Moore

Moore, Oklahoma: tornado damage

Moore, city, Cleveland county, central Oklahoma, U.S., a southern suburb of Oklahoma City. First settled in 1887 and originally called Verbeck, it was renamed for a conductor of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Its population remained small until the 1960s, when planned urban and industrial development began. Industries include the manufacture of aircraft parts, building materials, petroleum products, and processed foods.

The region in which Moore is located is colloquially known as Tornado Alley because of the frequency of intense tornadoes there. On May 3, 1999, the city and surrounding area were struck by a storm that registered wind speeds of more than 300 miles (480 km) per hour. Dozens of people were killed, hundreds were injured, and the area suffered $1 billion in property damage. Another major tornado, with wind speeds of about 200 miles (320 km) per hour, devastated Moore on May 20, 2013. Inc. town, 1893; city, 1963. Pop. (2000) 41,138; (2010) 55,081.