The 2013 El Reno tornado is one of the most remarkable and devastating tornadoes in recorded history. Here are the key details about it:
Overview
• Date: May 31, 2013
• Location: Near El Reno, Oklahoma
• Classification: EF3 (Enhanced Fujita Scale), though it exhibited EF5 wind speeds
• Duration: Approximately 40 minutes
• Maximum Width: 2.6 miles (4.2 km), the widest tornado ever recorded.
• Wind Speeds: Peak wind speeds were measured at 296 mph (476 km/h), the second-highest ever recorded.
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Characteristics
• The El Reno tornado was exceptionally wide and displayed unusual behavior, including rapid shifts in direction and extreme changes in speed.
• It was part of a larger tornado outbreak and occurred during severe weather conditions in the Great Plains.
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Fatalities and Impact
• Deaths: 8 fatalities, including four storm chasers—Tim Samaras, Paul Samaras, and Carl Young, members of the TWISTEX research team, and amateur chaser Richard Henderson. These deaths highlighted the dangers even to experienced tornado researchers and chasers.
• Injuries: Over 150 injuries.
• Damage: The tornado caused significant damage to rural areas, destroying farms, vehicles, and infrastructure. However, the impact was somewhat limited because it avoided direct hits on densely populated areas.
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Meteorological Significance
1. Widest Tornado: At 2.6 miles wide, it remains the widest tornado ever recorded.
2. Rapid Evolution: The tornado’s size and strength evolved rapidly, making it hard to track and predict.
3. Unique Behavior: Its erratic path, with sharp turns and extreme width, challenged conventional understanding of tornado dynamics.
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Legacy
• The 2013 El Reno tornado underscored the need for greater safety precautions for storm chasers and researchers.
• It provided invaluable data on tornado formation, strength, and behavior due to its detailed monitoring by radar and storm chasers.
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Credits:
By Nick Nolte – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26604187
By Base Velocity RadarScope application – Dynamic image obtained from the following application: http://www.basevelocity.com/RadarScope/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39580576
Music used:
Kevin Macleod: Thunder Dreams
source