Significant Tornado Events

[Western_KS_Wx]

This isn’t really related to recent topics from the thread but I’ve always been curious about damage photos from the Keota Iowa tornado from the March 31, 2023 outbreak. I’m sure we’ve all seen the videos taken of the thing — no doubt one of the meanest and most violent looking tornadoes filmed in recent memory.

Appearance wise aside, it’s been awfully difficult to find many photos or information on its aftermath. I did manage to find some photos, all taken near Keota more towards the beginning of the path.




This was the site where EF4 damage was found to a farmstead. The home was wiped clean off its foundation, and a car along with some farm implements were launched ~400 yards into a field.


An aerial of the destroyed farm, some very impressive cycloidal ground scouring is clearly visible here. This level of cycloidal scouring is very reminiscent of that left behind by the Rochelle and Washington Illinois EF4’s.


Not entirely sure what this hunk of metal is, but it was in a field near the farm that sustained EF4 damage. I think this may be the frame of some sort of farm vehicle or implement, whatever it was is just completely mangled. Some impressive scouring is also visible nearby.


Some additional damage elsewhere near Keota.

 

[HAwkmoon]

So has anyone got some photos of the EF5 rated homes in Parkersburg besides the one with that partly collapsed basement wall? Also any general images of extreme damage feats from Parkersburg would be appreciated since this tornado seems more forgotten than many of the others. (Also seems to be much less documentation of it image wise).

 

[Tanner]

This isn’t really related to recent topics from the thread but I’ve always been curious about damage photos from the Keota Iowa tornado from the March 31, 2023 outbreak. I’m sure we’ve all seen the videos taken of the thing — no doubt one of the meanest and most violent looking tornadoes filmed in recent memory.

Appearance wise aside, it’s been awfully difficult to find many photos or information on its aftermath. I did manage to find some photos, all taken near Keota more towards the beginning of the path.

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This was the site where EF4 damage was found to a farmstead. The home was wiped clean off its foundation, and a car along with some farm implements were launched ~400 yards into a field.

View attachment 29450
An aerial of the destroyed farm, some very impressive cycloidal ground scouring is clearly visible here. This level of cycloidal scouring is very reminiscent of that left behind by the Rochelle and Washington Illinois EF4’s.

View attachment 29451
Not entirely sure what this hunk of metal is, but it was in a field near the farm that sustained EF4 damage. I think this may be the frame of some sort of farm vehicle or implement, whatever it was is just completely mangled. Some impressive scouring is also visible nearby.

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Some additional damage elsewhere near Keota.

Wow, definitely more violent than I always thought, and certainly higher than low-end EF4

 

[Sawmaster]

So has anyone got some photos of the EF5 rated homes in Parkersburg besides the one with that partly collapsed basement wall? Also any general images of extreme damage feats from Parkersburg would be appreciated since this tornado seems more forgotten than many of the others. (Also seems to be much less documentation of it image wise).

It's not really forgotten here in the US, it's just that few videos exist of it and that's what makes tornadoes known more widely. Only a small handful of videos and I've seen few pics- but someone else may have something.

The video of the white house across from the bank disintegrating is quite popular and known because of the clarity. It's one of my top 5 picks.

 

[Western_KS_Wx]

So has anyone got some photos of the EF5 rated homes in Parkersburg besides the one with that partly collapsed basement wall? Also any general images of extreme damage feats from Parkersburg would be appreciated since this tornado seems more forgotten than many of the others. (Also seems to be much less documentation of it image wise).

Here’s damage located in and around Parkersburg:





Damage on the eastern side of town and the golf course where it likely peaked in intensity:




Multiple houses swept completely away in quite a large swath as well. Very impressive wind rowing and scouring is visible as well.

 

[Western_KS_Wx]

Here’s some from New Hartford:





Parkersburg was an absolute monster, no doubt one of the most violent tornadoes in modern history. No shortage of incredible damage feats from this tornado either.

 

[AngelAndHisWx]

I found (on eBay of all places) eight color slides of damage in Rutland MA after the 1953 Worcester F4, taken only hours after. Presented here are four of the more interesting ones. These slides are very dirty, but I don’t have the means to clean them at the moment. Nonetheless, apparently color damage photos from this era are very rare, so I wanted to share.

 

[HAwkmoon]

Here’s some from New Hartford:

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Parkersburg was an absolute monster, no doubt one of the most violent tornadoes in modern history. No shortage of incredible damage feats from this tornado either.

Thanks for these, would you say more violent than Greensburg? Considering how much you know about Greensburg.

 

[CheeselandSkies]

What was Iowa's last violent tornado prior to Parkersburg? They had one in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2013, then none until Winterset 2022 and at least one every year since (two this year depending on how you count, although Elkhorn-Modale technically didn't do EF4 damage in Iowa). I think I remarked after Keota last year that they had a remarkably good streak going of the higher-end tornadoes missing direct hits on towns/cities, but of course that ended this year with Minden and Greenfield.

 

[Aaron Rider]

What was Iowa's last violent tornado prior to Parkersburg? They had one in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2013, then none until Winterset 2022 and at least one every year since (two this year depending on how you count, although Elkhorn-Modale technically didn't do EF4 damage in Iowa). I think I remarked after Keota last year that they had a remarkably good streak going of the higher-end tornadoes missing direct hits on towns/cities, but of course that ended this year with Minden and Greenfield.

It had been a little while. Before Parkersburg, the last violent ones were a couple of F4s in April 1999.

The period of like 80 through 2007 was somewhat quiet in Iowa.

April 8, 1999 | Southwest Iowa F-4 Tornadoes

On April 8, 1999 nearly a dozen tornadoes touched down in eastern Nebraska into southern Iowa, where two F-4 tornadoes occurred

www.3newsnow.com

 

[Western_KS_Wx]

Thanks for these, would you say more violent than Greensburg? Considering how much you know about Greensburg.

I think I’d give Parkersburg a slight edge over Greensburg, due in part to the sheer number and consistency of homes and structures swept clean. I do think they’re pretty equal in intensity and caused similar vegetation and contextual damage, but I would say Parkersburg was probably a notch above Greensburg.

 

[CheeselandSkies]

It had been a little while. Before Parkersburg, the last violent ones were a couple of F4s in April 1999.

The period of like 80 through 2007 was somewhat quiet in Iowa.

April 8, 1999 | Southwest Iowa F-4 Tornadoes

On April 8, 1999 nearly a dozen tornadoes touched down in eastern Nebraska into southern Iowa, where two F-4 tornadoes occurred

www.3newsnow.com

That area between US-34 and IA-92, especially in the south-central to southwest part of the state, would seem to be a definite hot spot.

 

[Aaron Rider]

That area between US-34 and IA-92, especially in the south-central to southwest part of the state, would seem to be a definite hot spot.

I think so.

Here's every Iowa violent tornado

 

[Aaron Rider]

I think so.

Here's every Iowa violent tornado




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And here's the same since 1974

 

[Aaron Rider]

And here's the same since 1974

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Just because I was curious, here's Missouri since 1974. Interesting. Missouri seems to be part of 3 different tornado alleys: the Iowa and Nebraska one, a little one around the old lead mining belt, and the greater Ohio Valley

 

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

Here’s damage located in and around Parkersburg:
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Damage on the eastern side of town and the golf course where it likely peaked in intensity:
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Multiple houses swept completely away in quite a large swath as well. Very impressive wind rowing and scouring is visible as well.

More pics from Parkersburg:

 

[Juliett Bravo Kilo]

Last 5

:

 

[TH2002]

It's not really forgotten here in the US, it's just that few videos exist of it and that's what makes tornadoes known more widely. Only a small handful of videos and I've seen few pics- but someone else may have something.

The video of the white house across from the bank disintegrating is quite popular and known because of the clarity. It's one of my top 5 picks.

I have 10 videos in my Parkersburg collection, so there's actually no shortage of footage from the event. Especially considering 2008 was a time before everyone carried around HD smartphone cameras with them every waking minute, and high speed internet had only been widespread for a few years so the idea of sharing amateur tornado footage was still relatively new to a number of folks.

Also, shout-out to the Iowa Mesonet. Tons and tons of resources on Iowa tornado events from 2002-2013 (and 2023) including photos, videos, damage and radar imagery. Some of the clips in particular I haven't seen elsewhere, so I highly recommend checking it out.

https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/cases

edit: fixed link

 

[HAwkmoon]

So I was wondering, has anyone got any actual, clear ground images of that very large and reportedly well constructed home in Oak Grove from the 2011 EF5? Also there was apparently a corvette that was thrown 641 yards and badly mangled at that property? Anybody got any photos of this as it was here where the NWS said that the Hackleburg tornado reached maximum intensity. Also I can't help but notice the lack of genuine images of EF5 damage from Hackleburg. I think I have seen one home in Hackleburg with anchor bolts but that is it. (Not saying it does not deserve EF5, it most certainly did).

 

[slenker]

So I was wondering, has anyone got any actual, clear ground images of that very large and reportedly well constructed home in Oak Grove from the 2011 EF5? Also there was apparently a corvette that was thrown 641 yards and badly mangled at that property? Anybody got any photos of this as it was here where the NWS said that the Hackleburg tornado reached maximum intensity. Also I can't help but notice the lack of genuine images of EF5 damage from Hackleburg. I think I have seen one home in Hackleburg with anchor bolts but that is it. (Not saying it does not deserve EF5, it most certainly did).

I believe these two pictures are the same home. This was an “exceptionally well built” brick home that was three stories(?) iirc. Strangely, the tornado wasn’t scouring the ground nearly as much as it was in Hackleburg or Phil Campbell within Oak Grove, so the tornado either reached maximum intensity in Oak Grove and the soil is stronger there, or the tornado was at maximum intensity somewhere before/after and it didn’t hit anything well built enough to justify it being at maximum intensity at those locations. I also understand that ground/grass scouring is a very strange phenomenon and isn’t consistent in violent tornadoes either.