Significant Tornado Events

[tornado examiner]

Finally finished the Mayfield contour map on Google Earth (1 PC crash later). This map is based on aerial imagery from Google Earth taken shortly after the storm and is just the Mayfield section as of now. Also of note the pink/purple contours are areas I believe likely experienced winds approaching EF5 strength. Anyways here’s the link to anyone who’s interested, and let me know what you guys think! (Also thanks to locomusic for the advice it helped tremendously)

sweeeeettttt. can't wait to see the rest of the track! if you can figure the rest of it out. and also...you can clearly see some wacko patterns in the damage clearly indicating a complex multi-vortex structure when everything is properly marked using accurate information.

 

[Western_KS_Wx]

sweeeeettttt. can't wait to see the rest of the track! if you can figure the rest of it out. and also...you can clearly see some wacko patterns in the damage clearly indicating a complex multi-vortex structure when everything is properly marked using accurate information.

It’ll definitely be a process lol but I’ll do it eventually just gotta overlay some images onto Google earth. Northeast of Mayfield especially is where the complex structure was most evident, there was a very large house directly impacted by a vortex that was completely leveled and largely swept clean, this home isn’t on the DAT however. I was also surprised how quickly it strengthened when it reached the first row of homes on Pritchett Rd, two of them quite literally exploded and were swept away with debris wind-rowed into fields. I’m also close to finishing a map for the May 23, 2008 outbreak, probably finish it in a week or so but here’s what it’s looking like so far:

I’m mainly just doing some of the more significant tornadoes during the outbreak, there’s a lot that are still missing that I’d like to do though. May 4, 2007 should also be finished around the same time as well.

 

[tornado examiner]

It’ll definitely be a process lol but I’ll do it eventually just gotta overlay some images onto Google earth. Northeast of Mayfield especially is where the complex structure was most evident, there was a very large house directly impacted by a vortex that was completely leveled and largely swept clean, this home isn’t on the DAT however. I was also surprised how quickly it strengthened when it reached the first row of homes on Pritchett Rd, two of them quite literally exploded and were swept away with debris wind-rowed into fields. I’m also close to finishing a map for the May 23, 2008 outbreak, probably finish it in a week or so but here’s what it’s looking like so far:
View attachment 14829
I’m mainly just doing some of the more significant tornadoes during the outbreak, there’s a lot that are still missing that I’d like to do though. May 4, 2007 should also be finished around the same time as well.

neato

 

[tornado examiner]

this really is my kind of website. people sharing my passion...

 

[locomusic01]

Finally finished the Mayfield contour map on Google Earth (1 PC crash later). This map is based on aerial imagery from Google Earth taken shortly after the storm and is just the Mayfield section as of now. Also of note the pink/purple contours are areas I believe likely experienced winds approaching EF5 strength. Anyways here’s the link to anyone who’s interested, and let me know what you guys think! (Also thanks to locomusic for the advice it helped tremendously)

Impressive detail man, great job! Really drives home just how direct of a direct hit it was for Mayfield, and it captures the kinda squirrely way that tornadoes actually move.

 

[pohnpei]

Finally finished the Mayfield contour map on Google Earth (1 PC crash later). This map is based on aerial imagery from Google Earth taken shortly after the storm and is just the Mayfield section as of now. Also of note the pink/purple contours are areas I believe likely experienced winds approaching EF5 strength. Anyways here’s the link to anyone who’s interested, and let me know what you guys think! (Also thanks to locomusic for the advice it helped tremendously)

Great job! For the EF5 contour Northeast of Mayfield, the house was definitely sizeable but didn't see any ground level pic so I have no idea of its construction. One thing can note here was those shrubs in front of the house was seemingly intact.

 

[tornado examiner]

Great job! For the EF5 contour Northeast of Mayfield, the house was definitely sizeable but didn't see any ground level pic so I have no idea of its construction. One thing can note here was those shrubs in front of the house was seemingly intact.
View attachment 14830View attachment 14831

some shrub species are extremely tough. not all of them are gonna be affected under conditions like that. so i personally don't like using shrubbery as a reason to knock a tornadoes rating.

 

[tornado examiner]

also. with how extremely complex tornadic wind fields are...i feel like its always possible for a tornado to flatten a large well built home at EF4 intensity while hardly affecting the shrubs around its walls...

 

[TH2002]

Also here’s a link to it for anyone who may not use Google Earth or etc:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1TF-5rnOyqK--qNpgx3bPLUHpU7ZN2D8&usp=sharing

Good job on the contour map, looking forward to seeing the rest!

But regarding that home northeast of Mayfield, it is probably a home swept from its subflooring which is typically never rated above EF4. No way to be 100% certain without a close ground view, but the unusual colors of the foundation and intact shrubbery support that theory. I don't think the tornado had yet reached EF5 strength along Pritchett Rd either because the homes it hit there were just poorly constructed, and none of the trees in that vicinity were stripped clean of all bark. I do feel the tornado probably reached EF5 strength in downtown Mayfield though.

 

[tornado examiner]

i think the tornado first reached EF5 intensity in those fields north of crutchfield...where the trenches were produced

 

[Tomcats Forever!]

Speaking of Mayfield, whatever came of those record, or near-record g2g signatures that were recorded later?

 

[tornado examiner]

Speaking of Mayfield, whatever came of those record, or near-record g2g signatures that were recorded later?

recorded in the TVS hall of fame...

 

[Tomcats Forever!]

Did they ever figure out how strong they were? I've seen anywhere from 270 MPH to over 300.

 

[Western_KS_Wx]

Can’t thank you guys enough I’m glad you all liked the map! To clear some things up the pink/purple contours aren’t my official EF5 contours, just areas I believe were higher-end EF4 strength with winds approaching or possibly exceeding 200mph. I’d say the only part of the Mayfield portion of the track with true potential EF5 damage was the downtown area where large multi-story brick buildings completely collapsed; however the damage along Pritchett Rd, the candle factory, and to that large 3200 sq ft. brick home were particularly intense. While most of these structures weren’t especially well-built the contextual damage I.e. wind-rowing, ground scarring, and tree debarking along with swept away homes shows evidence of high-end wind speeds. The damage to that brick home was the result of a subvortex, damage was levels more intense than surrounding areas and was likely done in seconds. Im really interested to see what the ground level photos of the damage along Pritchett Rd and to that large brick home would look like however neither of these points are on the DAT. Anyhow I’m interested to see more damage along the track there’s a huge swath to be seen still, hoping to complete the full path soon!

 

[tornado examiner]

Can’t thank you guys enough I’m glad you all liked the map! To clear some things up the pink/purple contours aren’t my official EF5 contours, just areas I believe were higher-end EF4 strength with winds approaching or possibly exceeding 200mph. I’d say the only part of the Mayfield portion of the track with true potential EF5 damage was the downtown area where large multi-story brick buildings completely collapsed; however the damage along Pritchett Rd, the candle factory, and to that large 3200 sq ft. brick home were particularly intense. While most of these structures weren’t especially well-built the contextual damage I.e. wind-rowing, ground scarring, and tree debarking along with swept away homes shows evidence of high-end wind speeds. The damage to that brick home was the result of a subvortex, damage was levels more intense than surrounding areas and was likely done in seconds. Im really interested to see what the ground level photos of the damage along Pritchett Rd and to that large brick home would look like however neither of these points are on the DAT. Anyhow I’m interested to see more damage along the track there’s a huge swath to be seen still, hoping to complete the full path soon!

yeah contextual evidense is what i thought as well. and i'll be waiting!

 

[tornado examiner]

Did they ever figure out how strong they were? I've seen anywhere from 270 MPH to over 300.

idk

 

[tornado examiner]

Can’t thank you guys enough I’m glad you all liked the map! To clear some things up the pink/purple contours aren’t my official EF5 contours, just areas I believe were higher-end EF4 strength with winds approaching or possibly exceeding 200mph. I’d say the only part of the Mayfield portion of the track with true potential EF5 damage was the downtown area where large multi-story brick buildings completely collapsed; however the damage along Pritchett Rd, the candle factory, and to that large 3200 sq ft. brick home were particularly intense. While most of these structures weren’t especially well-built the contextual damage I.e. wind-rowing, ground scarring, and tree debarking along with swept away homes shows evidence of high-end wind speeds. The damage to that brick home was the result of a subvortex, damage was levels more intense than surrounding areas and was likely done in seconds. Im really interested to see what the ground level photos of the damage along Pritchett Rd and to that large brick home would look like however neither of these points are on the DAT. Anyhow I’m interested to see more damage along the track there’s a huge swath to be seen still, hoping to complete the full path soon!

question...how the heck are you gonna do the bremen section of the track? i don't know of any decent aerial or satellite imagery for that portion...unless you've found something...

 

[MNTornadoGuy]

Speaking of Mayfield, whatever came of those record, or near-record g2g signatures that were recorded later?

The Vrot more likely peaked at 115 kts which is almost the same as the Vrot of Elmer 2015. That extremely high scan probably wasn’t dealiased correctly.

 

[tornado examiner]

i think we're only now grasping the full magnitude of the western kentucky EF4...thing was an absolute monster on so many levels.

 

[tornado examiner]

i really really want to know the cost of that tornado. it has to be at least 2 billion...right? potential up to 3 billion...