Tornado outbreak of November 16–18, 2015
Remains of a well-anchored mobile home that was completely swept away by the first EF3 tornado near Pampa, TX. | |
| Type | Tornado outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | November 16, 2015 – November 18, 2015 |
| Highest winds |
|
| Tornadoes confirmed | 61 |
| Max. rating1 | EF3 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 2 days, 1 hour, 19 minutes |
| Largest hail | 2.00 in (5.1 cm) in diameter in multiple locations |
| Fatalities | 0 fatalities, 1 injury |
| Damage | >$1.832 million (2015 USD) |
| Power outages | >47,000 |
| Areas affected | Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia |
Part of the tornadoes of 2015 1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado | |
The tornado outbreak of November 16–18, 2015 was a highly unusual nocturnal late-season tornado outbreak that significantly impacted the lower Great Plains on November 16 before producing additional weaker tornadoes across parts of the Southern United States the following two days. The first day of the outbreak spawned multiple strong, long-track tornadoes, including two consecutive EF3 tornadoes that caused major damage near Pampa, Texas. Overall, the outbreak produced 61 tornadoes in all, and was described as by the National Weather Service office in Dodge City, Kansas as being "unprecedented in recorded history for southwest Kansas" given the magnitude and the late season. In addition, the tornado outbreak brought the first November tornadoes into northwest Kansas, and the first strong tornadoes in the Texas Panhandle in November, as well as the further west any F3/EF3 tornadoes touched down this late in the calendar year. Despite spawning multiple strong tornadoes after dark, no fatalities and only one minor injury occurred as a result of the outbreak.