Most Impressive or Strongest Tornado of the Last 20 Years?

[Michael Auker]

I'm a sucker for polls...so which tornado, in your mind, has been the definitive tornado of the last 20 years? Incredible obliterating structural damage...heavy objects thrown long distances...and so on?

 

[Chris Lott]

I think the Moore, Oklahoma F-5 was the most impressive just from the damage it did. I saw some clips on t.v. of Val Castor chasing that beast and I have never seen anything like it, not to mention that Wurman and the D.O.W. clocked wind speeds of 318 mph- wonder if it was an f-6? Just kidding, not starting that debate all over.

 

[Dan Christianson]

Personally, despite other sources, i believe the May 3rd 1999 incident should of been rated an F-6, i agree the damage was astonishing, and images of soem of the craters created from the tornado sucking up the ground was amazing.... wind speeds also highest recorded in this tornado were remarkable, it was very sad day though i must say , i do and still believe history will repeat itself, omaha ne is due for disaster, and many other places to, dont be suprised .... if it happens in the near future, but deeply with my f-5 i believe Moore OK will be in the books for the closest rating to an F-6 tornado, the damage tells you alot...

 

[Shane Adams]

I'm guessing the Moore tornado is winning in a landslide because of the widely-publicized 318mph wind measurement, plus it's the most recent event. That 318mph was recorded several meters above the surface, and Josh Wurman himself has stated the numbers are deceiving, and could go 20mph either way. Regardless, I've never considered that tornado as one of the all-time most powerful.

That distinction goes to the Andover, KS tornado of April 26, 1991. Earl Evans' video of this shows the most amazing and violent upward velocity as well as rotation. This tornado was alive. There isn't a more dramatic or graphic tornado video in existence IMO.

 

[Darin Brunin]

I believe there have been tornadoes just as strong as the Moore F5. It just stole the show because it hit a major metropolitan area. If the Hallam, NE tornado had hit OKC there would have been many more lives lost in my opinion not because it was stronger but because of its size. The 5-3-99 tornado gained more media attention and that's why people remember it more. If you put the damage path of the Moore, OK tornado through a rural area then it would not be remembered nearly as much.

Overall, I voted for the Andover, KS tornado.

 

[brody_clifton]

I may be bit biased towards the Moore tornado because I've seen much more footage, but to me the storm structure was just jaw dropping. But I've not seen the structure of any of the other parent storms to compare, other than Jarrell. Andover would be a close second. For years it and the Pampa F4 in 1995 were the main highlights of any videos I saw. Until Moore. I agree the 318mph doppler measurement made a large impact on how I look at that tornado. Red Rock would fall in right behind Andover, I think it could have likely rivaled Moore had it hit a metro area.(Btw, if I were forced to find a pattern in the sequence above of F5 events with years, I'd have to say the next string of consecutive years looked to begin with 2006).

 

[Mikey Gribble]

I would have to go with the Hallam tornado also. It may have only been an F4, but being 2.5 miles wide more than makes up for that. To me, that is much more impressive than a typical wedge with winds that are slightly stronger. If I had to pick one of the tornadoes listed though, I would vote for a tie between Andover and Moore. They are both equally impressive.

 

[Angie Norris]

Given the restraints of the time frame, I had to go with Andover. The videos of the tornado demonstrate the absolute ferocity of the storm. Moore and Jarrel stand out because they are more recent.The Lawrenceburg TN tornado was in a more rural area, but the photos of the damage path show that storm was capable of much more damage.
If there hadn't been a time frame of 20 years, I think Wichita Falls (1979) and the monster storms of the Superoutbreak (Brandenberg, Guin, and Xenia) might definitely be in contention there.
Angie

 

[Greg Stumpf]

Originally posted by Dan Christianson
Personally, despite other sources, i believe the May 3rd 1999 incident should of been rated an F-6, i agree the damage was astonishing, and images of soem of the craters created from the tornado sucking up the ground was amazing.

Hmmmm....I missed those in the survey. Where can I find more info?


greg

 

[Tim Vasquez]

Hard to tell what we're looking for here (strong, impressive, definitive). I put my money on Jarrell... the deviant movement, extreme CAPE, and incredible vortex had "monster" written all over it. Ultra-CAPE events and Pakwash storms are just amazing. The other choices really haven't impressed me as much, though it's just a matter of perspective as many of them were certainly devastating for some people.

Tim

 

[Brian Stertz]

The May 3rd 1999 tornado soundly gets my vote...this one did F4/F5 damage during 2 distinct cycles along it's track. Not sure what makes the Andover one so special over other's in the list...it had true F4/F5 intensity for a much shorter time than the BC/Moore. It's like picking between a lumbering pissed off grizzly bear (May 3rd Bridge Creek/Moore, etc.) and a tightly wound tazmanian devil (April 26th Andover). I'll take the grizzly bear...not to make light of such tragic events. None in the list can hold a candle to the April 9, 1947 Woodward F5 though.

 

[John Farley]

I'd have to go with Jarrell, Texas, largely because of the way it morphed from a skinny rope to a massive F5 in a matter of a couple minutes.

 

[Dan Christianson]

Ok maybe i over did it with craters, , i rememember seeing video on TLC i think it was and DISCOVERY CHANNEL, now its been awhile, ill try and find some links, for you greg.... sorry with my over/expression .

Ok i agree with you all on Hallam thats true being weaker but a much more wider tornado, if it hit OKC , it would of done alot of damage, hmm on andover ks, i guess this goes with tornadoes as well so DONT JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER..... ... anyways my 2 cents

 

[Michael Auker]

Interesting how much weight personal perspective carried, which really is what I meant in the poll. For example, nobody else picked my choice, the OH-PA F-5. For some reason, when I think of F-5, I think of that tornado. The Birmingham and Jarrell tornadoes also stick out in my mind.

 

[Bill Tabor]

I think I'd have to go with Jarrell. I toured the damage path of both Jarrell and Moore and Moore was very destructive and went through a large urban area for that it gets points. It also gets points for recorded wind speeds 318mph - albeit above ground and recent tornado intercepts indicate that ground level winds may be significantly lower (20 to 50 mph) to those measured by DOW above ground. However F-scale is damage based and based on that damage I have seen I would rank Jarrell higher.

Although Jarrell wind speeds weren't measured asphault was removed from the road, house and material was swept clear of the foundation and taken...somewhere. Maybe it was dumped in the lake. Large trucks, semis, and farm equipment were dismembered and squashed into very small unrecognizable heaps. I've heard bad stories about what happened to the people and livestock as well. It may very well have had a faster windspeed than Moore even though it moved slower. Had Jarrell gone through a more urban area such as Austin and stayed on the ground even longer it would have been even more devasting. Note also the parent circulation later produced another tornado rated F4 at Hazy Hills which killed an Emergency Medical Technician. It also dropped one near my home that knocked a train off the track and collapsed a grocery store roof.

Brian also may be right about Woodward. I've read a book about it and it's an amazing event.