Bizarre tornado witnessed in Oklahoma among ‘most impressive’ of its kind, experts say
An extremely rare, backward-spinning tornado recently touched down in Oklahoma, weather experts say.
Twisters have taken lives and torn paths of destruction across several parts of the state in recent days, forcing many Oklahomans to take shelter. But one tornado in particular, witnessed April 30, caught the attention of experts not only for its deadly potential, but for its unusual movement.
The National Weather Service in Norman first reported the remarkable twister at 10:15 p.m., as it began wreaking havoc near the Tillman County communities of Hollister, Loveland and Grandfield, in southwestern Oklahoma. Another tornado also touched down in the area.
1015 pm - In addition to the ongoing tornado threat east of Hollister, a likely anticyclonic tornado is ongoing between Loveland and Grandfield. If you're in a warning tonight, take it seriously.
— NWS Norman (@NWSNorman) May 1, 2024
“We have a westward moving, dissipating cyclonic tornado AND and newly developed anticyclonic tornado also moving west-southwest with a debris signature. This is so incredibly rare it’s hard to describe,” Taylor Trogdon of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said on X, formerly Twitter.
To be clear, in this loop we have a westward moving, dissipating cyclonic tornado AND and newly developed anticyclonic tornado also moving west-southwest with a debris signature. This is so incredibly rare it’s hard to describe. pic.twitter.com/SCpnyWXOgA
— Taylor Trogdon (@TTrogdon) May 1, 2024
Typically, anticyclonic tornadoes aren’t as impressive as regular twisters — they often don’t last very long and tend to be less powerful, according to WKBN.
However, the Tuesday night tornado was “certainly one of the most impressive anticyclonic tornadoes in history,” NWS forecaster Sam Shamburger said in an X post, adding that it was spinning at roughly 80 mph and lasted for more than 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, this anticyclonic #tornado southeast of Loveland, Oklahoma has been ongoing for 20+ minutes with a VROT near 70 knots - certainly one of the most impressive anticyclonic tornadoes in history. You can even see it do a clockwise loop in its track #okwx pic.twitter.com/mRKyVJyMvb
— Sam Shamburger (@shamnadoes) May 1, 2024
“Tornadoes in the Northern Hemisphere typically spin cyclonically, or counter-clockwise, but this new tornado was spinning clockwise, or anti-cyclonically,” CNN reported.
Authorities spent much of the night and the next day surveying damage. Neither of the two tornadoes reported in the area caused significant destruction or loss of life, Tillman County Emergency Management said in a May 1 Facebook post.
Tillman County is a roughly 130-mile drive southwest of Oklahoma City.
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