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What Is The Strongest Tornado In History?
To answer this nearly impossible question, I looked at all of the most impressive tornadoes throughout history, and what I found was quite interesting. The 1999 Bridge Creek tornado is widely considered the strongest tornado because of the record wind speed measurement, but doppler measurements are not everything. The worst tornado damage ever was done by the 1997 Jarrell tornado, however there are reasons why it likely did that damage. To explore beyond those two tornadoes, I looked at F6 tornadoes, which supposedly produced damage worse than the damage outlined by an F5 tornado. These included the 1974 Xenia tornado, 1970 Lubbock tornado, and 1977 Birmingham tornado. From there I explored other tornadoes in the super outbreaks and beyond…
PS, I have been wanting to make this video for a loooong time. I even had almost completed a version last year, but it was garbage, so I shelved the idea. But I finally finished this one, and I think it lives up to the standards this deeply interesting question deserves.
List of tornadoes mentioned:
1896 SHERMAN F5
1899 NEW RICHMOND F5
1925 TRI-STATE F5
1970 LUBBOCK F5
1974 XENIA F5
1974 BRANDENBURG F5
1974 GUIN F5
1977 BIRMINGHAM F5
1990 BAKERSFIELD VALLEY F4
1990 STRATTON F4
1991 ANDOVER F5
1995 PAMPA F4
1995 KELLERVILLE F4
1997 JARRELL F5
1999 BRIDGE CREEK F5
2004 HARPER F4
2004 MARION F4
2007 GREENSBURG EF5
2008 PARKERSBURG EF5
2011 PHILADELPHIA EF5
2011 PHIL CAMPBELL EF5
2011 SMITHVILLE EF5
2011 RAINSVILLE EF5
2011 JOPLIN EF5
2011 EL RENO EF5
2013 MOORE EF5
2013 EL RENO EF3
2014 VILONIA EF4
2021 MAYFIELD EF4
2023 GREENFIELD EF4
source
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What Is The Strongest Tornado In History?
PS, I have been wanting to make this video for a loooong time.
When people talk about "well F5 is a home totally slabbed to the foundation, F6 is considered 'inconceivable damage,' what is inconceivable damage?"
How about the foundation itself being lifted and destroyed? Sounds like some inconceivable damage happened when foundations and shelters were damn near pulled from the ground.
If this type of tornado happened in 2024 it would be rated as any EF4 Plus and not any of five because meteorologist nowadays are just stupid I guess
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I’m from Ireland, of course a very small country, but I actually cannot comprehend a 10km (2.6 mile) wide tornado. My whole town and surrounding towns would’ve been decimated in that. I’m so sorry that Americans have to experience that and rest in peace to anyone who had to endure that and didn’t make it though. I’m genuinely shocked. I knew tornados were horrifying but I could never fathom it to be this bad. It’s crazy putting it into perspective.
Bro keeps making the most controversial yet necessary weather videos
The Xenia Tornado is horrible, which is scary…
Rainsville ef5 has way more impressive damage then slightly moving a storm shelter
Xenia tornado tossed railroad cars, and tossed 2 school buses 1/2 mile
El Reno?
I agree on your top 3. Well done
TWISTERS (2024) opinion?
1:38 that must feel like that one scene from Back To The Future when Marty goes to the estate he lives at only to find nothing there
I don't know why but tornadoes here Alabama have always seemed a bit more sinister I don't know why it just feels that way
I think i can classify a 6, If a tornado damages SUB basements, then its a 6. Like imagine smithfield but instead of going 60, its going 8…. i cant even properly comprehend what that would mean damage-wise, but it could potentially re-route rivers and drain lakes
Guin F5 in 1974 is by far the strongest one imo, you only included the houses, the same tornado almost completely slabbed a production plant for mobile homes, leaving only bent and warped metal. it may have even scoured away a piece of the foundation (idk about that, look to the left of the image), it didn't just dislodge house foundations, in some cases the foundations were split in half or swept away leaving bare or partially filled sockets of what was left. Some of those foundations were reinforced and over 8-12 inches thick according to some images. One house was so completely demolished that the foundation slab was reported to have crushed another person. Everything mentioned was likely very well-built. This tornado could've likely been >330 mph.
My top 10 with wind estimates:
1. Guin F5 1974 (>330 mph)
2. Smithville EF5 2011 (300-325 mph)
3. Bridge-Creek, Moore F5 1999 (321 mph)
4. El Reno/Piedmont EF5 2011 (295 mph)
5. Niles-Wheatland F5 1985 (275-290 mph)
6.1974 Brandenburg F5 (280 mph)
7. Hackleburg EF5 2011 (260 mph)
8. Parkersburg EF5 2008 (255-265 mph)
9. Rainsville EF5 2011 (240-290 mph)
10. Jarrell F5 1997 (230-270 mph)
BONUS that could've gone at #4, El Reno 2013: 296-313 mph but only inflicted EF3 damage, thanks EF-scale.
I don’t really think its in the conversation for the top strongest tornadoes of all time but the Matador, TX tornado of 2023 did some incredible damage in certain spots
A tornado saved our country from the Brittish taking over D.C. during the revolutionary war. Thats a fact.
Jarrell in my opinion was very strong and violent for slow it moved
I remember a tornado that picked up an asteroid and threw it so far that it was lost for several days. I can't remember were it was. I dont think it was rated as an amazingly strong tornado but Never the less a strong one.
Jarrell is the absolute stuff of nightmares. An F5 that just stopped over a neighborhood and sat there. I know the weather is not evil but that was evil.
Very very good video, love the little chart at the end about all different factors that make a strong tornado, would love to see a possible part 2 with like rochelle Ef4 2015, hesston/goessel f5 of 1990 etc, overall though 10/10 video
Some of the sub-vortices on the May 31/2013 tornado were measured at near 400mph.
One thing to factor in was the building codes of the time of these tornadoes. The building codes of the Tri-State Tornado wasn't near as strict as they were for Moore 2013.
I hate when people argue it’s not the same tornado. Ummm yes it is. Tornados can lift up, get bigger, change shape, etc etc. to me, if the tornado is in the same path then it’s the same tornado and it baffles me that meteorologists haven’t come to this conclusion either
I remember this we where in Midwest city in McDonald’s basement it’s was scary
ngl, when i see a vid of urs i actually get happy lol. i liv in aus and we dont get many strong tornadoes or tornadoes at all so its very interesting to hear about all the tornadoes in america
EDIT: the strongest tornado i found in aus was the Bucca tornado in '92. apparently a 3 ton truck was thrown 300 metres, a fridges was blown away and never found and trees were speared through walls of homes. no fatalities tho. wild stuff…
Painful to watch your commercial
Anything 320mph+ should be an EF6. Change my mind.
Fun fact about the Jarrel, TX F-5. It would’ve only been rated an EF-3 with the enhanced scale. Through all the double creek estate homes huge construction error were made especially with anchoring to the foundation. Another reason why is was swept clean so “easily”
Ive seen and lived through too many tornados to count growing up in sw okie and north tx. I was not close but directly in both Moore and El reno tornados. I was lucky to dodge them in travel. In 2015 i lost my home business and everything i owned in a tornado in Tipton Ok. I hope im never in another but not likely because of where i live.
@8:05 Okay, but a ground speed of 60mph is fucking insane. No thank you.
Some of the most strongest and fastest wind speed tornado always happends in el Reno and Moore
Really believe it is the Smithsville tornado. I now live a hour from the town. I here stories the ground where it went over is still noticeable
Greenfield tornado
Xenia, OH
What was the Tornado that twisted the 3 or 4 story Hospital??
Everyone forgot about the tornado that destroyed an entire city (the one I currently live in) called Purvis Mississippi