Significant Tornado Events

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

There's a (relatively) high-quality version of the aerial video that's been image-stabilized that really brings out a lot more detail. Unfortunately, the website that had it disappeared years ago and I haven't been able to find it anywhere else since. Wish I'd had a way to download it back then.

It does reinforce the scale of the disaster, though. We're sort of accustomed to seeing a few miles' worth of total destruction, but not mile after mile after mile. And then you realize even the aerial footage only covers a small portion of the total path, and the intensity of the damage was seemingly almost constant from start to finish. It's hard to wrap your head around.

I remember when damage aerials of Hackleburg used to be available on YouTube and they produced a similar feeling, nothing but miles upon miles of high-end devastation. Of course, the Tri-State is more impressive as it was likely at F5 intensity for 150+ miles, even Hackleburg can't compare to that.

 

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

Totally off topic, nice new profile pic. They're one of my favorite hardcore punk bands.

Oh yeah, Poison Idea are my default band for listening to whenever I'm full of misanthropic rage and nihilism towards society and the world at large. They make most other so-called "hardcore" acts look like the artless, disposable teenage crap they usually are.
Alright, back to the main topic at hand.

 

[pohnpei]

I remember when damage aerials of Hackleburg used to be available on YouTube and they produced a similar feeling, nothing but miles upon miles of high-end devastation. Of course, the Tri-State is more impressive as it was likely at F5 intensity for 150+ miles, even Hackleburg can't compare to that.

I really hope someone saved these Hackleburg aerial video before. It used to be there now just lost. Only the section in Hackleburg and Limestone County and very brief section of Phil Cambell still exit.

 

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

Found this video of Red Rock, good lord the rotation on this thing:



There's another video of it that used to be on YouTube that ended with a shot of dead cattle wedged underneath a rail pass, but it seems to no longer be on YouTube. Much appreciated if someone could dig it up again.

This blog entry on it is interesting for this one quote:

"Our trip back south down I-35 took us across the damage path. There were a couple of buildings destroyed, a lot of tree and guardrail damage, and some dead cattle. The tree damage was a scar that I could easily identify for 20 years after on my trips up or down I-35. It has only been the last couple of years where it was hard to tell where the tornado crossed the interstate."

Northern Oklahoma tornado event – April 26, 1991 | OKWeatherWatch

 

[Nightking2021]

I have heard people on here mention the Harper, KS tornado from May of 2004. Here are some damage photos. https://www.okstorms.com/images/chases/2004-05-18/index.htm

 

[Nightking2021]

Found this video of Red Rock, good lord the rotation on this thing:



There's another video of it that used to be on YouTube that ended with a shot of dead cattle wedged underneath a rail pass, but it seems to no longer be on YouTube. Much appreciated if someone could dig it up again.

This blog entry on it is interesting for this one quote:

"Our trip back south down I-35 took us across the damage path. There were a couple of buildings destroyed, a lot of tree and guardrail damage, and some dead cattle. The tree damage was a scar that I could easily identify for 20 years after on my trips up or down I-35. It has only been the last couple of years where it was hard to tell where the tornado crossed the interstate."

Northern Oklahoma tornado event – April 26, 1991 | OKWeatherWatch

Wow!! This happened on the day of the Andover, KS F5 tornado. That one looks just as violent as the Andover tornado.

 

[pohnpei]

Found this video of Red Rock, good lord the rotation on this thing:



There's another video of it that used to be on YouTube that ended with a shot of dead cattle wedged underneath a rail pass, but it seems to no longer be on YouTube. Much appreciated if someone could dig it up again.

This blog entry on it is interesting for this one quote:

"Our trip back south down I-35 took us across the damage path. There were a couple of buildings destroyed, a lot of tree and guardrail damage, and some dead cattle. The tree damage was a scar that I could easily identify for 20 years after on my trips up or down I-35. It has only been the last couple of years where it was hard to tell where the tornado crossed the interstate."

Northern Oklahoma tornado event – April 26, 1991 | OKWeatherWatch

This video about 0:55-01:00 was the time when 286 mph winds were recorded and it was not a surprise when seeing rotation like this. Only a few tornados in the history had video apperance rival to this that I can recall.There was also a house destroyed in this place.

 

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

Wow!! This happened on the day of the Andover, KS F5 tornado. That one looks just as violent as the Andover tornado.

Yeah this thing's been discussed on this thread before, basically it was likely the most violent tornado of the outbreak but all 66 miles of its path were over open country. Aside from sweeping away a single home and doing some ground and pavement scouring it encountered few man-made structures which made it difficult to rank. It was given an F4 rating but likely had F5 potential.

 

[TH2002]

Speaking of Andover here are two rather obscure clips. The first was filmed as the tornado was just touching down near Derby and the second was filmed near Andover Elementary School.



Also, in your opinions what are the most impressive instances of damage from Andover? IMO, the vehicle damage and wind rowing. The wind rowing in particular is the worst I've ever seen. Andover was definitely one of the most violent tornadoes ever surveyed.

 

[CheeselandSkies]

This blog entry on it is interesting for this one quote:

"Our trip back south down I-35 took us across the damage path. There were a couple of buildings destroyed, a lot of tree and guardrail damage, and some dead cattle. The tree damage was a scar that I could easily identify for 20 years after on my trips up or down I-35. It has only been the last couple of years where it was hard to tell where the tornado crossed the interstate."

Northern Oklahoma tornado event – April 26, 1991 | OKWeatherWatch

Nice find. Detailed accounts from old-school chasers who've been doing it since the 1990s or earlier are getting hard to come by as they drop off the Internet for one reason or another. Frustratingly, I can't seem to find the author's name anywhere on the site.

 

[buckeye05]

Speaking of Andover here are two rather obscure clips. The first was filmed as the tornado was just touching down near Derby and the second was filmed near Andover Elementary School.



Also, in your opinions what are the most impressive instances of damage from Andover? IMO, the vehicle damage and wind rowing. The wind rowing in particular is the worst I've ever seen. Andover was definitely one of the most violent tornadoes ever surveyed.
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There is definitely some grass scouring visible in that wind rowing photo. Somewhere on Youtube, Robert Prentice posted a damage video that I believe was filmed in the aforementioned area, and in the video he actually pulls a deeply embedded, bent metal spoon out of a patch of scoured ground. Wild stuff.

Edit: Here it is. The spoon bit is at 1:16.

 

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

Speaking of Andover here are two rather obscure clips. The first was filmed as the tornado was just touching down near Derby and the second was filmed near Andover Elementary School.



Also, in your opinions what are the most impressive instances of damage from Andover? IMO, the vehicle damage and wind rowing. The wind rowing in particular is the worst I've ever seen. Andover was definitely one of the most violent tornadoes ever surveyed.
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Piggybacking on a previous post. What this thing did to cars is unbelievable:

Significant Tornado Events

Some more Andover pics from Storm Data and assorted documentaries: Claus Steueve's is on your blog article, but I've never seen the rest of these before. I'm always looking for more photos from the Missouri portion of the path, partly cuz I'm a Missouri native and partly because this portion...

talkweather.com

Andover likely did the most impressive instance of wind rowing ever photographed. Grazulis refers to it as a maxi-tornado and very few tornadoes earn that label from him.

 

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

This is 3-part series showing a synchronized view of the Andover tornado. Part 2 is the most impressive as you can see how it's transition from single-vortex stovepipe to multi-vortex wedge was caught at multiple angles at the same time. Incredible:

 

[Nightking2021]

Piggybacking on a previous post. What this thing did to cars is unbelievable:

Significant Tornado Events

Some more Andover pics from Storm Data and assorted documentaries: Claus Steueve's is on your blog article, but I've never seen the rest of these before. I'm always looking for more photos from the Missouri portion of the path, partly cuz I'm a Missouri native and partly because this portion...

talkweather.com

Andover likely did the most impressive instance of wind rowing ever photographed. Grazulis refers to it as a maxi-tornado and very few tornadoes earn that label from him.

Did Grazulis also refer to the Bridge Creek/Moore/OKC F5 tornado on May 3, 1999 as a maxi-tornado?

 

[pohnpei]

Yeah these were the same houses that had been claimed to be pretty well-built and some of them were constructed in less than three years according to extremeplanet, the tornado likely reached maximum strength right here, the wind were so strong that it caused the joint between the poured concrete inner walls and the foundation to shake and loose despite standard anchoring and nails were used
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I'm curious whether these two pics were also taken near the Golf Course Subdivision
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There's some ground scouring to the east of this area
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Oak hill cemetery from a closer view
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Wow, the third and fourth pic here were rare aerial shoto from north of New Hartford. Tornado made additional EF5 damage here. Some additional damage photo in this place from my file:

 

[Nightking2021]

Wow, the third and fourth pic here were rare aerial shoto from north of New Hartford. Tornado made additional EF5 damage here. Some additional damage photo in this place from my file:
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It is unfortunate that 9 people lost their lives in the Parkersburg tornado but this is the kind of tornado that could kill hundreds if not thousands of people if it hit a highly populated area.

 

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

Did Grazulis also refer to the Bridge Creek/Moore/OKC F5 tornado on May 3, 1999 as a maxi-tornado?

Yup, he also referred to Niles-Wheatland as such.

 

[Nightking2021]

Yup, he also referred to Niles-Wheatland as such.

Yeah, that one is among the most violent tornadoes recorded especially for Pennsylvania.

 

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

Yeah, that one is among the most violent tornadoes recorded especially for Pennsylvania.

It's also the most violent in Ohio's history. It holds the distinction of being the only F5 in Pennsylvania state history.

My previous posts on it:

Significant Tornado Events

Here is the image of the Moore tree damage from 2013 that looks very similar to Smithville. Juliett and Buckeye what do you think? In my opinion they both look similar

talkweather.com

Significant Tornado Events

Here is the image of the Moore tree damage from 2013 that looks very similar to Smithville. Juliett and Buckeye what do you think? In my opinion they both look similar

talkweather.com

This thing did wind-rowing on par with Andover in places.

 

[speedbump305]

In terms of official EF5s Smithville and Hackleburg win in almost every category, no contest (if I had to pick just one Smithville would be the most impressive EF5 on record that I know of). Smithville was just absolutely vicious, extreme ground scouring, extreme tree/forest debarking, automobiles thrown up to a mile and mangled beyond recognition as well as being caked in topsoil and buildings literally vanishing (the bed and breakfast and funeral home being the most notable coming to mind). Hackleburg next for longevity and duration of EF5 intensity, as well as completely leveling the Wrangler plant, scouring concrete and carrying vehicles up to a mile and also mangling them beyond recognition. After that it's El Reno 2011. Then after that a tie (for me, at least) between Joplin, Moore 2013 and Parkersburg as for the most violent of the official EF5s.

I do agree with you. but let’s not forget the restaurant in mount hope and in my opinion, the ground scouring through out smithville was no more intense than some EF5 scouring, but the trench digging, softwood tree damage next to the funeral home, funeral home damage, bed and breakfast being the most intense damage smithville did. Hackleburg and Smithville for me are tied because they were both just incredible tornadoes. Reasons why

the extreme damage they produced
Hackleburg’s long lived intensity was incredible
speed of the tornadoes
Hackleburgs injury to fatality ratio


i still think hackleburg might have broken cinder blocks because when i look at the restaurant i don’t see a lot of cinder blocks and broken concrete is laying around the area of the foundation damage