On May 3, 1999, an exceptionally violent F5 tornado tore across the southern Oklahoma City metropolitan area from southwest of Amber through Bridge Creek, Moore, southeastern Oklahoma City, Del City, and toward Midwest City. Lasting 85 minutes over 38 miles, it caused catastrophic damage in both rural and heavily populated suburban areas, killing 36 people directly, contributing to five more deaths, and causing an estimated $1 billion in damage. Doppler radar measured winds of 321 miles per hour, the highest ever recorded for a tornado. The disaster also prompted the first tornado emergency and became a defining event in modern Oklahoma weather history.