Significant Tornado Events

[TH2002]

Tri-State photo dump, first is the Lick Creek Church which reportedly had parts of its foundation scoured away:
View attachment 30451
These arent really noteworthy:
View attachment 30452View attachment 30453View attachment 30454
This photo shows some pretty intense vegetation damage:
View attachment 30455

Hard to tell due to the low quality, but my guess is the main part of the church wasn't sitting on a solid poured slab after all - most likely a brick or concrete block (CMU) foundation, which can fail easily underneath a structure.

However, I would guess the "scoured slab" rumor may have originated from what appears to be a porch slab on the right side of the image, which, if it was indeed damaged, is still an amazing feat.

 

[tornadowatch211]

Hard to tell due to the low quality, but my guess is the main part of the church wasn't sitting on a solid poured slab after all - most likely a brick or concrete block (CMU) foundation, which can fail easily underneath a structure.

However, I would guess the "scoured slab" rumor may have originated from what appears to be a porch slab on the right side of the image, which, if it was indeed damaged, is still an amazing feat.

This explaination is 100% likely. The church was built during a time where only concrete foundations were for the most well off people, or for porch slabs. Btw this came from a newspaper clipping, not suprising for potato quality.

Found these photos while researching the Shinnston tornado. Literally the only reason I could identify it from Tri-State was from that image you re talking about. Even colorizing didnt do jack.

 

[SpotlightForRareTornadoes]

Ultra-rare footage of the 1979 Woodstock F4 Tornado

 

[Western_KS_Wx]

I recently found some damage photos I’ve never seen before from the Chapman KS 2016 tornado.

Some aerials from areas impacted prior to the tornado crossing I-70. First two show farm implements and machinery thrown, mangled, and torn to pieces along with some intense vegetation damage. The bottom image is of a well-constructed home that was completely swept away.


This is where the tornado likely peaked in intensity and inflicted its highest-rated damage. This farm was all-but totally destroyed, with some very high-end damage all around. Sturdy hardwood trees and evergreen trees were completely stripped and debarked, heavy farm machinery was thoroughly mangled and tossed long distances, and pronounced ground scouring is evident. Due to some construction flaws, the brick home that was swept clean on the property was assigned an EF4 rating.



Finally, some ground-level photos of extreme damage from the previous farmstead.



Incredible damage to farm machinery on the property. The first photo shows a pickup truck of some sort essentially mangled beyond recognition and caught in the mess of crumpled implements.

 

[tornadowatch211]

Some Smithville photos I found on Flickr. Really sorry if some are reposts:
Truck that looks like it had its front shaved off with a razor (1st photo). This is near the B&B that got absolutely obliterated. Its hard to explain. Cinder blocks were chopped up like celery, intense debris granulation happened. The first death was here:

This is near the E.E. Pickle Funeral Home, where some of the worst damage to a residential structure happened. The funeral home practically vanished. The softwood near the structure suffered some of the worst vegetation damage ever. Not only were they debraked, but some had pieces of the wood ripped off of their trunks. Extreme granulation, wind-rowing, and more was evident, but this is a ground level view of the treefall near the funeral home:

Some photos in the middle of town. Low-lying shrubbery and trees alike were not just debarked, but sometimes shredded to mulch, debris was granulated into <1 inch pieces (some of the worst documented). Granulated debris got wind-rowed hundreds of yards, and more:

Others:
A mangle of pretty much everything, including farm machinery, debris from houses, and more like a giant sized knot:

Near the water tower. The contextuals werent as bad as say; E.E. Pickle, but still well into Bridge Creek territory:

 

[Austin Dawg]

Some Smithville photos I found on Flickr. Really sorry if some are reposts:
Truck that looks like it had its front shaved off with a razor (1st photo). This is near the B&B that got absolutely obliterated. Its hard to explain. Cinder blocks were chopped up like celery, intense debris granulation happened. The first death was h
This is near the E.E. Pickle Funeral Home, where some of the worst damage to a residential structure happened. The funeral home practically vanished. The softwood near the structure suffered some of the worst vegetation damage ever. Not only were they debraked, but some had pieces of the wood ripped off of their trunks. Extreme granulation, wind-rowing, and more was evident, but this is a ground level view of the treefall near the funeral home:

Some photos in the middle of town. Low-lying shrubbery and trees alike were not just debarked, but sometimes shredded to mulch, debris was granulated into <1 inch pieces (some of the worst documented). Granulated debris got wind-rowed hundreds of yards, and more:

Others:
A mangle of pretty much everything, including farm machinery, debris from houses, and more like a giant sized knot:

Near the water tower. The contextuals werent as bad as say; E.E. Pickle, but still well into Bridge Creek territory:
\

That is close to where my brother's house was up the street from the funeral home. I'll have to get him to send me some pictures sometime and post for you guys. The one I remember is fascinating is the photo he has where the curtains were sucked up inside the ceiling. He was directly across the street from where there was extreme F5 damage where the road directly east of the funeral home starts. There is no Home there anymore. They built a memorial in the spot where his home was.

 

[SpotlightForRareTornadoes]

Worst Since Wallingford: The 45th Anniversary of the '79 Windsor Locks F4 Tornado

 

[Ivanthetornadoenthusiast]

@locomusic01 (sorry for the @) do you have any photos from Crowell 1942

 

[SpotlightForRareTornadoes]

My damage path analysis of the 2010 East Bellemont, AZ unofficial EF4 (OFFICIALLY RATED EF2), which was part of the October 2010 Arizona Tornado Outbreak and Hailstorm. A thing to note is that I couldn't find the accurate location of the burn scar where the tornado violently intensified. This particular tornado was officially rated an EF2, but unofficially became an EF4 when a weather station in the burn scar took a direct hit; its anemometer measured a maximum windspeed of 185 mph. However, no sufficient damage was found in the area, and the recording was largely dismissed.

 

[Tornadowritter]

So according to the 1925 Tri State Tornado’s Devastation in Franklin, Hamilton, and White counties. It says that 37 were killed instantly, or died later in the Caldwell/Deering City/Peabody 18 area yet the book immediately skipped this section, and went to just east of Caldwell like where Parrish was despite how it went into lots of details for everything else, so my question is who were the 37 people that died in Caldwell since I writing a finalized version of the tornado?

 

[phant]

Top 10 Strongest Tornadoes:
I would like to hear your opinions on this list, as well as see your lists if you made one
(I was originally going to short text summaries for all of them, but I'm simply too lazy to,
so I'm only going to provide information on the tornadoes that need it.)

​

1. El Reno-Piedmont EF5, Oklahoma - May 24th, 2011

2. Bridge Creek-Moore F5, Oklahoma - May 3rd, 1999

3. Bakersfield Valley F4, Texas - June 1st, 1990
- Several structures were severely damaged - destroyed
- Massive swath of ground scouring
- Pavement scoured from roads
- Cars turned into balls of metal
- Entire groves of Mesquite trees reduced to stumps

4. Stratton-McCook F4, Nebraska - June 15th, 1990
- Mud and water picked up from bodies of water & plastered against homes
- Vehicles thrown extreme distances, and granulated into small chunks of metal

5. Tri-State F5, Missouri-Indiana-Illinois - March 18th, 1925
- Homes & businesses completely swept away, debris finely granulated
- Trees & low lying shrubbery entirely denuded, debarked, and/or shredded
(Read a summary, too many cases of extreme damage to list)

6. Newcastle-Moore EF5, Oklahoma - May 20th, 2013

7. New Richmond F5, Wisconsin - June 12th, 1899
- Extreme structural damage, debris finely granulated
- Trees & low lying shrubbery entirely denuded, debarked, and/or shredded
(Read a summary or look at photos for better info)

8. San Justo F5, Argentina - January 10th, 1973
- Strong & thick masonry homes severely damaged - destroyed, one had an engine block embedded in its walls
- Among the worst vehicle damage ever documented, very similar to Bridge Creek
- Trees & low lying shrubbery completely debarked, denuded, or shredded

9. Smithville EF5, Mississippi - April 27th, 2011

10. Jarrell F5, Texas - May 27th, 1997
- Vehicles fused into balls of scrap metal or granulated into shards of metal
- Ground scouring penetrating the topsoil layer and into the first rock layer before entering Double Creek Estates
(Note: I was originally going to put Jarrell in the honorable mentions tab, with Brandenburg probably being at 10, but after viewing some images of Piedmont and Stratton-type vehicle damage I've decided to put it in the top 10.)

Honorable Mentions:
1. Brandenburg F5, Kentucky - April 3rd, 1974

2. Hackleburg-Phil Campbell EF5, Alabama - April 27th, 2011

3. Westminster F3, Texas - May 9th, 2006
- Anchor bolted homes swept clean off their foundations
- Vehicles thrown considerable distances and violently shredded into multiple pieces
- Among the most extreme tree & low lying vegetation damage ever (poorly documented)

 

[joshoctober16]

Top 10 Strongest Tornadoes:
I would like to hear your opinions on this list, as well as see your lists if you made one
(I was originally going to write text summaries for all of them, but I'm simply too lazy to,
so I'm only going to provide information on the tornadoes that need it.)

​

1. El Reno-Piedmont EF5, Oklahoma - May 24th, 2011

2. Bridge Creek-Moore F5, Oklahoma - May 3rd, 1999

3. Bakersfield Valley F4, Texas - June 1st, 1990
- Several structures were severely damaged - destroyed
- Massive swath of ground scouring
- Pavement scoured from roads
- Cars turned into balls of metal
- Entire groves of Mesquite trees reduced to stumps

4. Stratton-McCook F4, Nebraska - June 15th, 1990
- Mud and water picked up from bodies of water & plastered against homes
- Vehicles thrown extreme distances, and granulated into small chunks of metal

5. Tri-State F5, Missouri-Indiana-Illinois - March 18th, 1925
- Homes & businesses completely swept away, debris finely granulated
- Trees & low lying shrubbery entirely denuded, debarked, and/or shredded
(Read a summary, too many cases of extreme damage to list)

6. Newcastle-Moore EF5, Oklahoma - May 20th, 2013

7. New Richmond F5, Wisconsin - June 12th, 1899
- Extreme structural damage, debris finely granulated
- Trees & low lying shrubbery entirely denuded, debarked, and/or shredded
(Read a summary or look at photos for better info)

8. San Justo F5, Argentina - January 10th, 1973
- Strong & thick masonry homes severely damaged - destroyed, one had an engine block embedded in its walls
- Among the worst vehicle damage ever documented, very similar to Bridge Creek
- Trees & low lying shrubbery completely debarked, denuded, or shredded

9. Smithville EF5, Mississippi - April 27th, 2011

10. Jarrell F5, Texas - May 27th, 1997
- Vehicles fused into balls of scrap metal or granulated into shards of metal
- Ground scouring penetrating the topsoil layer and into the first rock layer before entering Double Creek Estates
(Note: I was originally going to put Jarrell in the honorable mentions tab, with Brandenburg probably being at 10, but after viewing some images of Piedmont and Stratton-type vehicle damage I've decided to put it in the top 10.)

Honorable Mentions:
1. Brandenburg F5, Kentucky - April 3rd, 1974

2. Hackleburg-Phil Campbell EF5, Alabama - April 27th, 2011

3. Westminster F3, Texas - May 9th, 2006
- Anchor bolted homes swept clean off their foundations
- Vehicles thrown considerable distances and violently shredded into multiple pieces
- Among the most extreme tree & low lying vegetation damage ever (poorly documented)

wait westminster F3 swept clean some mid to well built homes?

only issues i find with this list is
1:im shock smithville is that low since it has done most of the things the ones you rated above it (mud picked up and plasted against homes, vehicle thrown extreme distances , some so mangled and torn apart that some were missing and never found, low strong shrubbery were not only completely debarked but some areas were missing without a trace, debris granulation so severe its turn into little powder sized parts.)

2:no Sherman F5 or Joplin EF5? its to note both messed up a lot of the peoples bodies like jarrell did.

3:im a bit shock that san justo is that high at least since most of what you stated is shrub and vehicle damage however smithville , hackleburg , joplin have done the same plus with some vehicles never found

others to look at not mention above
1:Marion County - Barnes F4+ July 2004
2:Loyal Valley F4+ May 1999
3:Chifeng WTS EF4 August 2017
4:Mayfield - Bremen EF4+ Dec 2021
5:Cordova EF4 April 2011
6: Picher EF4 May 2008
7:Evrey other official EF5 since 2007 (Greensburg specifically)

 

[phant]

Top 10 Strongest Tornadoes:
I would like to hear your opinions on this list, as well as see your lists if you made one
(I was originally going to write text summaries for all of them, but I'm simply too lazy to,
so I'm only going to provide information on the tornadoes that need it.)

​

1. El Reno-Piedmont EF5, Oklahoma - May 24th, 2011

2. Bridge Creek-Moore F5, Oklahoma - May 3rd, 1999

3. Bakersfield Valley F4, Texas - June 1st, 1990
- Several structures were severely damaged - destroyed
- Massive swath of ground scouring
- Pavement scoured from roads
- Cars turned into balls of metal
- Entire groves of Mesquite trees reduced to stumps

4. Stratton-McCook F4, Nebraska - June 15th, 1990
- Mud and water picked up from bodies of water & plastered against homes
- Vehicles thrown extreme distances, and granulated into small chunks of metal

5. Tri-State F5, Missouri-Indiana-Illinois - March 18th, 1925
- Homes & businesses completely swept away, debris finely granulated
- Trees & low lying shrubbery entirely denuded, debarked, and/or shredded
(Read a summary, too many cases of extreme damage to list)

6. Newcastle-Moore EF5, Oklahoma - May 20th, 2013

7. New Richmond F5, Wisconsin - June 12th, 1899
- Extreme structural damage, debris finely granulated
- Trees & low lying shrubbery entirely denuded, debarked, and/or shredded
(Read a summary or look at photos for better info)

8. San Justo F5, Argentina - January 10th, 1973
- Strong & thick masonry homes severely damaged - destroyed, one had an engine block embedded in its walls
- Among the worst vehicle damage ever documented, very similar to Bridge Creek
- Trees & low lying shrubbery completely debarked, denuded, or shredded

9. Smithville EF5, Mississippi - April 27th, 2011

10. Jarrell F5, Texas - May 27th, 1997
- Vehicles fused into balls of scrap metal or granulated into shards of metal
- Ground scouring penetrating the topsoil layer and into the first rock layer before entering Double Creek Estates
(Note: I was originally going to put Jarrell in the honorable mentions tab, with Brandenburg probably being at 10, but after viewing some images of Piedmont and Stratton-type vehicle damage I've decided to put it in the top 10.)

Honorable Mentions:
1. Brandenburg F5, Kentucky - April 3rd, 1974

2. Hackleburg-Phil Campbell EF5, Alabama - April 27th, 2011

3. Westminster F3, Texas - May 9th, 2006
- Anchor bolted homes swept clean off their foundations
- Vehicles thrown considerable distances and violently shredded into multiple pieces
- Among the most extreme tree & low lying vegetation damage ever (poorly documented)

wait westminster F3 swept clean some mid to well built homes?

only issues i find with this list is
1:im shock smithville is that low since it has done most of the things the ones you rated above it (mud picked up and plasted against homes, vehicle thrown extreme distances , some so mangled and torn apart that some were missing and never found, low strong shrubbery were not only completely debarked but some areas were missing without a trace, debris granulation so severe its turn into little powder sized parts.)

2:no Sherman F5 or Joplin EF5? its to note both messed up a lot of the peoples bodies like jarrell did.

3:im a bit shock that san justo is that high at least since most of what you stated is shrub and vehicle damage however smithville , hackleburg , joplin have done the same plus with some vehicles never found

others to look at not mention above
1:Marion County - Barnes F4+ July 2004
2:Loyal Valley F4+ May 1999
3:Chifeng WTS EF4 August 2017
4:Mayfield - Bremen EF4+ Dec 2021
5:Cordova EF4 April 2011
6: Picher EF4 May 2008
7:Evrey other official EF5 since 2007 (Greensburg specifically)

1 - My reasoning for Smithville being at #9 is that although it did cause very impressive damage and did most of the feats that other tornadoes have listed under them, besides granulation I can make arguments about those above that of them having more extreme cases of these damages. For example, vehicular damage from Smithville was obviously very bad, vehicles were crumpled and folded into piles of metal, thrown huge distances, and had reports of vehicles never being found. First off, essentially every tornado above it (besides Tri-State and New Richmond) has worse vehicle damage than Smithville (I personally do not believe the missing vehicle claims, unless I see actual documentation of this, which I haven't for Smithville). For vegetation damage, almost all of Smithville's extremely impressive debarking came from softwood trees iirc, and basically all the tornadoes above it have cases of them debarking much stronger wood types. Granulation Smithville is obviously near or at the top, it's some of the worst I've seen, and for structural damage it's up there too, but due to everything else lacking in my opinion, and the fact that I consider everything to do with a tornado in its place among my list, I have it at #9.

2 - For Sherman, I don't feel like it deserves to be in the top 10, maybe top 25-20. The pictures that I've seen just aren't too impressive. For Joplin, it obviously had very high-end structural damage, most likely in the top 10 worst cases of all time, but contextually it's also lacking in my opinion. Tree damage was hugely aided by debris impacts, which made it so extreme. This goes with other vegetation damage as well. Vehicular damage was bad but nowhere as bad as several cases on this list as well.

3 - My reasoning for San Justo being on the list is that its contextual damage is very extreme, especially vehicle damage arguably being amongst the worst of all time. It also had more extreme examples of other fields of damage than the tornadoes you listed as examples, which was my reasoning for having it added to the list

"others to look at not mention above"
1. Marion - Used to think this was top 10 worthy, now top 20 imo
2. Loyal Valley - Same with Marion, somewhere in the top 20s
3. Chifeng - Havent really looked into this tornado
4. Mayfield - Top 30-20 imo, maybe higher
5. Cordova - Not really sure where to place Cordova, vegetation damage was pretty extreme though, other fields are iffy
6. Picher - Surprised to see this mentioned tbh, in the top 20 for me too because of contexuals.
7. Personally Piedmont > Moore > Smithville > Hackleburg > Parkersburg > Greensburg > Joplin > Rainsville > Philadelphia

 

[Ivanthetornadoenthusiast]

It's from Grazulis's site and he lists it as from the Thurman tornado

He actually listed it as Phillips County 5/25/1932

 

[Ivanthetornadoenthusiast]

Damage photos from August 10th, 1924 Thurman, Colorado tornado

 

[joshoctober16]

1 - My reasoning for Smithville being at #9 is that although it did cause very impressive damage and did most of the feats that other tornadoes have listed under them, besides granulation I can make arguments about those above that of them having more extreme cases of these damages. For example, vehicular damage from Smithville was obviously very bad, vehicles were crumpled and folded into piles of metal, thrown huge distances, and had reports of vehicles never being found. First off, essentially every tornado above it (besides Tri-State and New Richmond) has worse vehicle damage than Smithville (I personally do not believe the missing vehicle claims, unless I see actual documentation of this, which I haven't for Smithville). For vegetation damage, almost all of Smithville's extremely impressive debarking came from softwood trees iirc, and basically all the tornadoes above it have cases of them debarking much stronger wood types. Granulation Smithville is obviously near or at the top, it's some of the worst I've seen, and for structural damage it's up there too, but due to everything else lacking in my opinion, and the fact that I consider everything to do with a tornado in its place among my list, I have it at #9.

2 - For Sherman, I don't feel like it deserves to be in the top 10, maybe top 25-20. The pictures that I've seen just aren't too impressive. For Joplin, it obviously had very high-end structural damage, most likely in the top 10 worst cases of all time, but contextually it's also lacking in my opinion. Tree damage was hugely aided by debris impacts, which made it so extreme. This goes with other vegetation damage as well. Vehicular damage was bad but nowhere as bad as several cases on this list as well.

3 - My reasoning for San Justo being on the list is that its contextual damage is very extreme, especially vehicle damage arguably being amongst the worst of all time. It also had more extreme examples of other fields of damage than the tornadoes you listed as examples, which was my reasoning for having it added to the list

"others to look at not mention above"
1. Marion - Used to think this was top 10 worthy, now top 20 imo
2. Loyal Valley - Same with Marion, somewhere in the top 20s
3. Chifeng - Havent really looked into this tornado
4. Mayfield - Top 30-20 imo, maybe higher
5. Cordova - Not really sure where to place Cordova, vegetation damage was pretty extreme though, other fields are iffy
6. Picher - Surprised to see this mentioned tbh, in the top 20 for me too because of contexuals.
7. Personally Piedmont > Moore > Smithville > Hackleburg > Parkersburg > Greensburg > Joplin > Rainsville > Philadelphia

1: mostly reasonable? however softwood tree vs hardwood tree isn't much of a reason to upgrade or downgrade according to the new EF scale , its to note tornadotalk states it had the worst damage of the super outbreak. also for extra notes about Smithville is this little post.



2:i could see you putting it down cause of lack of evidence , this is fine, joplin its to note that while its hard to know... where exactly the worst scouring was ... the fungi outbreak that happens is usually found more then 5 inches in the soil i herd? i think? or half a foot , so im guessing there's some sort of deep scouring somewhere.

3:any images of san justo being that impressive? i mean ive seen some stuff it does look ef5 but i dont remember seeing anything mid to higher level EF5.

as for mention
1 to 2 seems ok i guess its to note they were jarrell like and some that seen the jarrell damage and loyal valley loyal valley stated it seem worse in loyal valley.

3:theres multiple reason for this one that i will explain later but it was one of 3 large triplet EF4 tornadoes similar to pilger , seen toggether same time as well , some brick homes were swept clean and what might be one of the most impressive objects thrown in distance in terms of something that is super heavy (tones)

4:mayfield i cant even be sure were to put it cause of one spot , where it seems brick homes are swept clean with low shrub completely missing without a trace??? yet it seems there still grass???

5:needs more info of course so im unsure about this one.


also i am thinking of also noting other likely strongest tornadoes to note about , since it seems you didnt know much about the Chifeng tornado.

il post them with the chifeng tornado info in a bit

 

[joshoctober16]

the chifeng tornado quick info states (Devastating damage to numerous structures, with brick homes being leveled and swept away. Tractors were thrown and mangled, reinforced concrete power poles were broken, trees were denuded and debarked, and branches were found impaled into walls of structures that remained standing. A large water tank was allegedly found 4 mi (6.4 km) away from where it originated.) somewhere on this forum in more detail was stated how much this weight its hard to find when my HDD died
the one seen at (d)

as for other tornadoes that should be looked at. (ordered by year)

1. Woldegk F5+ June 1764
   
2. Rochester F5 August 1883
3. Pomeroy F5 July 1893
4. Cuming County - Thurston County F5 April 1908
5. Norton F4 June 1909
6. Fergus Falls F5 April 1919
7. Tupelo F5 April 1936
8. Glazier - Higgins - Woodward F5+ April 1947
9. Flint - Beecher F5 June 1953
10. Hudsonville - Grand Rapids F5 April 1956
11. Scott County - Jackson - Candlestick Park F5 March 1966
12. Lubbock F5+ May 1970
13. Lincoln County- Franklin County- Coffee County F4+ April 1974
14. Guin - Delmar F5+ April 1974
15. Xenia F5+ April 1974
16. Jordan F5+ June 1976
17. Smithfield - Birmingham F5+ April 1977
18. Barneveld F5 June 1984
19. Niles - Hubbard - Wheatland F5 May 1985
20. Goessel F5+ March 1990
21. Plainfield - Crest Hill - Joliet F5+ August 1990
22. Haysville - Andover F5+ April 1991
23. Chandler F5 June 1992
24. Kellerville F4+ June 1995
25. Lawrence County April F5 1998
26. Franklin - Girard F4+ May 2003
27. Harper F4+ May 2004
28. Hopewell - Macksville EF3+ May 2007
29. Elie F5 June 2007
30. Wren EF3+ April 2011
31. Flat Rock EF4+ April 2011
32. Ringgold EF4+ April 2011
33. Tuscaloosa EF4+ April 2011
34. Barnesville EF3+ April 2011
35. Chickasha - Blanchard - Newcastle EF4+ May 2011
36. Goldsby - Dibble EF4+ May 2011
37. Henryville EF4+ March 2012
38. Vilonia - Mayflower EF4+ April 2014
39. Rochelle EF4+ April 2015
40. Holly Springs-Ashland EF4 Dec 2015
41. Chapman EF4+ May 2016

and there are a few others that came close for this list like

• Capitol EF3 June 2018
• Metador EF3+ June 2023
• Cisco EF3 May 2015
• Columbus F2 June 1998
• Pilger family tornadoes

 

[phant]

​

1: mostly reasonable? however softwood tree vs hardwood tree isn't much of a reason to upgrade or downgrade according to the new EF scale , its to note tornadotalk states it had the worst damage of the super outbreak. also for extra notes about Smithville is this little post.
View attachment 30504
View attachment 30505

2:i could see you putting it down cause of lack of evidence , this is fine, joplin its to note that while its hard to know... where exactly the worst scouring was ... the fungi outbreak that happens is usually found more then 5 inches in the soil i herd? i think? or half a foot , so im guessing there's some sort of deep scouring somewhere.

3:any images of san justo being that impressive? i mean ive seen some stuff it does look ef5 but i dont remember seeing anything mid to higher level EF5.

as for mention
1 to 2 seems ok i guess its to note they were jarrell like and some that seen the jarrell damage and loyal valley loyal valley stated it seem worse in loyal valley.

3:theres multiple reason for this one that i will explain later but it was one of 3 large triplet EF4 tornadoes similar to pilger , seen toggether same time as well , some brick homes were swept clean and what might be one of the most impressive objects thrown in distance in terms of something that is super heavy (tones)

4:mayfield i cant even be sure were to put it cause of one spot , where it seems brick homes are swept clean with low shrub completely missing without a trace??? yet it seems there still grass???

5:needs more info of course so im unsure about this one.


also i am thinking of also noting other likely strongest tornadoes to note about , since it seems you didnt know much about the Chifeng tornado.

il post them with the chifeng tornado info in a bit

1: I mainly pointed out the fact that Smithville's worst tree damage was to softwood trees because in my opinion for strength scales specifically, despite it being almost entire opinion I feel like tree hardness is a strong contributor to how strong a tornado can seem (image wise).
For example:
These are the 4 most common softwood trees that grow in Mississippi and Alabama's janka hardness:
- Eastern Red Cedar 900lb
- Longleaf Pine - 870lb
- Loblolly Pine - 690lb
- Slash Pine - 660lb
Average: 780 pounds

These are the 4 most common hardwood trees that grow in Mississippi and Alabama's janka hardness:
- Pecan - 1,820lb
- White Oak - 1,360lb
- Black Walnut - 1,010lb
- Sweetgum - 1,000lb
Average: 1,297.5 pounds

Also: The 4 most common hardwood species that grow in the Midwest (for comparison, Mesquite also included):
Mesquite - 2,300lb
Honey Locust - 1,300lb
Post Oak - 1,200lb
American Elm - 1,100lb
Black Walnut - 1,010lb
Average: 1,152.5 pounds

I believe Mesquite to be a good example to show my point here. Mesquite is praised at least, in my opinion, it is amongst the tornado community, and that if a tornado debarks, denudes, or shreds Mesquite trees, that tornado is automatically very powerful, I think we can see some correlation here. Obviously bark thickness and many other factors contribute to this, but I feel that the hardness of the tree, and the damage done to the tree should both be taken into account together, to determine the strength that is needed to do that sort of feat. So basically what I'm saying is, that Smithville's most extreme examples specifically of debarking, yes, are extremely violent and very impressive, but in my opinion don't hold up/compare to some examples of extreme vegetation damage compared to the other tornadoes, which have similar examples on much harder wood types.

2: I don't really know too much involving the fungi event with Joplin, so I'm not going to comment on this one.

3: For San Justo images, here are a few:

Structural Damage:


Vehicle Damage:


Note: The very last photo in this post, the ground-level freeze frame with CB in the corner, is of a semi-truck, and remains among if not the most violent semi-truck damage to ever be documented by a tornado. It's also important to know that some of the homes that were destroyed in San Justo were among the most well-built homes to ever be struck by a tornado.

 

[Tornadowritter]

Top 10 Strongest Tornadoes:
I would like to hear your opinions on this list, as well as see your lists if you made one
(I was originally going to short text summaries for all of them, but I'm simply too lazy to,
so I'm only going to provide information on the tornadoes that need it.)

​

1. El Reno-Piedmont EF5, Oklahoma - May 24th, 2011

2. Bridge Creek-Moore F5, Oklahoma - May 3rd, 1999

3. Bakersfield Valley F4, Texas - June 1st, 1990
- Several structures were severely damaged - destroyed
- Massive swath of ground scouring
- Pavement scoured from roads
- Cars turned into balls of metal
- Entire groves of Mesquite trees reduced to stumps

4. Stratton-McCook F4, Nebraska - June 15th, 1990
- Mud and water picked up from bodies of water & plastered against homes
- Vehicles thrown extreme distances, and granulated into small chunks of metal

5. Tri-State F5, Missouri-Indiana-Illinois - March 18th, 1925
- Homes & businesses completely swept away, debris finely granulated
- Trees & low lying shrubbery entirely denuded, debarked, and/or shredded
(Read a summary, too many cases of extreme damage to list)

6. Newcastle-Moore EF5, Oklahoma - May 20th, 2013

7. New Richmond F5, Wisconsin - June 12th, 1899
- Extreme structural damage, debris finely granulated
- Trees & low lying shrubbery entirely denuded, debarked, and/or shredded
(Read a summary or look at photos for better info)

8. San Justo F5, Argentina - January 10th, 1973
- Strong & thick masonry homes severely damaged - destroyed, one had an engine block embedded in its walls
- Among the worst vehicle damage ever documented, very similar to Bridge Creek
- Trees & low lying shrubbery completely debarked, denuded, or shredded

9. Smithville EF5, Mississippi - April 27th, 2011

10. Jarrell F5, Texas - May 27th, 1997
- Vehicles fused into balls of scrap metal or granulated into shards of metal
- Ground scouring penetrating the topsoil layer and into the first rock layer before entering Double Creek Estates
(Note: I was originally going to put Jarrell in the honorable mentions tab, with Brandenburg probably being at 10, but after viewing some images of Piedmont and Stratton-type vehicle damage I've decided to put it in the top 10.)

Honorable Mentions:
1. Brandenburg F5, Kentucky - April 3rd, 1974

2. Hackleburg-Phil Campbell EF5, Alabama - April 27th, 2011

3. Westminster F3, Texas - May 9th, 2006
- Anchor bolted homes swept clean off their foundations
- Vehicles thrown considerable distances and violently shredded into multiple pieces
- Among the most extreme tree & low lying vegetation damage ever (poorly documented)

I think the Tri State Tornado should be at number 1 as it not only most likely had winds over 300 mph, but also it stayed very strong throughout most of it’s track which is longer than several of the above tornadoes combined. Not only that, but it’s 1 of the few tornados to swallow up entire towns as it was wider than them (Gorham, Griffin, and maybe Biehle) were all smaller than the tornado itself, and the only other tornado I could think of that swallowed a entire town was the EF5 tornado that struck greenburgs around 2007.

 

[joshoctober16]

I think the Tri State Tornado should be at number 1 as it not only most likely had winds over 300 mph, but also it stayed very strong throughout most of it’s track which is longer than several of the above tornadoes combined. Not only that, but it’s 1 of the few tornados to swallow up entire towns as it was wider than them (Gorham, Griffin, and maybe Biehle) were all smaller than the tornado itself, and the only other tornado I could think of that swallowed a entire town was the EF5 tornado that struck greenburgs around 2007.

i dont think most of the things you talk about counts , strongest he stated , not longest or widest , like if we took a 100 square meter chunk of each tornadoes strongest point , what area would look the worst?

as for long track tornadoes ....
there's of course hackleburg , the quad state supercell , yazoo city EF4 and one that happened in Canada that isn't in the data but was 110+ mile long and likely a EF3-EF5 , this can be seen on satellite , it stayed over a forest.