zpostcode
'You certainly don't see this every day': Ultra-rare backward-spinning tornado formed over Oklahoma
Apr 14, 2026 12:18 PM

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
Information Recommendation
P.V. Sindhu
  In full: Pusarla Venkata Sindhu (Show more) Born: July 5, 1995, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh state [now in Telangana state], India (Show more) P.V. Sindhu (born July 5, 1995, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh state [now in Telangana state], India) is a professional badminton player from India who has made her mark in the 21st century with a number of wins at the...
There’s Nothing Here!
...
Arlo Guthrie
  In full: Arlo Davy Guthrie (Show more) Born: July 10, 1947, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. (age 76) (Show more) Notable Works: “Alice’s Restaurant” (Show more) Arlo Guthrie (born July 10, 1947, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.) is an American folk singer and songwriter best known for his humorous 18-minute talking song “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” (1967), which tells the essentially true story...
The Home Depot, Inc.
     Date:1978 - present Ticker:HD Share price:$350.56 (mkt close, Apr. 10, 2024) Market cap:$358.17 bil. Annual revenue:$152.67 bil. Earnings per share (prev. year):$15.1 Sector:Trade & Services Industry:Building Prds Retail CEO:Edward P. DeckerThe Home Depot, Inc. is the largest retail home improvement and construction supply company in the world, with more than 2,300 stores in the United States, Canada, and Mexico....
Hindutva
     Hindutva activist rallyHindutva activists rallying during the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (Hindi: World Hindu Council; VHP) in Kolkata, December 20, 2014.(more)Hindutva, right-wing ethno-nationalist political ideology that defines the cultural identity of India in terms of Hinduism and desires to make India an overtly Hindu nation-state. The term Hindutva was first defined in the early 1920s...
There’s Nothing Here!
...
Shiv Sena
  Marathi: “Army of Shiva” (Show more) Shiv Sena, right-wing Hindu nationalist political party in India founded by Bal Thackeray on June 19, 1966. Its largest following is in Mumbai (Bombay) and other parts of Maharashtra state. Initially the ideology of Shiv Sena focused on Maharashtrian pride and favoring regional exclusivity and priority for Maharashtrians. The party was opposed to the...
There’s Nothing Here!
...