Significant Tornado Events

[Aaron Rider]

OTD, 17 years ago (wow)

A violent tornado would hit now ghost town of Picher, Oklahoma causing very violent damage.
Here is some tree/shrub damage I complied from Flickr and other sites.

Picher tends to be one of many surprisingly obscure tornadoes. Among other feats, it:

- tracked for over 70 miles, an extreme distance in any case, but especially in the Plains (I am aware that this has no immediate bearing on ratings - it obviously wasn't at its most intense the whole time but was at EF3 intensity most of the time)
- apparently lofted a car half a mile in Missouri
- Cracked and scoured part of a (granted, thinly poured) foundation
- obliterated and swept away the (generally "poorly built") houses it encountered
- scoured grass down to bare soil in the middle of the country (no debris loading to help)
- debarked trees

I wouldn't call EF4 an egregious underrating, but in my opinion, that thing did more than enough to get EF5. Granted, I tend to be very sympathetic to higher ratings for tornadoes that 1) do extreme contextual damage but 2) don't hit anything well-built.

 

[locomusic01]

Wow. This is right and I mean right on the cusp of F5. Contextuals (and lack of knowledge of construction quality) do point to solid, upper-end F4, though, more than F5. Reminds me a bit of Washington, IL 2013 in terms of extremely impressive windrowing, though. Also, those poor people and those poor animals.

Edit: Loco, was this tornado more or less violent elsewhere in its life?

I'd say similar peak intensity around Atlantic, but it remained very strong (with fluctuations of course) throughout most of its life. Even in the "weaker" parts of the path (like Jamestown and Cooperstown) some of the damage was pretty impressive:

 

[Aaron Rider]

I'd say similar peak intensity around Atlantic, but it remained very strong (with fluctuations of course) throughout most of its life. Even in the "weaker" parts of the path (like Jamestown and Cooperstown) some of the damage was pretty impressive:

That tree damage is impressive!

In this video, the newscaster states the tornado was moving at 100 MPH. I'm sure that's wrong!



Gotta love the interview with the old guy:
"Have you ever seen anything like this before?"
"No, and I don't want to see it again." LOL!

 

[locomusic01]

That tree damage is impressive!

In this video, the newscaster states the tornado was moving at 100 MPH. I'm sure that's wrong!



Gotta love the interview with the old guy:
"Have you ever seen anything like this before?"
"No, and I don't want to see it again." LOL!

Ha, I love those old broadcasts. I calculated the speed for different sections of the path based on confirmed times and IIRC the average was a little under 45 mph, which is pretty quick. Not quite 100 mph though lol

Speaking of old videos, someone on Youtube uploaded a copy of "The Last Day of May," a VHS made about the tornado in Niles. Sadly the tape was degraded so the quality is really bad, but in a few brief clips you can kinda make out (among other things) some of the ground scouring and high-end vehicle damage. The commentary's pretty interesting too if you're a nerd.

 

[Ivanthetornadoenthusiast]

I thought I posted these a while ago but apparently not — a few shots from the 5/31/85 Atlantic, PA F4. These were taken near the end of the tornado's path south of Cherrytree, specifically on and around the Hovis property and gamebird farm that I wrote about in my article.

This is the huge brooder I mentioned that was blown onto the Hovis property from the hatchery and wrapped around a tree:

Are you planning on remaking the May 31st, 1985 article someday?

 

[Lake Martin EF4]

OTD...

1905: Snyder. The second deadliest tornado in Oklahoma state history.

https://www.weather.gov/oun/events-1905051

This Day in Oklahoma History: Second-deadliest tornado in state’s history kills 113 in Snyder

On this day in 1905, in Snyder, the second-deadliest tornado in Oklahoma history devastated the community.

www.kswo.com

1996: Twister hits theaters. It is the first movie ever released on DVD, and it revives the disaster movie genre that had been dead since Airplane, also essentially helping to spark off the current era of storm chasing.

Twister (1996 film) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

2008: Picher. Fun fact, this thing did a full Gainesville merger at one point. It also had likely EF5 intensity at peak.

Picher Tornado May 10, 2008

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yKg_XZQy8Ic&pp=ygUTUGljaGVyIHRvcm5hZG8gMjAwOA==
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sbHKwDMCdkg&pp=ygUTUGljaGVyIHRvcm5hZG8gMjAwOA==
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DDX7FrjQTQw&pp=ygUTUGljaGVyIHRvcm5hZG8gMjAwOA==
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fIOql2tpZRY&pp=ygUTUGljaGVyIHRvcm5hZG8gMjAwOA==

2010: That one High Risk no one remembers. 2 EF4 tornadoes touch down. They were very low end. Wakita is the site of some impressive tornadoes some 14 years after being destroyed by one on the big screen.

The May 10, 2010 Tornado Outbreak in Oklahoma

10 May 2010 tornado outbreak – NSSL News

inside.nssl.noaa.gov

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aE4MMjXzs6o&pp=ygUTTWF5IDEwIDIwMTAgdG9ybmFkbw==
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_wvkg1z5KBI&pp=ygUTTWF5IDEwIDIwMTAgdG9ybmFkbw=%3
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PbBm0YLCoTA&pp=ygUTTWF5IDEwIDIwMTAgdG9ybmFkbw==
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ7qfw_gpMo&pp=ygUTTWF5IDEwIDIwMTAgdG9ybmFkbw==
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EccN1Dc9jq8&pp=ygUTTWF5IDEwIDIwMTAgdG9ybmFkbw==
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4Tat925Srug&pp=ygUTTWF5IDEwIDIwMTAgdG9ybmFkbw==
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=81nDjatLeFM&pp=ygUTTWF5IDEwIDIwMTAgdG9ybmFkbw==
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JLOBybGnP-g&pp=ygUTTWF5IDEwIDIwMTAgdG9ybmFkbw==
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jKpT6oaSkCs&pp=ygUTTWF5IDEwIDIwMTAgdG9ybmFkbw==
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dtF7w6RckwY&pp=ygUTTWF5IDEwIDIwMTAgdG9ybmFkbw==

Other notable events include an F4 in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin in 1953 that tracked for a very long path, but which was likely multiple tornadoes.

The map:
https://www.reddit.com/r/tornado/comments/1kjk0x8/strongest_tornado_on_this_day_in_history_by/

 

[Union]

Amos, KY EF3, apart of the Super Tuesday outbreak from 2008, I'm very skeptical of the EF3 rating, I'm not an engineer but the Stephens farm home (last image) has very close spaced anchoring with nuts + washers, including a bent anchor where there is a ripped away sillplate, obviously more goes into a rating than just anchoring but still. They also had an anchored utility shed parallel to the home (image 1), the entire Tracy Lane area was absolutely devastated with substantial windrowing of the structures (image 2), farming vehicles and trucks were thrown and flipped, mobile home frames were twisted like pretzels and some broken apart, trees were stripped and the ground seems to have been scoured, or at least plastered in mud. There are a few sources saying this tornado was rated EF4/175, though by the NWS it is officially EF3.

 

[A Guy]

If possible, could someone with a Tornado Talk description please tell me which of the Cordova and Raleight-Uniontown tornadoes they think had a longer path? Officially it's Cordova, but on their blurb they say the Raleigh tornado was 'over 130 miles' - officially it's 122.

I notice that they've produced maps purporting to show that the Delhi-Inverness tornado and inital segment of the Carey-Greenwood tornado from 1971 were continuous, whereas Tom Grazulis has postulated possible breaks in northern Sharkey County and Leflore County respectively.

(OTOH they go for the longer path length from Guin, which I don't think is supported by the satellite or descriptions)

I'd like to see someone tackle the 1990 Lawrence, Nebraska tornado someday.

 

[Lake Martin EF4]

whereas Tom Grazulis has postulated possible breaks in northern Sharkey County and Leflore County respectively.

TBF, you did say that maybe Grazulis was judging some of those old 100 milers too harshly. These two are good examples. (Wilson 1992 is another one worth looking into.)

Also, re: Guin, Tornado Talk actually posits a solid case for it starting in MS despite not having any damage reports or satellite evidence (according to them it was an F0 in these areas, much like Hackleburg, and the rural area explains the lack of damage reports).

 

[MNTornadoGuy]

Ha, I love those old broadcasts. I calculated the speed for different sections of the path based on confirmed times and IIRC the average was a little under 45 mph, which is pretty quick. Not quite 100 mph though lol

Speaking of old videos, someone on Youtube uploaded a copy of "The Last Day of May," a VHS made about the tornado in Niles. Sadly the tape was degraded so the quality is really bad, but in a few brief clips you can kinda make out (among other things) some of the ground scouring and high-end vehicle damage. The commentary's pretty interesting too if you're a nerd.

Hi locomusic01 can you check conversations?

 

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

So I came across some damage photographs form Andover 1991, some I've seen before and some I haven't. They're in black and white so I took the time to colorize them, check it out:

This is from McConnell AFB:




Greenwich subdivision:




Damage aerials from Andover and the Golden Spur Mobile Home Park:











Last 2 pics are of a spade and tack jammed into a tree and a better photo of the mangled vehicle from the mobile home park, not the scoured ground and bent grass and trees around the vehicle:

 

[OH-IOan]

So I came across a disaster report from the US Department of Commerce concerning the 1991 Andover outbreak, it's got some good quality damage photographs, some I've seen before and some I haven't. They're in black and white so I took the time to colorize some, check it out:

This is from McConnell AFB:

View attachment 41283


Greenwich subdivision:

View attachment 41284


Damage aerials from Andover and the Golden Spur Mobile Home Park:
View attachment 41285

View attachment 41286


View attachment 41287


View attachment 41288


Last 2 pics are of a spade and tack jammed into a tree and a better photo of the mangled vehicle from the mobile home park, not the scoured ground and bent grass and trees around the vehicle:


View attachment 41289


View attachment 41290


A link to the report below:

https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/56597

Wait, are these in the public domain? These images are fascinating.

Edit: Looking into it right now, some images are by members of the public and not free while some may be free.

 

[andyhb]

Amos, KY EF3, apart of the Super Tuesday outbreak from 2008, I'm very skeptical of the EF3 rating, I'm not an engineer but the Stephens farm home (image 1) has very close spaced anchoring with nuts + washers, including a bent anchor where there is a ripped away sillplate, obviously more goes into a rating than just anchoring but still. They also had an anchored utility shed parallel to the home (image 2), the entire Tracy Lane area was absolutely devastated with substantial windrowing of the structures (image 3), farming vehicles and trucks were thrown and flipped, mobile home frames were twisted like pretzels and some broken apart, trees were stripped and the ground seems to have been scoured, or at least plastered in mud. There are a few sources saying this tornado was rated EF4/175, though by the NWS it is officially EF3.

Lol @buckeye05 is this another Louisville survey...

Edit: yup it is, Allan and Monroe Counties are both LMK.

 

[AJS]

Picher tends to be one of many surprisingly obscure tornadoes. Among other feats, it:

- tracked for over 70 miles, an extreme distance in any case, but especially in the Plains (I am aware that this has no immediate bearing on ratings - it obviously wasn't at its most intense the whole time but was at EF3 intensity most of the time)
- apparently lofted a car half a mile in Missouri
- Cracked and scoured part of a (granted, thinly poured) foundation
- obliterated and swept away the (generally "poorly built") houses it encountered
- scoured grass down to bare soil in the middle of the country (no debris loading to help)
- debarked trees

I wouldn't call EF4 an egregious underrating, but in my opinion, that thing did more than enough to get EF5. Granted, I tend to be very sympathetic to higher ratings for tornadoes that 1) do extreme contextual damage but 2) don't hit anything well-built.

I 100% believe Picher contained EF5 winds. Here are some remarkable damage photos I have found.



I fail to see how these damage photos show anything less than a HE EF4.

 

[AJS]

And 70 miles on the ground for a plains tornado is pretty remarkable I will say.

 

[TheSuckZone]

And 70 miles on the ground for a plains tornado is pretty remarkable I will say.

Definitely rare to have long trackers like that. Having trouble remembering but were people still living in Picher when this hit or had most of the town moved out already?

 

[OH-IOan]

Definitely rare to have long trackers like that. Having trouble remembering but were people still living in Picher when this hit or had most of the town moved out already?

The town was already rapidly declining in population, but the tornado was the “final blow”.

 

[Lake Martin EF4]

OTD...

1953: The first F5, Waco! Would not be an EF5 today, I think. Another extremely intense tornado smacked San Angelo on this day, too.

Waco Tornado - May 11, 1953

Waco Tornado | Waco History

On May 11, 1953, a destructive force tore through Waco and forever altered the face of the city. The tornado injured 600 people, took 114 lives, and damaged hundreds of businesses. The chaotic aftermath of this deadly storm left an indelible mark upon the Waco community. On the morning of May...

wacohistory.org

Archivist shares rare images of 1953 Waco tornado devastation

Geoff Hunt spends so many of his waking hours “roaming” the downtown Waco of decades past that when he leaves his office at The Texas Collection at Baylor University most

wacotrib.com

11 May 1953 | Todays HistoryTodays History

A tornado outbreak in Waco, Texas kills 114 people. The 1953 Waco tornado outbreak was a series of at least 33 tornadoes occurring in 10 different U.S. stat ...

todayshistory.org

Tour | Waco Tornado 1953 | Waco History

On May 11, 1953, a destructive force tore through Waco and forever altered the face of the city. The tornado injured 600 people, took 114 lives, and damaged hundreds of businesses. Around 4:30, a tornado touched down southwest of Waco and tore through residential areas. At 4:36, it struck...

wacohistory.org

RICK SMITH: The 1953 Lake View Tornado

<br /><br />When I was young I always wondered why my family was the first to go into the storm cellar and the last to leave.<br />

archive.gosanangelo.com

Lake View ravaged by tornado, 65-years ago

The tornado created a 20-mile path of destruction on May 11, 1953.

www.gosanangelo.com

https://www.tsl.texas.gov/lobbyexhibits/extraextra/texastornadoes

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xYeXBzmGm-A&pp=ygURd2FjbyB0b3JuYWRvIDE5NTM=
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SBBFLVF1kSc&pp=ygURd2FjbyB0b3JuYWRvIDE5NTM=
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NVrvCyg3T8c&pp=ygURd2FjbyB0b3JuYWRvIDE5NTM=
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rvPk4oZOaPU&pp=ygURd2FjbyB0b3JuYWRvIDE5NTM=
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ4xUHx_3E0&pp=ygURd2FjbyB0b3JuYWRvIDE5NTM=
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=L8mt3B-g5DI&pp=ygURd2FjbyB0b3JuYWRvIDE5NTM=
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KwoUOA2H8y0&pp=ygURd2FjbyB0b3JuYWRvIDE5NTM=
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uq4c07w_Ml4&pp=ygURd2FjbyB0b3JuYWRvIDE5NTM=
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=M1W07M6xMfA&pp=ygURd2FjbyB0b3JuYWRvIDE5NTM=
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E_hPxQrj1xw&pp=ygUXc2FuIGFuZ2VsbyB0b3JuYWRvIDE5NTM=
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=40L4-xozUSQ&pp=ygUXc2FuIGFuZ2VsbyB0b3JuYWRvIDE5NTM=

1970: The first F6, Lubbock! Hot take - though that tornado would probably still be EF5 today if it were rated in a decent office, it probably would be LE to ME EF4 instead given how worthless and Texas Tech-contaminated Lubbock's surveys are.

NWS Lubbock, TX Local Weather Events: The 1970 Lubbock Tornado

1970 Lubbock Tornado Kills 26; Injures Over 1,500 - National Weather Service Heritage - Virtual Lab

A violent F5 tornado struck Lubbock, Texas at night on May 11, 1970. It became a watershed event for the city and the field of severe weather research.

vlab.noaa.gov

Lubbock - Tornado

lubbocktornado1970.com

What is the deadliest tornado in West Texas? Heres is what you need to know.

What you need to know about the deadliest tornadoes in Lubbock and West Texas since 1950.

www.lubbockonline.com

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8VPDTiE7uj8&pp=ygUPbHViYm9jayB0b3JuYWRv
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IxeOJD1L7Xg&pp=ygUPbHViYm9jayB0b3JuYWRv
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0frw6Roaxlo&pp=ygUPbHViYm9jayB0b3JuYWRv
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CDVtXl5eN1k&pp=ygUPbHViYm9jayB0b3JuYWRv

2008: The Darien, GA EF4. No one remembers this one.

https://x.com/weather_history/status/1921671656579166281#m

Mother's Day Tornado Outbreak in Georgia - May 11, 2008

The Dynamics of a Tornado

View the Dynamics of the Mother's Day Tornado in Darien.

www.wtoc.com

Mothers Day Darien Tornado NWS Survey

NOUS42 KCHS 130224 PNSCHS GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>051-142200- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 1025 PM EDT MON MAY 12 2008 ...PRELIMINARY

www.wtoc.com

McIntosh County ‘Mother’s Day Tornado’ eight years later

The tornado in Oklahoma comes just one day before a destructive anniversary here at home.

www.wtoc.com

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wz45O6rBGjE&pp=ygUTZGFyaWVuIHRvcm5hZG8gMjAwOA==
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qGioVtHaYJ0&pp=ygUTZGFyaWVuIHRvcm5hZG8gMjAwOA==

Speaking of Darien, I'd like a verification check on this image:
https://x.com/EF4Tornado/status/1915564398086611245#m

And the map:

https://www.reddit.com/r/tornado/co..._tornado_on_this_day_in_history_by/?rdt=44334

 

[Union]

I 100% believe Picher contained EF5 winds. Here are some remarkable damage photos I have found.


View attachment 41291View attachment 41292View attachment 41293View attachment 41294View attachment 41295View attachment 41296View attachment 41297View attachment 41298View attachment 41299
I fail to see how these damage photos show anything less than a HE EF4.

I do agree that Picher was super strong, obviously the images tell the story, but the tree damage in the town I feel is so overdone purely because it might've had the easiest debarking job ever, the huge grainy chat piles along with the debris from the homes is the perfect combo to debark trees, and obviously it happened because everything in sight is debarked.

 

[Lake Martin EF4]

Happy Harper Day!

Reposting this to get more attention:

Speaking of Darien, I'd like a verification check on this image:

I'll have an OTD post later.