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Severe Threat May 15-16, 2025

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.
 
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.

1747818587293.png1747818626555.png

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.
 
UK_EF4 said:
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.

View attachment 42933View attachment 42934

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.
Click to expand...

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.

1747822104758.jpeg

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.

1747822198035.jpeg1747822207906.jpeg

Here's where I think the tornado lands based on the EF scales own guidelines and the very supportive contextual evidence. Low end EF4.

1747822339283.png
 
Grinnell is prelim EF3, although that could go higher. Went from Gove City right up through town.
 
UK_EF4 said:
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.

View attachment 42933View attachment 42934

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.
Click to expand...
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?
 
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