Violent Tornadoes in 2010

[Adam Lucio]

Bowdle was almost given an EF-5 rating for ripping the entire support beams of those high tension wires clean out of the ground. Thats some serious strength.

The Albert Lea tornado had the most incredible rotational speed I've ever seen in a tornado. Yea you can't really rate a tornado just by looking at it, but in some cases you can just tell by looking at it that it is a strong tornado. Ignoring the size of course. The Albert Lea tornado had its best [visually] violent rotation when it was a stout cone/stove pipe. It wedged out near the end of its life cycle but the in videos and images you can clearly see the RFD choking it off at the top, signaling its demise.

 

[STurner]

For 2010 we ended up with 13 violent EF4 tornadoes. The most since 1999 as well as the most percentage of violent tornadoes vs. yearly total since the early 1990s. Here they are.

1. Central Mississippi(Yazoo City Tornado)4/24.
2. Collinsville, Alabama area 4/24.
3. Moore, Oklahoma area 5/10.
4. Norman, Oklahoma area 5/10.
5. Bowdle, South Dakota area 5/22.
6. Milbury, Ohio 6/5.
7. Holmes, North Dakota(Thompson area)6/17.
8. Almora, Minnesota(Deer Creek area)6/17.
9. Wadena, Minnesota 6/17.
10.Albert Lee, Minnesota area 6/17.
11. Sibley, !owa area 6/25.
12. Tyler, North Dakota 8/7.
13. Atlanta, Louisiana area 11/29.

I believe there were three of these tornadoes that did near EF5 damage was the Bowdle, South Dakota tornado, Holmes North Dakota tornado, and the Sibley, Iowa tornado. The most impressive looking violent tornadoes IMO was the Bowdle South Dakota tornado, the Holmes, North Dakota tornado, the Wadena Minnesota tornado, and #1 would be the Albert Lee, Minnesota tornado.

 

[Matthew Piechota]

Another event to bring up was the EF-3 tornado in Montana in late July that killed 2 people. I remember watching that storm on radar and the incredible structure it had on that.

 

[cdcollura]

Good day all,

Bowdle was almost given an EF-5 rating for ripping the entire support beams of those high tension wires clean out of the ground. Thats some serious strength

Bowdle would have most-likely been an EF-5 had it HIT more structures (fortunately it did not). I think, at least visually, the storm was most intense AFTER it damaged the farmstead and before it struck the powerlines (over open field - fortunately) during its wedge phase. Visually, the picture (from Bill Hark) of the tornado at that point is below...

Above: Picture taken by Bill Hark (my vehicle is to the far lower-right) - Ouch I was close! But this is about when it was at it's peak.

Visually, the motion was beyond mesmerising!

 

[David C Watson]

I personally think that the Bowdle, SD could have been comparable to 5/3/99 and maybe along with Yazoo City, MS tornado as well. I think 2010 could have had a record breaking amount of EF-5 tornadoes had they had hit more populated areas and a couple of them could've given the one that hit Bridge Creek, OK in '99 a run for it's money. That's just what I believe personally. We probably won't see anything like 2010 again for probably another 8-10 years again.

 

[David C Watson]

Of course I was deployed during 2010 which really made me mad and frustrated so I pretty much had to do virtual chasing when I was afforded the chance

 

[Danny Neal]

http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?25598-Strongest-tornado-of-2010 - I will link those of you who haven't participated in this thread to vote. I made the argument that Bowdle was probably the strongest tornado of 2010. There is some VERY good discussion in there as well so I encourage newer members to view this thread and state your case!

 

[Keith Wilson]

http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?25598-Strongest-tornado-of-2010 - I will link those of you who haven't participated in this thread to vote. I made the argument that Bowdle was probably the strongest tornado of 2010. There is some VERY good discussion in there as well so I encourage newer members to view this thread and state your case!

When I see video of the Bowdle tornado I can't help but wonder if it resembles what the people described as the Tri-State tornado of 1925 approached them. Though Bowdle may not have been as wide you can still see why the descriptions of "a massive area of fog rolling in" and "a black wall of turbulent cloud, unrecognizable until it was too late" were used by witnesses/survivors.

 

[Danny Neal]

When I see video of the Bowdle tornado I can't help but wonder if it resembles what the people described as the Tri-State tornado of 1925 approached them. Though Bowdle may not have been as wide you can still see why the descriptions of "a massive area of fog rolling in" and "a black wall of turbulent cloud, unrecognizable until it was too late" were used by witnesses/survivors.

To add on to that... just imagine if Bowdle was moving at 70 mph and not 7 lol

 

[Keith Wilson]

To add on to that... just imagine if Bowdle was moving at 70 mph and not 7 lol

No doubt. I couldn't imagine seeing something like that coming at my house at 70 mph, rain wrapped and without any warning to boot. Luckily the Bowdle storm was out in a scarcely developed area and there were a bunch of chasers out there with video cameras.
The Yazoo City storm was probably more like the Tri State storm in appearance and shared the added "fear/danger factor" of 60 mph forward speed, plus it was very long-track. I voted for the YC tornado, but it was based on what it did do vs what the Bowdle could have done. I really don't think either could be considered a wrong choice, though.

 

[Danny Neal]

No doubt. I couldn't imagine seeing something like that coming at my house at 70 mph, rain wrapped and without any warning to boot. Luckily the Bowdle storm was out in a scarcely developed area and there were a bunch of chasers out there with video cameras.
The Yazoo City storm was probably more like the Tri State storm in appearance and shared the added "fear/danger factor" of 60 mph forward speed, plus it was very long-track. I voted for the YC tornado, but it was based on what it did do vs what the Bowdle could have done. I really don't think either could be considered a wrong choice, though.

Absolutely. Bowdle was just a beast... we got owned that day, but that is a totally different story! Yazoo City was powerful and was more dangerous human impact wise. I am just guessing the destruction in Bowdle would have been inconceivable had that tornado developed 2 miles S of where it did. Thankfully science has provided early enough warnings to help alleviate the human impact (death/injury wise).... Is it possible the YC tor could have killed 75+ 100 years ago? Maybe not, but I would hedge on that being a likely scenario. Now would the Bowdle tornado have killed someone 100 years ago because of no warning? Maybe, but probably not. Big thumbs up to the brains in Norman and KC for all the science and risks they took to get where we are today.

 

[David C Watson]

Good day all,



Bowdle would have most-likely been an EF-5 had it HIT more structures (fortunately it did not). I think, at least visually, the storm was most intense AFTER it damaged the farmstead and before it struck the powerlines (over open field - fortunately) during its wedge phase. Visually, the picture (from Bill Hark) of the tornado at that point is below...

Above: Picture taken by Bill Hark (my vehicle is to the far lower-right) - Ouch I was close! But this is about when it was at it's peak.

Visually, the motion was beyond mesmerising!

I made this pic my wall paper on my desktop It's such a beast..