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Shameless self-promotion, but I typed up a short Twitter thread the other day detailing the McLean/Kellerville/Allison TX supercell on 6/8/1995 in the Panhandle (same day as Pampa). This storm was a monster.
Have also found some information on a prolific day in N KS and S NE on 5/10/1985, which, by multiple accounts, was a banner chase day featuring a couple of cyclic supercells producing multiple large, long-lived, and strong/violent tornadoes.
Two-pronged chase account from David Hoadley and Dr. Erik Rasmussen: https://stormtrack.org/weather-libr...ellis-stockton-phillipsburg-kansas-tornadoes/
Some pictures of the Agra and Ellis KS tornadoes and from this event via Storm Data.
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Significant damage NE of Agra from the aforementioned tornado.
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The setup via PSU NARR.
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You know, speaking of that (Tampa 1995) outbreak, I've never seen a photo of the house that was "So obliterated that the survey teams likely missed it."
Xenia tornado of the 1974 Super Outbreak. (Note: This tornado had max winds of 300 mph.)
I might as well put my money where my mouth is.Xenia was definitely violent, but it was far from being the most powerful tornado of that day. Brandenburg, Kentucky and the Guin, AL tornado were probably the most intense of that day but didn't get as much publicity as they didn't impact a highly-populated area, like Xenia did. Still a violent tornado, don't get me wrong.
Ah the Xenia tornado, I have a lot to say about this one, mainly that it would have been rated EF4 today. While a lot of homes were swept away in town, they were rather small and not anchor bolted to their foundations. I've dug up as many damage photos as I can from this one, and have yet to find any extreme debarking of trees, no ground scouring to speak of, and no remarkable vehicle damage. The 300 MPH estimate was from Ted Fujita himself, but as inclined as I am to take everything he said as being accurate, this was still the early days of rating tornadoes, and before engineering/structural integrity was a major factor in determining the ratings of tornadoes. With all this considered, I can say with a high degree of confidence that this tornado was not nearly as violent as its reputation suggests.Xenia tornado of the 1974 Super Outbreak. (Note: This tornado had max winds of 300 mph.)
Probably because from what I gathered, this didn't happen. Unfortunately, this "fact" was likely a result of a very odd, scatterbrained poster who used to post on multiple weather forums about tornado events, however he was always confused about specific information from tornadoes, would incorrectly interpret or over-analyze damage photos, would mis-attribute certain incidents of damage to the wrong tornadoes. After lots of digging around, I found that this rumor originated from a StormTrack forums post by meteorologist Tony Liza in the early 2000's. The tornado that allegedly produced the damage in question was an F4 that occurred near Arkansas City, KS on April 26, 1991 (the Andover outbreak). NOT the 1995 outbreak.This poster spread around so much misinformation, and it's unfortunate, but thankfully he has pretty much disappeared from weather forums in recent years.You know, speaking of that (Tampa 1995) outbreak, I've never seen a photo of the house that was "So obliterated that the survey teams likely missed it."
This is probably blasphemy to some, but I don't. Fujita was known to assign very high ratings based on things such as debris patterns in fields or spriral/cycloidal markings in crops. These days, this is pretty much known to be pseudo-science. I wouldn't be surprised if something like this was the basis for his 300 MPH estimate in Xenia.Yeah, today it would've most likely not been rated on what it was and about the wind speeds, I also take everything he says accurately. The tornado according to Ted, had 300 MPH but it wasn't hitting anything at peak strength.
The Hesston tornado was F5 but I am not sure about the Gossell tornado. However, I know tornadoes in the past were quite inflated but I feel like other things(contextual)should be used in damage surveys to determine the rating besides just well-built, well-anchored houses.This is probably blasphemy to some, but I don't. Fujita was known to assign very high ratings based on things such as debris patterns in fields or spriral/cycloidal markings in crops. These days, this is pretty much known to be pseudo-science. I wouldn't be surprised if something like this was the basis for his 300 MPH estimate in Xenia.
He also rated the 1990 Goessel, KS tornado as a 300 MPH F5 based on the nature of spiral markings in crops. I find his basis for the rating of the F5 Plainfield, IL tornado to be questionable as well (corn scouring).
I wouldn't be surprised if something like this was the basis for his 300 MPH estimate.
Agreed, but cycloidal markings definitely isn't one of themThe Hesston tornado was F5 but I am not sure about the Gossell tornado. However, I know tornadoes in the past were quite inflated but I feel like other things(contextual)should be used in damage surveys to determine the rating besides just well-built, well-anchored houses.
Gossell as you say should probably have been rated F3 or F4. Cycloidal marks are probably able to be done by an EF2 or EF3. Now maybe if these cycloidal marks are deep and pronounced it might be EF4 but at the most.Agreed, but cycloidal markings definitely isn't one of them
Pretty sure this was the same user who posted something about how the "Forgotten F5" tornado of Lawrence County, TN in 1998 threw a car 20 miles? Yeah, that guy was something else.Probably because from what I gathered, this didn't happen. Unfortunately, this "fact" was likely a result of a very odd, scatterbrained poster who used to post on multiple weather forums about tornado events, however he was always confused about specific information from tornadoes, would incorrectly interpret or over-analyze damage photos, would mis-attribute certain incidents of damage to the wrong tornadoes. After lots of digging around, I found that this rumor originated from a StormTrack forums post by meteorologist Tony Liza in the early 2000's. The tornado that allegedly produced the damage in question was an F4 that occurred near Arkansas City, KS on April 26, 1991 (the Andover outbreak). NOT the 1995 outbreak.This poster spread around so much misinformation, and it's unfortunate, but thankfully he has pretty much disappeared from weather forums in recent years.
Oh and the same guy started a still-persistent rumor that the Northwood, ND tornado of 2007 should have been rated EF5 based on the "fact" that the tornado swept away an anchor-bolted home. The structure in question actually turned out to be a metal outbuilding at a small airport. Also the Clinton, AR tornado of 2008 apparently should have been rated EF5 too based on "extreme ground scouring", which upon analysis of the photos turned out to be mud puddles/water damage to grass. Sheesh...
The first Tanner, AL tornado was also extremely violent and probably on the same level as Brandenburg and Guin (or at least very close to it). There was intense debris granulation, deep ground scouring, a pump lifted out of a well, and of course, the bathtub embedded in the ground which I just recently found a photo of.Xenia was definitely violent, but it was far from being the most powerful tornado of that day. Brandenburg, Kentucky and the Guin, AL tornado were probably the most intense of that day but didn't get as much publicity as they didn't impact a highly-populated area, like Xenia did. Still a violent tornado, don't get me wrong.