What's the most beautiful tornado you've seen/witnessed?

The May 29, 2004 Attica tornado is getting all sorts of love. The Conway Springs tornado of the same day was incredible as well, solid black against a deep orange sky. I still curse myself for screwing up when photographing that one (the light was really difficult to work with). The video is amazing, at least.

Missing the Mulvane tornado on June 12 really hurt, though. I should have extended my season a couple of weeks and hopped in the van with Eric and Scott, but I pretty much called it quits after May 29. D'oh.
 
The most picturesque tornado that I have personally witnessed... I'll probably have to go with Attica/Crystal Springs 5-29-04... followed closely by the tornado from the next meso near Freeport. Before May 29th.. I'd have to say the tornado near Pratt on 4-14-01.

My favorite tornado of all time, if I were to label such a thing... in terms of violence and beauty all packaged in one: Last Chance, CO 7-21-93 vidoegraphed by Bill Reid.

Mike U
 
4216dfa48b981cdaa9aa1c41d89955ce.jpg


May 29, 2004 near Jamestown, Kansas. This was not the biggest, most destructive or longest lasting tornado I've seen but I like the slender curved shape and dark background. From a distance, it appears "graceful." Of course, no tornado is if you are on the ground in the tornadic circulation.

Bill Hark
 
Of the ones I've witnessed, I'd say that the tornado northeast of Jamestown, IN on 4/20/04 is towards the top of the list for me. Nice backlighting and very graceful motion.

[Broken External Image]:http://www.fredmiranda.com/hosting-data//4451/26780jamestown1-small.jpg

There was one tornado in particular on 5/24/04 in southern NE that could have been a scene right out of the Wizard of Oz. Unfortunately I don't have a very good quality still photo of it, just wide-angle vidcaps.

Of the ones I've only seen pictures/video of, my vote for most beautiful tornado is Cordell, OK 5/22/81. The video of that tornado is breathtaking.
 
favorite

My first and best was Throckmorton, TX on April 7, 2002. It's more sentimental than anything. The tornado went the gauntlet from wedge to stovepipe to a beautiful rope in the span of about 20 minutes. I have good pictures but I'm slow with HTML so contact me if you'd like to see them and I'll send them via e-mail.

EDIT: I figured it out.
[Broken External Image]:http://weather.ou.edu/~aatkins/tornado.jpg
 
[Broken External Image]:http://www.tornadochaser.com/photo/andoverter.gif
Looking SW from Andover, KS — April 26, 1991 — video by Earle Evans
I had to mention this video in particular, because in it the tornado is displaying the most incredible motion and rotation I've seen in any tornado video. In a similar league is the N Minneapolis, MN, tornado of 7/18/1986.
 
I've only personally seen a few tornadoes in my short lifetime...but the best I saw was the Urbana, IL tornado from April 19 1996. That F3 tornado passed a mile from my backyard...and there was just something about watching that beautiful thing being lit up by frequent flashes of lightning as I watched it pass by on my back porch.

I dont know when or where this photo was taken...maybe someone can help me out on it, but I've always thought of it to be one of the best tornado photos I've seen.
d549c64da7f92ceb5ff59b8054c2e05b.jpg


This one as well, is one of the coolest photos I've seen.
[Broken External Image]:http://www.mauricereeves.com/images/tornado.jpg
 
Originally posted by APritchard
I dont know when or where this photo was taken...maybe someone can help me out on it, but I've always thought of it to be one of the best tornado photos I've seen.
Click to expand...

If I remember correctly, it occurred in the vicinity of Lake Okeechobee (Florida). In fact, it might have been over the lake at the time of the photo, given its appearance.

The second photo is the Enid, OK tornado from June 1966 (can't remember the exact date). When I was a kid, I remember checking out a book on tornadoes from the school library which had that photo on the cover. It was the beginning of the end, so to speak. :D
 
Andrew,

Your bottom photo is the June 5, 1966 Enid, OK tornado. Here are some other photos of it at different stages:

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/nssl/nssl0057.htm

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/nssl/nssl0058.htm

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/nssl/nssl0059.htm

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/nssl/nssl0060.htm

I was very familiar with that tornado, at least as far as photo #0059 is concerned. It graced the cover of my favorite childhood book titled Disaster: Tornadoes by Dennis Brindell Fradin. I checked that book out so many times in elementary school, I nearly wore it out. I think the school librarian finally just gave it to me!

-George
 
Originally posted by Thomas Loades
[Broken External Image]:http://www.tornadochaser.com/photo/andoverter.gif
Looking SW from Andover, KS — April 26, 1991 — video by Earle Evans
I had to mention this video in particular, because in it the tornado is displaying the most incredible motion and rotation I've seen in any tornado video. In a similar league is the N Minneapolis, MN, tornado of 7/18/1986.
Click to expand...

AMEN - THE MOST IMPRESSIVE TORNADO (AND VIDEO) OF ALL-TIME. TOTALLY ALL-WORLD, ALL-UNIVERSE
 
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