Over the six days the Storm Prediction Center recorded 128 tornadoes as well as hundreds of reports of damaging wind and hail. Ten deaths were attributed to the tornadoes during the period and more lives were lost as the result of flooding.
The May 31 El Reno, Oklahoma tornado proved to be the most significant during the time period. The twister set a record for the widest path ever recorded for a tornado in the United States. Among the nine fatalities were three famous and well-respected storm chasers, the first known deaths to have resulted from actively pursuing a tornado.
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) orbit the Earth at an altitude of 22,300 miles. From their perch high above the planet, the satellites obtain views of events below that are invaluable in evaluating and understanding the atmosphere.