zpostcode
'You certainly don't see this every day': Ultra-rare backward-spinning tornado formed over Oklahoma
Apr 7, 2026 12:28 AM

An ultra-rare backward-spinning tornado was spawned Tuesday (April 30) from a powerful supercell thunderstorm that formed over the Oklahoma-Texas border.

This backward tornado burst to life in the wake of another odd twister, which was unusual in that it looped back over its own path, CNN reported. Tornadoes tend to travel from west to east, because the prevailing winds in the U.S. travel in that direction and thus push storm systems that way. However, tornadoes can sometimes turn back on themselves as they lose strength; in this case, the tornado completed a full loop over its original path before dying out.

This looping tornado had formed north of Loveland, Oklahoma, around 10 p.m. local time. It traveled east before heading north, west and then east again, over the same area it had already hit.

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 its hard to describe. pic.twitter.com/SCpnyWXOgAMay 1, 2024

"You certainly don't see this every day," Rick Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Norman, Oklahoma, told CNN.

Related: 'Wedge tornado' in Mississippi is the deadliest in more than 50 years

As the looping tornado died down, the backward-spinning twister appeared a few miles southeast of Loveland, just before 10:30 p.m. Smith told CNN that both tornadoes were likely active for a brief period.

A weather service warning called the tornado "large and extremely dangerous" and noted that it was "nearly stationary or moving very slowly south." It warned people located in Loveland, Grandfield and Devol that "This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. TAKE COVER NOW!"

RELATED STORIESDeadly cyclone 'Freddy' may be the longest-lived and most energetic storm ever recorded

How the 'deadly December tornado' carved a 250-mile path through 4 states

Most powerful solar storm in 6 years caused auroras all over the US. And nobody saw it coming

According to the NWS, nearly all tornadoes in the Northern Hemisphere have winds that whip counterclockwise around a central point; this motion is known as "cyclonic." But in about 1% of cases, twisters spin in the opposite direction; these are called anticyclonic. (In the Southern Hemisphere, cyclonic tornadoes spin clockwise, while anticyclonic ones spin counterclockwise.)

It was unusual enough to see a backward-spinning tornado, but the cyclone's lack of movement was also odd, Smith told CNN. And radar suggested the storm was strong enough to chuck debris thousands of feet into the air, even though anticyclonic tornadoes are often relatively weak.

Thankfully, the tornadoes mostly traveled over farmland, according to recent updates issued by Tillman County Emergency Management on Facebook. There have been no injuries, deaths or extensive structural damage reported, according to CNN.

Oklahoma has seen more than two dozen tornadoes this week. On April 27 and 28, a "slow-moving, but potent" storm triggered at least 27 tornadoes in Oklahoma and Texas, with 24 confirmed in Oklahoma, the NWS reported.

Comments
Welcome to zpostcode comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Recommend >
Friday the 13th
     Friday the 13th, a date mired in superstition and fear Many Western cultures subscribe to the superstition of Friday the 13th, which is on par with fears of broken mirrors or walking under ladders. (more) Friday the 13th superstition Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Friday-the-13th-superstition Feedback Corrections? Updates?...
Dhanush
     A versatile talent Indian actor Dhanush not only has acted in Tamil-language, Hindi-language, and Hollywood movies but also has worked as a playback singer, director, and screenwriter. (more) Dhanush Indian actor, singer, film producer, director, and lyricist Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dhanush Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let...
Michael Fassbender
     Michael Fassbender After a slow start to his career, Michael Fassbender has become one of Hollywood's leading actors. (more) Michael Fassbender German-born Irish actor Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-Fassbender Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback...
Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books
     Azar Nafisi Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran (2003), in 2022. (more) Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books memoir by Nafisi Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Reading-Lolita-in-Tehran-A-Memoir-in-Books Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login)....
Information Recommendation
List of Children’s Games and Toys in Antiquity
     Dolls Egyptian paddle doll, c. 2030–1802 bce; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. One of the oldest known kinds of toys, dolls have been popular in many cultures around the world. (more) List of Children’s Games and Toys in Antiquity Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL...
Christian Zionism
     Christians United For Israel (CUFI) John Hagee (right), founder of Christians United for Israel, giving the Defender of Israel award to former vice president Mike Pence (center) in Arlington, Virginia, July 17, 2023. (more) Christian Zionism religious and political movement Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christian-Zionism Feedback Corrections?...
cannabidiol
     The legality of marijuana in the United States A map of the United States showing the legality of marijuana. (more) cannabidiol chemical compound Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/science/cannabidiol Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type...
Ian Khama
     Ian Khama Former president of Botswana Ian Khama in Johannesburg, March 22, 2023. (more) Ian Khama president of Botswana Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ian-Khama Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required)...
99 names of God
  99 names of God Islam Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/99-names-of-God Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you...
Casey at the Bat
     “Casey at the Bat” Series of illustrations of Ernest Lawrence Thayer's 1888 poem “Casey at the Bat,” by Dan Sayre Groesbeck, 1912. (more) Casey at the Bat poem by Thayer Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Casey-at-the-Bat Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to...
Duma Boko
     Pres. Duma Boko Duma Boko, the president of Botswana, delivering a speech after being sworn in, Gaborone, Botswana, November 1, 2024. (more) Duma Boko president of Botswana Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Duma-Boko Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article...
delta-8-THC
  delta-8-THC chemical compound Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/science/delta-8-THC Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your...