Speaking of Sherman, I was reading Sherman's Black Friday the other day and I got a kick out of some of the claims in there. Apparently the tornado was "no less than 500 mph" (maybe over 1,000) and had a forward speed of 100+ mph. It also "burned" both trees and victims, producing an evident blackening effect. Victims' clothing also "crumbled like dirt" as soon as it was touched.
F5+ just means some source toyed with F6 or tought of rating it F6 or it was once rated F6 , strangly yes there is a video form weather experts (not usa ones tough) stating it could likely fit in the f6 scale (somwheres on youtube)
the burn like thing is talk about with andover 1991 F5 as well , sherman seems to be up top for now cause of multiple reasons (low shrubs gone without a trace,human mutulation,100% death rate above ground,homes completely swept clean,ground scouring,objects thrown 35+ miles away) the so call bridge damage is tricky since i have no clue what you can rate that one base on what i herd.
I haven't studied Sherman as in-depth as I have some others, but tbh I think it's another event that's been mythologized a bit. No doubt it was extremely violent and deserving of an F5 rating, but I'm not sure it jumps out as significantly more intense than other tornadoes of the era. New Richmond immediately comes to mind as being at least as violent (probably more IMO), for instance. From what I've seen over the years, even some of the other violent tornadoes from the May 1896 sequence (esp. the Seneca, KS and Oakland Co, MI F5s and the 5/24/96 F4 near Des Moines) sound potentially comparable.
what did new richmond do that you think it should be higher? it could be info i never herd and if i input it migth rise it higher on my list
I posted some back on this page: https://talkweather.com/threads/significant-tornado-events.1276/page-409
oh thank you
New Richmond produced some of the most extreme debarking/denuding I've ever seen; significant ground scouring; horrific, Jarrell-esque injuries to victims, cattle, horses, etc.; picked up and mangled a heavy iron bridge; threw victims hundreds of yards (perhaps longer in a few cases); reduced an entire swath of the town - including multi-story stone and brick buildings and some of the finest residences around - to fragments of rubble; tossed multiple train cars hundreds of yards and tore some of them apart, etc.
You can also check it out for yourself via LandsatLook: https://landsatlook.usgs.gov/explor...&date=1991-04-27|1991-07-31&cloud=17&tr=T2|T1
here are the tornadoes at the top 20 , remember no bias since for example (if i change how much points it gives for car thrown distance , it does it for all) if some seem too low or are not there it might be because i havent herd of what they did (im only 25% finish)
I have never seen a official or reliable source that mentions Jarrell almost being rated F6 so it is probably another baseless rumor.
ive found it
EDIT: I Missed the above post when writing mine)
I'm no expert either but I do have a lot of experience and knowledge of soils as part of my construction career and a bit of geological interest as a hobby. Topsoil, generally about 3-6 inches down, is much looser than what's below it, and is much easier to shift. The strata below it can have many characteristics but is generally harder and far more stable. Soils like "hardpan" found in parts of the west are almost like concrete, while lowland areas may have thinner layers of soil deposited through past floods which will tend to pull away in layers and may not be well-bonded. Normally the hard clay prevalent where I live is dense and solid, but in deep droughts exhibits that layered tendency. When it's saturated it's a lot like "Play-dough" or kids modeling clay. And sandy soils will of course be looser.
Also the 50,000 ton grain elevator that was leveled by the Tri-State Tornado.
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