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Jacob

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I always show this video whenever I hear someone say that geography protects their locale from tornadoes. In fact, some studies show that geographical features can enhance the formation of tornadoes.

Was this the Cordova tornado? I seem to remember seeing this video way back in 2011 right after the event, then had trouble finding it a couple years later.
 

pohnpei

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Many damage photos of Champan16 can be found in this page: This tornado really mangled every kinds of vehicle it encountered.


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Parkersburg, Iowa of 2008 is another impressive tornado that thankfully got the rating of EF5 that it deserved. Notable pics:These two are of a well-built house that was less than a month old. The woman died in the basement, despite doing what you're supposed to do. Note the cracked concrete in the bottom of the right photo. Rebar was found snapped at this location. That's right, SNAPPED. Like a toothpick.

Park 3.pngPark 4.png
Assorted pics of ground and grass scouring and vegetation damage:

Park 2.pngPark 14.pngPark 15.pngPark 6.jpgPark 7.jpgPark 10.JPG



A snapped steel and concrete reinforced pole:

Park 12.png

Debris granulation. A quarter placed for scale:

Park_11.png
 
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I have heard from others this may have been among one of the most violent tornadoes in US history. It certainly was stronger than the Greensburg, KS EF5 tornado which happened a little more than a year earlier.
The industrial damage and granulation is what I think pushed it to EF5. Well that and the cracking of reinforced concrete structures. Greensburg got more publicity, but this thing was the most violent tornado documented until 4/27/11, that's for sure.
 
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The industrial damage and granulation is what I think pushed it to EF5. Well that and the cracking of reinforced concrete structures. Greensburg got more publicity, but this thing was the most violent tornado documented until 4/27/11, that's for sure.
It kind of reminds me of the damage from the Smithville, MS tornado but the Parkersburg, IA tornado moved at 40 mph while the Smithville, MS tornado moved 70 mph. I wouldn't say quite the most violent up till 4/27/2011 but it was up there with tornadoes such as Andover and Bridge Creek.
 
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I will tell you another thing about the Parkersburg, IA tornado. It was initially rated EF3 or greater. Seeing that statement made me laugh so hard. I said to myself I know this tornado was an EF5.
 

pohnpei

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Parkersburg, Iowa of 2008 is another impressive tornado that thankfully got the rating of EF5 that it deserved. Notable pics:

View attachment 3488View attachment 3489
View attachment 3497

These two are of a well-built house that was less than a month old. The woman died in the basement, despite doing what you're supposed to do. Note the cracked concrete in the bottom of the right photo. Rebar was found snapped at this location. That's right, SNAPPED. Like a toothpick.

Assorted pics of ground and grass scouring and vegetation damage:

View attachment 3490
View attachment 3491
View attachment 3492

View attachment 3493
View attachment 3494

View attachment 3495

A snapped steel and concrete reinforced pole:

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a collection of tree damage inside Pakersburg. Just as violent as someone can expect to see in an EF5 tornado. Even it didn't strike Pakersburg, it will still be rated EF5 based on insane damage around New Hatford.
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It kind of reminds me of the damage from the Smithville, MS tornado but the Parkersburg, IA tornado moved at 40 mph while the Smithville, MS tornado moved 70 mph. I wouldn't say quite the most violent up till 4/27/2011 but it was up there with tornadoes such as Andover and Bridge Creek.
I think I meant to say "most violent in the decade or so up until 4/27/11" my bad. Still probably one of the most violent of the 2000s, no doubt.
 
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Yes, Parkersburg is often overlooked in the conversation but I think one of the most impressive of the relatively small club of official EF5s. I was chasing that day but only made it to southwest Wisconsin (flying blind other than occasional calls to a nowcaster, no in-car data back then), where I basically just let the now non-tornadic storms roll over me at Lancaster.

Rainbow, Lancaster, WI 5/25/2008 by Andy, on Flickr

Post-storm sky, Lancaster, WI 5/25/2008 by Andy, on Flickr

Those videos of Cordova are really spectacular. The perfectly sculpted and widely visible low-level supercell structure is certainly rare for Dixie Alley. Many of the storms that day were unusually visible/photogenic (apart from trees) by the region's standards. Even Hackleburg, which was probably the closest to a Dixie"standard" murky rain-wrapped wedge, had periods where it was quite visible from certain angles.
 
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Yes, Parkersburg is often overlooked in the conversation but I think one of the most impressive of the relatively small club of official EF5s. I was chasing that day but only made it to southwest Wisconsin (flying blind other than occasional calls to a nowcaster, no in-car data back then), where I basically just let the now non-tornadic storms roll over me at Lancaster.

Rainbow, Lancaster, WI 5/25/2008 by Andy, on Flickr

Post-storm sky, Lancaster, WI 5/25/2008 by Andy, on Flickr

Those videos of Cordova are really spectacular. The perfectly sculpted and widely visible low-level supercell structure is certainly rare for Dixie Alley. Many of the storms that day were unusually visible/photogenic (apart from trees) by the region's standards. Even Hackleburg, which was probably the closest to a Dixie"standard" murky rain-wrapped wedge, had periods where it was quite visible from certain angles.
Pretty much everything about that day was rare. Truly one of those "once-in-a-century" or "once-in-a-millenium type events".

Also, this footage of the Rainsville structure is also pretty incredible. Not as perfect but still impressive nonetheless:

 
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I think that's the earlier Section-Pisgah-Trenton (GA) tornado, rather than the Rainsville EF5 (which would also have been visible from, and closer to, this location). Uploader gives the time as 4:47 PM, I believe the Rainsville EF5 was closer to 7PM.
 
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I think I meant to say "most violent in the decade or so up until 4/27/11" my bad. Still probably one of the most violent of the 2000s, no doubt.
I think the Harper County, Kansas tornado on May 12, 2004 and Parkersburg, IA tornado on May 25, 2008 were probably the most violent of the 2000s. The Elie, MB F5 on June 22, 2007 was really violent as well but I never noticed very little to no scouring if it did any. Then you have the Greensburg EF5 tornado and a number of E/F4 tornadoes as well as a couple of E/F3 tornadoes. The Westminster, TX tornado was the most grossly underrated tornado in the 2000s. That tornado should have been rated at least high-end F4.
 

buckeye05

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Parkersburg, Iowa of 2008 is another impressive tornado that thankfully got the rating of EF5 that it deserved. Notable pics:

View attachment 3488View attachment 3489
View attachment 3497

These two are of a well-built house that was less than a month old. The woman died in the basement, despite doing what you're supposed to do. Note the cracked concrete in the bottom of the right photo. Rebar was found snapped at this location. That's right, SNAPPED. Like a toothpick.

Assorted pics of ground and grass scouring and vegetation damage:

View attachment 3490
View attachment 3491
View attachment 3492

View attachment 3493
View attachment 3494

View attachment 3495

A snapped steel and concrete reinforced pole:

View attachment 3496
That house in the first pic isn't where the rebar was snapped. It was at an older home closer to downtown Parkersburg.
ACPVFK6.jpg


A few others from Parkersburg. The most impressive damage occurred at a golf course subdivision at the east edge of town. There were very large, well-built homes that literally vanished. Note the complete lack of recognizable debris patters at a few of these homes in the last pic. This was NOT due to debris cleanup.
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I think that's the earlier Section-Pisgah-Trenton (GA) tornado, rather than the Rainsville EF5 (which would also have been visible from, and closer to, this location). Uploader gives the time as 4:47 PM, I believe the Rainsville EF5 was closer to 7PM.
I'm not sure, as one of the comments mentioned living next to someone on Lingerfelt Road and that this was the tornado that demolished their house, which is why I thought it was the Rainsville one. But you're probably right, I'm just not sure.
 
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