giles | Tennessee | 17:55–? | 0.5 mi (0.80 km) | 50 yd (46 m) | $75,000 |
| This tornado wrecked a grain elevator and unroofed a pair of other structures. Machinery was damaged as well. ||||||||
| FU | Mount Pleasant | Maury | Tennessee | 18:00–? | ~12 mi (19 km) | 500 yd (460 m) | Un­known |
| Winds reached an estimated 75 mph (121 km/h). Fallen trees and limbs damaged about 15 structures in town. This event may have been a downburst, as the "storm" lasted 10 minutes. ||||||||
| F3 | S of Homer | Claiborne | Louisiana | 23:00–? | Un­known | Un­known | $25,000 |
| 1 death – This intense tornado wrecked four barns and five homes. A dozen injuries occurred. ||||||||
| FU | Water Valley | Yalobusha | Mississippi | Un­known | Un­known | Un­known | $100,000 |
| Detailed information is unavailable. ||||||||