Significant Tornado Events

[speedbump305]

If I had to guess the 2-million pound oil derrick that was rolled by El Reno 2011 EF5. It wasn't picked up and thrown, just slid and rolled. Extremely impressive nonetheless.
For heaviest airborne objects I know that Pampa, TX 1995 picked up a 35,000 lathe and threw it about 60 feet or so and it was actually caught on video. Not sure about any other contenders (there's another topic, heaviest objects moved by tornadoes).

That derrick that the El Reno tornado managed to do really solidified it as being one of the most violent on record. Pampa was definitely violent and the object it threw was definitely impressive

 

[pohnpei]

Huh. I dunno how I've never heard of this before, but this is pretty damn impressive:

From this study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167610516304032

Some damage photos I can find about this tornado yet to find the combine photo.

 

[locomusic01]

If I had to guess the 2-million pound oil derrick that was rolled by El Reno 2011 EF5. It wasn't picked up and thrown, just slid and rolled. Extremely impressive nonetheless.
For heaviest airborne objects I know that Pampa, TX 1995 picked up a 35,000 lathe and threw it about 60 feet or so and it was actually caught on video. Not sure about any other contenders (there's another topic, heaviest objects moved by tornadoes).

The Tuscaloosa tornado threw a 35-ton (70,000 lb) coal hopper nearly 400 ft, which is probably the most extraordinary example that comes to mind. It also threw part of a steel train trestle 100 ft up a nearby hill at Hurricane Creek Canyon. The El Reno tornado also threw a tanker truck about a mile, but I can't remember how much it was said to have weighed. Probaby somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-20 tons depending on whether it was fully loaded or not.

 

[speedbump305]

The Tuscaloosa tornado threw a 35-ton (70,000 lb) coal hopper nearly 400 ft, which is probably the most extraordinary example that comes to mind. It also threw part of a steel train trestle 100 ft up a nearby hill at Hurricane Creek Canyon. The El Reno tornado also threw a tanker truck about a mile, but I can't remember how much it was said to have weighed. Probaby somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-20 tons depending on whether it was fully loaded or not.

i think it weighed 25,000-35,000

 

[pohnpei]

Bakersfield Valley tornado carried two tanks weight 70ton over a 600 feet mountain. Not sure it was lifted over the hill or pushed over the hill.

 

[CheeselandSkies]

The Tuscaloosa tornado threw a 35-ton (70,000 lb) coal hopper nearly 400 ft, which is probably the most extraordinary example that comes to mind. It also threw part of a steel train trestle 100 ft up a nearby hill at Hurricane Creek Canyon.

Those instances to me are that tornado's strongest case for EF5.

 

[speedbump305]

Those instances to me are that tornado's strongest case for EF5.

Yeah. That’s the one thing that could land Tuscaloosa an EF5 rating

 

[pohnpei]

The Tuscaloosa tornado threw a 35-ton (70,000 lb) coal hopper nearly 400 ft, which is probably the most extraordinary example that comes to mind. It also threw part of a steel train trestle 100 ft up a nearby hill at Hurricane Creek Canyon. The El Reno tornado also threw a tanker truck about a mile, but I can't remember how much it was said to have weighed. Probaby somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-20 tons depending on whether it was fully loaded or not.

It's interesting to notice that Tuscaloosa was already in the weakening stage when threw that 35 ton coal hopper.


In this aerial shoto it was very obious that tornado was much stronger before based on overall contextual damage changes along the path.(5:52 in this video)

 

[locomusic01]

Bakersfield Valley tornado carried two tanks weight 70ton over a 600 feet mountain. Not sure it was lifted over the hill or pushed over the hill.

They were rolled/pushed according to the survey, which is still extremely impressive.

 

[speedbump305]

It's interesting to notice that Tuscaloosa was already in the weakening stage when threw that 35 ton coal hopper.


In this aerial shoto it was very obious that tornado was much stronger before based on overall contextual damage changes along the path.

That’s how we know Tuscaloosa reached EF5 strength at one point. Tuscaloosa definitely reached EF5 intensity from the middle when it was in open country

 

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

Bakersfield Valley tornado carried two tanks weight 70ton over a 600 feet mountain. Not sure it was lifted over the hill or pushed over the hill.

3 oil tanks actually, they all weighed 180,000 pounds and were thrown a total of 3 miles. Two of them were thrown up a steep hill that had a 35-degree incline or something to that effect. While perhaps not the heaviest objects thrown by a tornado, it's probably the single most impressive instance of tornado damage ever documented, although the sparse amount of structures in the area likely contributed to the tanks being able to be carried so far. Also, an adobe house was levelled and its commode was found 3 miles away.

 

[speedbump305]

3 oil tanks actually, they all weighed 180,000 pounds and were thrown a total of 3 miles. Two of them were thrown up a steep hill that had a 35-degree incline or something to that effect. While perhaps not the heaviest objects thrown by a tornado, it's probably the single most impressive instance of tornado damage ever documented, although the sparse amount of structures in the area likely contributed to the tanks being able to be carried so far. Also, an adobe house was levelled and its commode was found 3 miles away.

That is definitely the most intense instance of tornado damage i think i’ve ever heard of. There’s been a lot of intense damage, but 180,000 pound oil tanks being thrown a total of 3 miles, up steel hills definitely proves Bakersfield valley was one of the most violent on record

 

[speedbump305]

Does anyone know how much the fertilizer tank the Vilonia tornado threw? i heard it was between 20,000-30,000. If so yet another reason Vilonia should be an EF5

 

[locomusic01]

(That's 30,000 lbs and three-quarters of a mile for the metric-averse.)

https://ams.confex.com/ams/27SLS/webprogram/Manuscript/Paper254346/MayflowerFINAL.pdf

 

[eric11]

(That's 30,000 lbs and three-quarters of a mile for the metric-averse.)

https://ams.confex.com/ams/27SLS/webprogram/Manuscript/Paper254346/MayflowerFINAL.pdf

Yes, that' it
Same tank from a different view, looks like it's empty, pretty remarkable though

 

[eric11]

Twins and their interactions fascinates me for all time.Besides the Big Four and Pilger twins,here's two more interesting event.
This twins near Pampa TX on 11/16/2015 were both produced by a cyclic supercell.Left one may be the occluding Pampa EF3, right one should by Miami EF3 that later turned into a mile-wide wedge.
View attachment 6733
No photos but only words description, I found the comment under an article of Pilger.I think this event may be the Stuart IA F4 on 5/27/1995.There does exist some short clip shows two tornadoes developing in tornado classic videos but nothing like"Two wedge side by side".I'm always waiting for this user to release his video but seem he's already forgotten this
View attachment 6735
@andyhb once mentioned big twins on 5/10/1985 and 3/28/2007 both in CO.Would love to find out whether there're any pics.

Never had I had an idea what would happen when I post this three days ago, Happy TX pairs definitely can join the "Twin Wedge" Group

 

[speedbump305]

Never had I had an idea what would happen when I post this three days ago, Happy TX pairs definitely can join the "Twin Wedge" Group
View attachment 6865
View attachment 6866

Apparently i heard that tornado recorded winds in the EF5 range. I’ve not seen all the damage pictures, i did see a radar image so i’m not gonna deny if it’s true. i heard it from a youtube comment on one of the storm chaser vids. I don’t think it’s necessarily reliable, but if it did in fact have winds up to 200+ mph and hit something at peak, we may or may not have an EF5

 

[WhirlingWx]

Apparently i heard that tornado recorded winds in the EF5 range. I’ve not seen all the damage pictures, i did see a radar image so i’m not gonna deny if it’s true. i heard it from a youtube comment on one of the storm chaser vids. I don’t think it’s necessarily reliable, but if it did in fact have winds up to 200+ mph and hit something at peak, we may or may not have an EF5

What I think people were referring to was the gate-to-gate shear(?) measured by the velocity signature on radar (someone can correct me if I'm wrong). At it's peak, the gate-to-gate shear exceeded 200 mph iirc. However, that doesn't always translate to winds at the actual surface, so it is unreliable to go off of a radar signature above ground to determine the actual wind speeds in the tornado. Plus, I have my doubts about damage indicators being available to classify the tornado as EF5 (thankfully). I do believe that the tornado was probably of violent intensity at some point in its life. The only damage pics I've seen up to this point wouldn't warrant any higher than an EF3 rating (toppled transmission tower), again, someone who has better knowledge of the EF-scale can correct me.
EDIT: the GTG >200 mph was for the Palo Duro Canyon SP tornado, as pointed out below this post.

To relate all that back to the general theme of this thread, yesterday's tornado(es) definitely remind me of the Canadian, TX, and Laverne, OK tornadoes on May 23, 2019. They were only rated EF2 and EF3, respectively, but probably were capable of producing more significant damage at their peaks. Some images of the Happy, TX tornado almost looked like a carbon copy of the Canadian, TX tornado, in particular.

 

[speedbump305]

What I think people were referring to was the gate-to-gate shear(?) measured by the velocity signature on radar (someone can correct me if I'm wrong). At it's peak, the gate-to-gate shear exceeded 200 mph. However, that doesn't always translate to winds at the actual surface, so it is unreliable to go off of a radar signature above ground to determine the actual wind speeds in the tornado. Plus, I have my doubts about damage indicators being available to classify the tornado as EF5 (thankfully). I do believe that the tornado was probably of violent intensity at some point in its life. The only damage pics I've seen up to this point wouldn't warrant any higher than an EF3 rating (toppled transmission tower), again, someone who has better knowledge of the EF-scale can correct me.

To relate all that back to the general theme of this thread, yesterday's tornado(es) definitely remind me of the Canadian, TX, and Laverne, OK tornadoes on May 23, 2019. They were only rated EF2 and EF3, respectively, but probably were capable of producing more significant damage at their peaks. Some images of the Happy, TX tornado almost looked like a carbon copy of the Canadian, TX tornado, in particular.

I do agree with you on everything you said. Now i do agree the damage pics we do have right now do show that it was a strong tornado “ EF3 “ GTG shear was over 200 mph, but we don’t really know how high the actual winds were. It did look violent on radar and i’m sure it was violent intensity. It does look nasty similar to the Canadian Texas Tornado. But anyways what we do know is that it was a violent tornado probably over open country and that we know it did produce EF3 damage, for now we just have to wait for NWS to do its surveys and see what they can find.

 

[eric11]

Apparently i heard that tornado recorded winds in the EF5 range. I’ve not seen all the damage pictures, i did see a radar image so i’m not gonna deny if it’s true. i heard it from a youtube comment on one of the storm chaser vids. I don’t think it’s necessarily reliable, but if it did in fact have winds up to 200+ mph and hit something at peak, we may or may not have an EF5

Three radar based violent tors from one cyclic supercell tracking from SW Happy TX to Washburn TX if I recall correctly for yesterday's outbreak.Most photographs including the two I published above all came from the first one near Happy TX to Ogg TX.Calculating the tornado windspeed based on the radar-based algorithm given by SPC, you'll get a 188mph couplet at this point.


The one you mentioned recorded winds meet the EF5 range should be the one near the Palo Duro Canyon State Park, it did meet the EF5 range.No doubt about the strongest couplet we've seen so far since the Bassfield tornado


But again, they're just RADAR ESTIMATING ALGORITHM, not the true wind speed.Needless to say the EF scale is a damage rating system.Considering the desolation in central TX Panhandle and Canyon, it's not strange to see these monsters will only be rated EF2 or much lower since they barely encountered anything, even trees.But we all clear AT LEAST they have some potential to reach violent status at some point