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Severe WX December 10 & 11, 2021 Severe Threat

Greensburg KS and Spencer SD tornadoes took down water towers, but they were the old truss leg style and not a big modern one like this; even the Smithville MS tornado didn't take down the modern water tower downtown. It's an extraordinary indicator of intensity imo
 
Equus said:
Greensburg KS and Spencer SD tornadoes took down water towers, but they were the old truss leg style and not a big modern one like this; even the Smithville MS tornado didn't take down the modern water tower downtown. It's an extraordinary indicator of intensity imo
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But will the NWS take this into consideration in their survey? Or will they only go on home and building damage???
 
It's not a direct damage indicator but I'm sure the engineering survey will take it into account and it could help bolster a very high end rating should they consider it
 
Given the radar-derived velocities observed, I am a little surprised that most of the DIs seem to be low-end EF4 at most. The few slabbed structures do not seem to have been anchored at all. The damage to the water tower is notable, but contextual damage is not especially impressive, with only patchy debarking in the vicinity and few other intense DIs around the base of the tower. Scouring, granulation, and damage to vehicles seem typical of violent tornadoes, but for the most part I have yet to see anything that even comes close to EF5 just yet. The most single outstanding DI is the damage to the candle factory, which is probably the strongest case one could make for EF5 at this point.
 
Re: Smithville, reminder that the tornado did not directly hit the water tower in that instance, it threw the SUV 1/2 a mile into it which left the dent, but it was otherwise unaffected.
 
I mean we've only scratched the surface of a likely 125+ mile path of violent damage so there could be higher indicators somewhere not reached yet

Ah, assumed that tower was in the path. Makes sense
 
Equus said:
I mean we've only scratched the surface of a likely 125+ mile path of violent damage so there could be higher indicators somewhere not reached yet

Ah, assumed that tower was in the path. Makes sense
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The residential structures in Dawson Springs, Bremen, Earlington, and Cambridge Shores do not seem to be notably different from those that were impacted in Mayfield. So far the images from these locations indicate low-end EF4 as a possible ceiling, barring other DIs nearby that have not yet been documented. The high death toll from this event was likely related to its fast movement and occurrence after dark rather than an exceptional (by EF4+ standards) intensity, along with its having successively impacted populated areas.
 
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