tornado examiner
Member
It’s official. Just waiting on a PNS. Multiple NWS Jackson Kentucky meteorologist’s have come out with the same information.
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Current Tropical Systems Erin
Severe Threat May 15-16, 2025
- Thread starter CheeselandSkies
- Start date
Shakespeare 2016
Member
JPWX....The most EF4 tornadoes in a year since 2020.
Kds86z
Member
That beauty in Colorado was ef2 btw.
Central Ohio Wx
Member
Apparently news outlets now reporting EF4… but where’s the NWS? I know it’s coming, but it’s so strange how they’re doing it.
jiharris0220
Member
Central Ohio Wx
Member
Yup, there it is. Wow, 1700 yards wide? I guess it must have rapidly thinned out as it neared London.
Kds86z
Member
Attachments
Kds86z
Member
Only pic I’ve seen of it wider.
Attachments
This is now the first year since 2011 to have two or more convective days with multiple confirmed EF4+ tornadoes (3/14 and 5/16).
Equus
Member
Honestly I'm a little surprised the path length wasn't slightly longer, that was a beast of a couplet for a very long time
Shakespeare 2016
Member
Yeah, I was thinking 80 miles.
Shakespeare 2016
Member
That is probably right.
Shakespeare 2016
Member
It was like the Diaz, AR tornado this year. It produced EF3 to low-end EF4 damage at its peak width of 1 mile-wide. However when it shrank down to a quarter mile-wide it did at least high-end EF4 damage borderline EF5 damage.
2013 had October 4th and November 17th which both featured 2 EF4s. Nonetheless an impressive statistic.
I know it's just a MBS, but still crazy to see footage like this.
With regards to the supposed slabbed home in Morganfield KY, I am 90% sure that the foundation was cleared in clean-up post event. The biggest clues are the white marks all across the foundation, and the debris pile next to the foundation.
The white dusty marks/scratches are very likely created as machinery makes direct contact with the foundation and clears the debris off of it and drags dust etc. across it. Other photos I've seen of homes post clean-up have this look to them. With regards to the damage pile, notice how somewhat tidy it is (in just one singular pile). But especially, notice how the smaller more granulated debris are at the top/middle of the pile - this would not happen in a tornado, where smallest pieces of debris are carried by the wind further and travel the longest.
The damage description on DAT says "mostly swept clear except for one wall". That wall is not visible in these photos, so I suspect the home owner or post-event photos showed the foundation not being fully swept clean. Moreover, considering the same NWS office went 190mph for a less impressive foundation swept clean, I strongly believe truly EF4 damage at this house would get rated such. Don't get me wrong - this is still impressive, awful damage, but the high-end EF4 look of a poured foundation completely swept clean associated with very violent tornadoes may not necessarily be the situation here which some may interpret it as. I think the NWS is probably bang on with a High-End EF3 rating.
The white dusty marks/scratches are very likely created as machinery makes direct contact with the foundation and clears the debris off of it and drags dust etc. across it. Other photos I've seen of homes post clean-up have this look to them. With regards to the damage pile, notice how somewhat tidy it is (in just one singular pile). But especially, notice how the smaller more granulated debris are at the top/middle of the pile - this would not happen in a tornado, where smallest pieces of debris are carried by the wind further and travel the longest.
The damage description on DAT says "mostly swept clear except for one wall". That wall is not visible in these photos, so I suspect the home owner or post-event photos showed the foundation not being fully swept clean. Moreover, considering the same NWS office went 190mph for a less impressive foundation swept clean, I strongly believe truly EF4 damage at this house would get rated such. Don't get me wrong - this is still impressive, awful damage, but the high-end EF4 look of a poured foundation completely swept clean associated with very violent tornadoes may not necessarily be the situation here which some may interpret it as. I think the NWS is probably bang on with a High-End EF3 rating.
Whoops! Didn't realize I posted that in the wrong thread. I noticed it was cleaned up as well, but the description I gave was "it basically completely slabbed two homes". Wiping everything away except one wall is a pretty extreme DOD. There was also another mostly slabbed home in the same area. If you look at the pics you posted you'll notice impressive tree damage in the immediate vicinity of that home as well.
Pair that with the impressive scouring at both the beginning and end of this tornado's path, and I think EF4 is the result. The post wasn't necessarily a criticism of the surveyors, but more of my own analysis and conclusion.
Here's where I think the tornado lands based on the EF scales own guidelines and the very supportive contextual evidence. Low end EF4.
Central Ohio Wx
Member
Grinnell is prelim EF3, although that could go higher. Went from Gove City right up through town.
No anchor bolts either. Plus that scouring is to relatively widely spaced crops in a farm field, which a tornado below EF4 intensity is capable of doing. This isn’t dense surface vegetation or grass being blasted from the ground, unlike the incredible phenomenon that was photographed near Grinnell. Agree that EF3 is fine here.
If anything, Grinnell is more deserving of an upgrade.
Fujita once rated a tornado F5 based on only corn! Corn even has anchor bolts!
In all seriousness, I think having a maximum rating of EF3 for homes without anchor bolts or straps kinda means 99% of tornadoes can't get rated above EF3, Especially because most non slabbed homes aren't observed close enough by surveyors to determine if anchor bolts or superior construction were present.
There are compromises that need to be made and precedent set within the scale to make it far more functional. Otherwise, it's kind of failing in its purpose of deriving true tornado wind speeds. The scale can't just peak at 155 mph unless anchor bolts are present. They're too uncommon. or at least too uncommonly discovered?
In all seriousness, I think having a maximum rating of EF3 for homes without anchor bolts or straps kinda means 99% of tornadoes can't get rated above EF3, Especially because most non slabbed homes aren't observed close enough by surveyors to determine if anchor bolts or superior construction were present.
There are compromises that need to be made and precedent set within the scale to make it far more functional. Otherwise, it's kind of failing in its purpose of deriving true tornado wind speeds. The scale can't just peak at 155 mph unless anchor bolts are present. They're too uncommon. or at least too uncommonly discovered?
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