Top 10 Severe T-Storm events since '92?

[Jon Gossin]

I would like to get some people's opinions on what they consider to be some of greatest t-storm events since 1992.

The reason I ask for storms after '92 is that I plan on doing some research on some past events, and going through archived data on the HDSS access site, which currently only goes back to May 7th, 1992. (For Level 3 data).

Chances are I'll probably be familiar with a lot of storm events mentioned, but I'm sure there has to be some good ones I may have overlooked or not even be aware of.

Thanks!

- Jon

 

[Chris Vagasky]

Michigan's "Day of the Tornadoes": July 2, 1997

A line of supercells advances across SE Lower Michigan, several tornadoes, and unfortunately, a lot of deaths.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dtx/1953beecher/metComparison.php

 

[Verne Carlson]

A couple come to mind:

May 3, 1999 Oklahoma outbreak

June 24, 2003 Manchester, SD

 

[Robert Dewey]

The derecho that occured on May 31st over parts of the midwest... Widspread swath of +100MPH winds, with several reports of wind gusts in excess of 130MPH. The system moved very fast (+70MPH) and was quite large. Every county in the DTX CWA was covered by a warning at some point in time, with 87 distinct SVR reports in the said CWA.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dtx/may31.php
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/AbtDerechos/casepages/may30-311998page.htm

 

[B Ozanne]

How do you want to quantify this? Most tornadoes, most damage in $$, most fatalities, strongest wind, longest duration? This may help narrow the search. A severe storm in the middle of the plains may not be as relevant as one that goes through a city.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

I'll refer to the following (specifically, Table 2 and Table 3 -- click to open):
Edwards, R., R.L. Thompson, K.C. Crosbie, J.A. Hart, and C. A. Doswell III, 2004: Proposals for Modernizing the Definitions of Tornado and Severe Thunderstorm Outbreaks. Preprints, 22nd Conf. Severe Local Storms, Hyannis MA.

From the above, the top 5 tornado outbreaks between 1970 and 2002 are:
4/3/1974
5/31/1985
3/13/1990
11/21/1992
4/26/1991


The top 5 severe thunderstorm outbreaks between 1980 and 2002 are:
6/24/1994
6/20/1997
6/4/2002
4/14/2001
6/14/2001

The paper gives the top 25 tornado and severe thunderstorm outbreaks. The tornado outbreak "rating" (O-index) is based on the number of tornadoes, the number of violent tornadoes, the number of significant tornadoes, damage potential index (DPI), path length, deaths, number of killer tornadoes, and number of >=80km tornado tracks. The severe thunderstorm outbreak "rating" (SO-index) is based on the total number of hail reports, total wind reports (damage and speed), total significant severe (>=5cm diameter) hail, significant wind speed events (>=32m/s), and total significant severe reports.

 

[Brian Stertz]

I personally would have these bigtime tornadic supercell events as 8 of the top 10...I have to do some research back into those early - mid 90's years to round out the list.

1) May 3, 1999
2) May 4, 2003
3) March 1, 1997
4) Nov. 10, 2002
5) March 12-13, 2006
6) June 8, 1995
7) Jan. 21, 1999
8) June 24, 2003

9 & 10 to be determined later tonight.

 

[Robert Dewey]

The top 5 severe thunderstorm outbreaks between 1980 and 2002 are:
6/24/1994
6/20/1997
6/4/2002
4/14/2001
6/14/2001

I have a hard time understanding why the May 1998 didn't make it onto the severe-thunderstorm list, while something like April 14 2001 is up there. May 1998 had some of the most widespread violent winds I've ever witnessed on the reports chart - how often do you see numerous +100MPH reports? Both the number of reports and the magnitude should warrant at least last place IMO.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

I have a hard time understanding why the May 1998 didn't make it onto the severe-thunderstorm list, while something like April 14 2001 is up there. May 1998 had some of the most widespread violent winds I've ever witnessed on the reports chart - how often do you see numerous +100MPH reports? Both the number of reports and the magnitude should warrant at least last place IMO.

I assume you are referring to May 30-31, 1998 derecho event across the Great Lakes? If so, it's worth noting that the Top 25 outbreaks given in the publication I linked to in my previous post used reports from 12z-12z. Looking at the May 1998 event, it looks like the 12z cut-off fell right in the middle of the event, which split up the number of reports for that event just about in half (since it covered two days). That's just a guess as to why it's not in the Top 25...

 

[Robert Dewey]

I assume you are referring to May 30-31, 1998 derecho event across the Great Lakes? If so, it's worth noting that the Top 25 outbreaks given in the publication I linked to in my previous post used reports from 12z-12z. Looking at the May 1998 event, it looks like the 12z cut-off fell right in the middle of the event, which split up the number of reports for that event just about in half (since it covered two days). That's just a guess as to why it's not in the Top 25...

Ah, I see... Thanks for clearing that up! I thought there was some sort of Great Lakes bias going on LOL

 

[Rob Herman]

6/15/2002 North Central Kansas

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

I personally would have these bigtime tornadic supercell events as 8 of the top 10...I have to do some research back into those early - mid 90's years to round out the list.

1) May 3, 1999
2) May 4, 2003
3) March 1, 1997
4) Nov. 10, 2002
5) March 12-13, 2006
6) June 8, 1995
7) Jan. 21, 1999
8) June 24, 2003

9 & 10 to be determined later tonight.

It is interesting to look at May 10, 2003 as well, and compare the reports to May 4, 2003. May 4 - 94 tor reports, May 10 - 93 tor reports. May 4 - 518 svr reports, May 10 - 514 svr reports. Quick look at May 29, 2004 93 tor reports. May 30, 2004 100 tor reports. A top 10 will be a tough list. May 29-30 2004 might be a good one to have in there too.

 

[Paul Townsend]

I would like to get some people's opinions on what they consider to be some of greatest t-storm events since 1992.

A widespread wind damage and flooding event occurred in central to east-central Wisconsin during the evening of June 11, 2001. A bookend vortex went right over my place and where I was at work. At work the wind was 40 to 50 mph with gusts in the 70's for 15-20 minutes. I measured 2.74" in about an hour's time. The flooding in my backyard has never been as bad as it was that night. Not to mention the trees and large limbs down, blocking the flood waters and making it worse. My brother, who was in the area on break from graduate school, and I then toured some of the scenes that night, since the electricity was off. We almost got flooded out a couple times and had to do a lot of backing and micro-navigating to avoid the debris everywhere. He was still here a week later when the Siren, WI killer tornado struck. But due to his reticence (his car) we only caught up to the storm about 15 miles east of Siren. Oh well.

See the NWS GRB discussion of the derecho event: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/grb/events/061101.php

I believe this was one of those high risk days. A few tornadoes in MN then derecho in WI. And to have a bookend vortex go right over you is a great thrill. Interesting above-surface instability case study.

 

[Chris Vagasky]

The derecho that occured on May 31st over parts of the midwest... Widspread swath of +100MPH winds, with several reports of wind gusts in excess of 130MPH. The system moved very fast (+70MPH) and was quite large. Every county in the DTX CWA was covered by a warning at some point in time, with 87 distinct SVR reports in the said CWA.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dtx/may31.php
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/AbtDerechos/casepages/may30-311998page.htm

I remember that day. My radio woke me up that morning with the issuance of the tornado warning for Macomb County.

I kind of shrugged it off, because I was still half asleep. I rolled over and went back to bed.

 

[joelawton]

For Missouri I would have to recommend the March 12-13th, 2006 tornado outbreak. See NWS-STL event archive for details.