Violent Tornadoes in 2010

[L.B. LaForce]

This year, there have been quite a few long track tornadoes, and many "violent" tornadoes (EF3+). The amount of EF4's this year was also rather incredible. Does anyone know the exact count so far of the number of EF4's this season?

I can name a few, but I know there were a lot more.

- Yazoo City, MS
- Bowdle, SD
- Wadena, MN
- Sibley, IA
- Holmes, ND

There was one in Oklahoma too I believe on 5/10 or 5/19

 

[Jeff Duda]

http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/showpost.php?p=277103&postcount=62

+1 = 11

 

[Skip Talbot]

Four of them occurred just on 6/17 which is testament to the power of that setup. I'm pretty sure we would have seen some 5's too had some of those 4's hit more populated areas. The Bowdle wedge especially since it slowed down to a crawl after it formed. Had it been a mile and a half further south it was have just sat right over the town of Bowdle for an extended period of time. We were holding our breath several times on 6/17 as well watching the Albert Lea wedge narrowly miss a few towns including Albert Lea where it took a hard left turn to the northwest before it died.

 

[Bob Hartig]

Just to clarify: Assuming that the basic classifications have transferred without modification from the F-Scale to the EF-Scale, "violent" tornadoes begin at the EF-4 rating. EF-2 and EF-3 are "strong" tornadoes. Given the topic of this thread, it's important to note the distinction.

 

[L.B. LaForce]

Four of them occurred just on 6/17 which is testament to the power of that setup. I'm pretty sure we would have seen some 5's too had some of those 4's hit more populated areas. The Bowdle wedge especially since it slowed down to a crawl after it formed. Had it been a mile and a half further south it was have just sat right over the town of Bowdle for an extended period of time. We were holding our breath several times on 6/17 as well watching the Albert Lea wedge narrowly miss a few towns including Albert Lea where it took a hard left turn to the northwest before it died.

Oh my god, dont tell me 4 of them were on 6/17...LOL There were no tornadoes that day!

Just to clarify: Assuming that the basic classifications have transferred without modification from the F-Scale to the EF-Scale, "violent" tornadoes begin at the EF-4 rating. EF-2 and EF-3 are "strong" tornadoes. Given the topic of this thread, it's important to note the distinction.

Hmmm, didnt realize that, I always had seen the term strong and violent interchangeable with the rating of EF3+ I dont know though technically

 

[L.B. LaForce]

http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/showpost.php?p=277103&postcount=62

+1 = 11

Dang, guess I failed to see those stats in that thread, thanks!

 

[Mikey Gribble]

Just to echo what Bob said, EF3 is a "strong" tornado and EF4-5 are "violent". At least that is what I've always gone by. Not sure why that terminology was applied. An EF3 is pretty god damn violent. I like the terms that way though. Leaves a little something in reserve to emphasize when the highest tornado probabilities come knocking, because "violent" tornadoes are extremely rare.
This is kind of similiar to the discussion a month or so on the terms associated with warnings and "tornado emergencies". Maybe we can make EF3's "violent" and EF4-5's are "F*#!ing violent" lol. Just gives us a few more classifications to make forecasts a little more accurate.

 

[JF Massicotte]

EF-4 et 5s are rare and are the tornadoes that are responsible for the most death. An eF-4 is a serious threat to life even when you are inside your home down into the basement while hiding in small interior room will 'generally' protect you from an eF-3.

I think that's why such a temrinology was used between 'strong' and 'violent' tornadoes.

 

[Jarrod Barnett]

We had an EF-4 hit the town of Millbury here in Ohio on June 5th, 2010.

Here is a link I saved about the event. Has pictures & some info on it.
http://www.stormchaser.ca/Tornadoes/2010_06_05_Millbury/2010_06_05_Millbury.html

 

[Bob Hartig]

Any tornado is a violent phenomena. The broad categories "weak," "strong," and "violent" are just a quick-and-dirty way of saying that not all tornadoes are equal. The categories are helpful for communicating. You can't say that "an EF-5 is in progress"; you can say that you're observing a violent tornado. I'd imagine that kind of information is useful to warning meteorologists.

 

[L.B. LaForce]

Any tornado is a violent phenomena. The broad categories "weak," "strong," and "violent" are just a quick-and-dirty way of saying that not all tornadoes are equal. The categories are helpful for communicating. You can't say that "an EF-5 is in progress"; you can say that you're observing a violent tornado. I'd imagine that kind of information is useful to warning meteorologists.

Yeah, it always cracks me up on people's videos when they yell out the rating-like they know. "Oh, thats an EF5!" lol

 

[Nick Nolte]

Yeah, it always cracks me up on people's videos when they yell out the rating-like they know. "Oh, thats an EF5!" lol

NSSL's predicting an F5

From my experience the general public is unaware that it is a damage scale and assigned ex post facto, but yeah I cringe too when I hear people rate it real time.

And the Millbury tornado was counted in Jeff's post as the Wood County tornado.

 

[Scott Weberpal]

This discussion also raises the question...

Were there actually more violent tornadoes in 2010, or did numerous violent tornadoes in the past not hit anything and thus not receive its highest potential damage rating?

If the Bowdle tornado ends up a little further north and doesn't hit the transmission towers or the farmstead or any trees, perhaps it only receives an EF1 rating.

Yes, 2010 had more than the usual amount of tornadoes RATED as violent, but that begs the questions...were there ACTUALLY more?

 

[Jeff Duda]

As long as tornadoes continue to be rated based on damage and not actual strength, we will never know the answer to that question.

Also, since it will be difficult to measure the strength of any tornado in a situation where it doesn't hit anything, we'll still probably never know.

 

[Scott Weberpal]

The question was rhetorical as the answer is obvious.

However, I would expect a gradual increase in tornadoes rated as violent as sprawl takes over more and more tornado prone areas.