Significant Tornado Events

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

Yeah it’s a little eerie it’s almost as if it intentionally targeted downtown Mayfield to inflict the most damage possible. It actually underwent a failed occlusion phase and weakened quite a bit around I-69 before intensifying and widening extremely rapidly as it reached Pritchett Rd completely leveling homes along the road and producing some impressive tree debarking before going right through Mayfield.
View attachment 14807
This is a map I created based on aerial imagery showing the EF0 contour I’m working on the EF1-4 contours currently and am hoping to share with all you guys at some point.

Bridge Creek-Moore had a failed occlusion phase where it weakened to F2 then restrengthened to F5 within only a mile. Seems to happen a lot with these long-track events.

 

[Western_KS_Wx]

Bridge Creek-Moore had a failed occlusion phase where it weakened to F2 then restrengthened to F5 within only a mile. Seems to happen a lot with these long-track events.

Yeah Moore ‘13 also underwent one near MMC and even executed a full loop over the 7-11. Mayfield weakened quite a bit around I-69 to the point where it was difficult to even spot some of the damage, likely was at EF1 strength before once again mowing down trees not too long after crossing the interstate. The NWS map lists it as being nearly a mile wide around that spot but that’s pretty far from being accurate.

 

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

Yeah Moore ‘13 also underwent one near MMC and even executed a full loop over the 7-11. Mayfield weakened quite a bit around I-69 to the point where it was difficult to even spot some of the damage, likely was at EF1 strength before once again mowing down trees not too long after crossing the interstate. The NWS map lists it as being nearly a mile wide around that spot but that’s pretty far from being accurate.

Barrie also did the same thing. Stuff like this makes me wonder how many 'tornado families' were simply a single VLT with multiple failed occlusion points....I guess distinguishing between tornado families and a single tornado that almost roped out multiple times but kept going is really tricky.

 

[pohnpei]

Mayfield was extremely violent and in my opinion the most impressive single tornado in terms of sheer duration and length of EF4+ intensity we’ve seen since at least the 90’s. The Tri-State tornado probably still had a slightly longer path length but I’d say Mayfield wasn’t too far off and probably is in the top 3 for longest path lengths since that time, considering almost all the other events were tornado families. There were some areas I thought could’ve had EF5 potenital along the track, I was pretty impressed with the damage in downtown mayfield where some multistory well-constructed brick buildings completely collapsed and the damage in and around the candle factory was extreme. There was also a flooring store in Mayfield that was utterly obliterated. Cambridge Shores was another spot I thought had some EF5 potential as well and of course Bremen. View attachment 14798View attachment 14799
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Another Ground level pic of Mayfield's factory. This was pretty insane damage to a large factory tbh.Cmr mentioned It had 60-70mph speed here which was quite impressive.


Damage before entering into factory area

Not only It quickly strengthened before Mayfield but also It siginificantly weakened just after Mayfield. Damage between Mayfield Cambridge was mostly EF2-3 level.

 

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

Another Ground level pic of Mayfield's factory. This was pretty insane damage to a large factory tbh.Cmr mentioned It had 60-70mph speed here which was quite impressive.

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Damage before entering into factory area
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Not only It quickly strengthened before Mayfield but also It siginificantly weakened just after Mayfield. Damage between Mayfield Cambridge was mostly EF2-3 level.

That damage to the factory....I've only seen that with Guin, Niles-Wheatland, Parkersburg and Hackleburg before Mayfield.

 

[Western_KS_Wx]

Another Ground level pic of Mayfield's factory. This was pretty insane damage to a large factory tbh.Cmr mentioned It had 60-70mph speed here which was quite impressive.

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Damage before entering into factory area
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Not only It quickly strengthened before Mayfield but also It siginificantly weakened just after Mayfield. Damage between Mayfield Cambridge was mostly EF2-3 level.

The damage to that one large church was also very impressive too, I’d consider a couple of the buildings in downtown Mayfield EF5 candidates. There was some EF4 damage after it exited Mayfield before it crossed I-69 again just in spotty areas. I haven’t seen much from the forested areas around Benton and just prior to Cambridge Shores but it did weaken somewhat between then.

 

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

The damage to that one large church was also very impressive too, I’d consider a couple of the buildings in downtown Mayfield EF5 candidates. There was some EF4 damage after it exited Mayfield before it crossed I-69 again just in spotty areas. I haven’t seen much from the forested areas around Benton and just prior to Cambridge Shores but it did weaken somewhat between then.

Yeah Mayfield should've been rated EF5 for some of the damage in the downtown area.....it definitely would've been back in 2011. Of course, the EF5 rating is more or less retired at this point so.....yeah.

 

[CheeselandSkies]

Mayfield etc. was undoubtedly the most impressive both single tornado and outbreak event in quite a few years (April 2014 or perhaps even April 2011, although it was far short of a "Super Outbreak") and it happened two weeks before Christmas. Meanwhile the springs continue to feature mostly Atmospheric Anti-Climax or at least underwhelming vs. the forecast/model output events. But that's a discussion for another time/thread...

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

 

[Lake Martin EF4]

Speaking of failed occlusions...

So here's something neat. I talked to a guy who was driving north on Rt. 18 toward Albion when he saw the tornado approaching from the southwest. He stopped at the crest of a hill overlooking town and had a great view of the whole event as it unfolded. He said that the tornado was pretty large and seemed to be bookin' along sort of toward the east or east-northeast when it suddenly slowed down dramatically, quickly shrank in size, did a little loop to the north and then continued on a curving path into town. "It stopped and wobbled around like a drunk for a minute" is how he put it.

Well, turns out you can sort of see where it happened in some of the aerial shots (the tree damage pattern just below center):

 

[Lake Martin EF4]

If I recall correctly it also might’ve produced the Chilowee Lake TN EF4 and another long tracked EF3 in TN but I’m unsure if it was the result of a cell merger or not.

Don't know where that EF3 is but I know for a fact Chilhowee was from the Cullman-Flat Rock cell. Radar confirms it.

EDIT: Also surprisingly the New Harmony EF4 seems to have been produced by....wait for it......the Haleyville cell!

 

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

Speaking of failed occlusions...

Something similar happened with Ruskin Heights, as it weakened and changed appearance dramatically for a little bit before plowing through several KC suburbs.
Also, I think a failed occlusion might have happened with Albion, PA based on how erratic its damage path got at some points along its path.

 

[Lake Martin EF4]

Also, I think a failed occlusion might have happened with Albion, PA based on how erratic its damage path got at some points along its path.

As I quoted in the post you quoted.

 

[SouthFLwx]

Another Ground level pic of Mayfield's factory. This was pretty insane damage to a large factory tbh.Cmr mentioned It had 60-70mph speed here which was quite impressive.

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Damage before entering into factory area
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Not only It quickly strengthened before Mayfield but also It siginificantly weakened just after Mayfield. Damage between Mayfield Cambridge was mostly EF2-3 level.

Some impressive wind-rowing in that second pic there.

 

[pohnpei]

The previous longest track in Kentucky also did some strong damage in history downtown area. 2012 West Liberty

 

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

As I quoted in the post you quoted.

Lol I read 'Albion' as 'Mayfield' I was reading way too fast lol.

 

[OHWX97]

What about Princeton? The damage seemed very intense over there and imho, could have EF5 potential.

Damage was certainly high-end in the Princeton area, notably near the country club, and, of course, the UK Research Center. I'm one to believe the tornado was likely at its strongest along the Princeton-Bremen segment of the damage path.

 

[tornado examiner]

Yeah it’s a little eerie it’s almost as if it intentionally targeted downtown Mayfield to inflict the most damage possible. It actually underwent a failed occlusion phase and weakened quite a bit around I-69 before intensifying and widening extremely rapidly as it reached Pritchett Rd completely leveling homes along the road and producing some impressive tree debarking before going right through Mayfield.
View attachment 14807
This is a map I created based on aerial imagery showing the EF0 contour I’m working on the EF1-4 contours currently and am hoping to share with all you guys at some point.

definitely cant wait to see this. high resolution EF-scale damage contour maps of violent tornadoes are some of my favorite things to look at. specially when they're accurate and detailed.

 

[tornado examiner]

and yes without a doubt the western kentucky EF4 is by far the most impressive tornado since 2011. and one of the 3 or 5 longest tracking tornadoes of all time. the fourth deadliest of the modern era. and likely one of if not the new costliest tornado of all time...but idk if we'll ever get an official damage cost out of it...

 

[Western_KS_Wx]

definitely cant wait to see this. high resolution EF-scale damage contour maps of violent tornadoes are some of my favorite things to look at. specially when they're accurate and detailed.

As of now it’s just the Mayfield section of the track based off of Google earth imagery im hoping to eventually overlay some aerial imagery and attempt to do the whole track but that’s obviously going to take a little bit lol. I’m 3/4 of the way done just need to figure out how to group all the files into one folder and be able to share it. I’ve also got some tracks of the Greensburg “Big 4” and a couple tornadoes from the May 23, 2008 Kansas outbreak finished just the same thing as mayfield need to figure out how to group them all and share them.

 

[tornado examiner]

As of now it’s just the Mayfield section of the track based off of Google earth imagery im hoping to eventually overlay some aerial imagery and attempt to do the whole track but that’s obviously going to take a little bit lol. I’m 3/4 of the way done just need to figure out how to group all the files into one folder and be able to share it. I’ve also got some tracks of the Greensburg “Big 4” and a couple tornadoes from the May 23, 2008 Kansas outbreak finished just the same thing as mayfield need to figure out how to group them all and share them.

OH COOL! cant wait!