Two Tornadoes and 111 Wind Reports: Severe Weather Sweeps 12 States

TL;DR

Two tornadoes were reported across Minnesota and Oklahoma on May 27, 2026, while severe thunderstorms produced 111 wind reports and 30 hail reports. The day's severe weather affected multiple regions across the country.

What Happened Wednesday

Severe weather spread across a broad swath of the United States on May 27, producing tornadoes in two states and damaging winds from the Southern Plains to the Mid-Atlantic. According to local storm reports compiled by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center (SPC), the event generated 2 tornado reports, 30 hail reports, and 111 wind reports spanning Minnesota and Oklahoma.

The day's severe weather unfolded in multiple waves. Early-morning thunderstorms brought strong winds to the Texas coast, while afternoon and evening storms tracked across the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and Upper Midwest. A separate severe weather episode developed across the Pacific Northwest, where thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging winds.

No tornado watches were issued during the event, and the tornadoes that did occur were brief and relatively weak.

The Tornadoes: Minnesota and Oklahoma

Minnesota Landspout

At 2205 UTC (5:05 PM CDT), a brief landspout tornado touched down 4 miles west-northwest of Hills, Minnesota. The National Weather Service office in Sioux Falls (FSD) confirmed the tornado based on numerous public reports and photos circulated on social media. The tornado was described as high-based and short-lived, typical of landspout tornadoes that form beneath developing cumulus clouds in environments with strong low-level wind shear but limited deep-layer rotation.

No EF rating has been assigned at the time of this writing. Landspouts typically cause minimal damage due to their brief duration and narrow path width.

Oklahoma Tornado Near Goodland

At 2345 UTC (6:45 PM CDT), a possible tornado was reported 1 mile northeast of Goodland, Oklahoma, near the intersection of U.S. Highway 70 and Highway 271, just southwest of Hugo. The National Weather Service office in Tulsa (TSA) received video evidence of the tornado, relayed via NWS Fort Worth. The time was estimated by radar.

Goodland is located in Choctaw County in southeastern Oklahoma, a region that sees periodic tornado activity during the spring and early summer months. No damage reports or EF rating have been released.

Widespread Wind Damage Across the East

The dominant severe weather story of May 27 was damaging winds, which affected communities from Texas to the Mid-Atlantic. Of the 111 wind reports, the majority came from multiple regions.

Texas Morning Storms

The day's severe weather began early along the Texas Gulf Coast, where thunderstorms produced wind gusts exceeding 60 mph. At 1432 UTC (9:32 AM CDT), the automated weather station at Port Isabel-Cameron County Airport measured a 61 mph gust. A SpaceX employee at Starbase reported a 61 mph gust at 1515 UTC, and the Brazos Santiago buoy recorded a 65 mph gust at 1506 UTC.

Pacific Northwest Severe Weather

A separate severe weather event unfolded across the Pacific Northwest on May 27, driven by a mid- to upper-level low over the Sierra Nevada. Thunderstorms developed during the afternoon and evening, producing large hail and damaging winds.

At 2220 UTC (3:20 PM MDT), social media posts showed 1-inch hail in Indian Valley. Multiple reports came from the Bly area, where Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) webcams captured images of hail covering Highway 140 to a depth exceeding 1 inch. Reports were received at 2245 UTC, 2322 UTC, and 2345 UTC from locations near and southeast of Bly.

The SPC Day 1 outlook highlighted the potential for severe thunderstorms, noting that "severe gusts (60-85 mph), large hail, and perhaps a tornado are the forecast hazards this afternoon through the late evening."

Context: A Busy May for Tornadoes

May 27's two tornadoes add to what has been an active month for tornado reports across the United States. Recent VORTEX blog posts have documented multiple tornado days, including activity on May 23.

Wednesday's event was less concentrated than those earlier outbreaks, with severe weather spread across a much larger geographic area and wind damage dominating the report count. The lack of a tornado watch and the brief, weak nature of the two tornadoes suggest that atmospheric conditions were not conducive to sustained supercell development or significant tornadogenesis.

What Comes Next

The SPC Day 1 outlook issued Thursday morning highlights a Slight Risk for severe thunderstorms across portions of Colorado and the Central Plains, with a focus on large hail along the Front Range. A Marginal Risk is in place for portions of the Southern Plains, Southeast, and Northeast on Friday, with a Slight Risk returning to the Northern Plains by Saturday.

Residents in these areas should monitor updated forecasts and be prepared to take action if severe weather develops.

Staying Alert During Overnight Severe Weather

Many of Wednesday's wind reports came during the late afternoon and evening hours, but severe weather can strike at any time—including overnight when most people are asleep. Third-party weather apps are silenced by Do Not Disturb, though Wireless Emergency Alerts for tornado warnings still break through on most phones. For those who want an additional layer of protection, VORTEX Pro places phone calls when a tornado or flash flood warning is issued for a location you care about—calls bypass Do Not Disturb, unlike most third-party app notifications.

VORTEX is a free web app at vortexintel.app that monitors severe weather nationwide. Pro ($4.99/month) places phone calls to your phone when a tornado or flash flood warning is issued for a location you care about — calls can ring through Do Not Disturb once you enable Emergency Bypass for the number, unlike most third-party app notifications.