Tornado season: Lid off
After a record lull, twister hit with vengeance.
That tornado outbreak in the heart of Tornado Alley Wednesday finally put an end to what was a record run.
Until this year, March 23 was the record for the latest appearance of a first tornado in the month notorious for its violent clashes of contrasting air masses.
In all, eight tornados were reported, including an EF2 that touched down in Osage County, Okla., packing winds of up to 135 m.p.h., and cutting a path 800 yards wide and traveling 9 miles, according to the National Weather Service in Tulsa.
The twister caused a roof collapse at a gymnastics facility. The 75 children inside managed to get to a shelter before the tornado struck.
At least one death blamed on the outbreak.
Keep in mind that all tornado reports are preliminary until weather-service investigators can verify them and infer the wind speeds from the damages.
Thus far, the Storm Prediction Center has issued no tornado so far today.