April 17, 2000

Oklahoma --Tornado Damage Still Evident After 11 Months

Damage from the May 3, 1999 tornado is still visible from high resolution satellite images, nearly 11 months later. Included here are two pairs of Landsat 5 satellite images from the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, one image pair near Moore, Oklahoma and the other south of the Canadian River.

Image 1a.
Landsat 5 - May 12, 1999, at Moore, OK.
(Click on image for enlarged view)

Image 1a is the satellite image which we published last May, showing the damage to communities in the southern Oklahoma City area. The light blue "foggy" line shows the devastation to suburban neighborhoods. Image 1b, immediately below, is the same area, as seen from a Landsat 5 image from March 27, 2000. Notice that the storm track (damaged area) is still visible in March 2000. The arrow on the enlarged scene points to a park and natural grasslands, which have recovered from the tornado "scarring".

Image 1b.
Landsat 5 - March 27, 2000, at Moore, OK.
(Click on image for enlarged view)

Image 2a.
Landsat 5 - May 12, 1999, south of Oklahoma City.
(Click on image for enlarged view)

Images 2a and 2b are from the area further south of Oklahoma City, at the Canadian River. Image 2a is from May 12, 1999 and Image 2b is from March 27, 2000. On the enlarged views (click on the image thumbnail), arrow 1 points to winter wheat fields. Winter wheat on these false color satellite images looks maroon in color, as the wheat in May in central Oklahoma is beginning to "turn" color, advancing toward maturity. During March 27, the winter wheat is vegetative and "bright" red. The 2 arrow points to cropland damaged by the May 1999 tornado. On image 2a, from 1999, the fields are "scarred" by the tornado. On image 2b, the cropland has somewhat recovered, and the 2 arrow points to several small wheat fields. The 3 arrow, points to damage in suburban neighborhoods, damage is still evident in March 2000. Arrow 4 points to a new highway being constructed. Construction was only 1/3rd complete in May of 1999. By March 2000, several highways are linked, with an increase of about 5 miles of "new" highway.

Image 2b.
Landsat 5 - March 27, 2000 south of Oklahoma City.
(Click on image for enlarged view)

For more information, contact Carl Gernazio with the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division, Center for Remote Sensing Analysis at (202) 690-0136.