THREE Moore Oklahoma tornadoes

I'm separating this from the thread about the current horrific storm.

Here is the link:

http://thechive.com/2011/11/30/smile...day-60-photos/

Today's storm was not even the most powerful. They were hit worse in 1999 by an F5 that killed 36 and did $1.1 billion in damage.

I think I'va Biggen pointed out that Moore now has the record for the two tornadoes recording the highest wind speeds.

NOPE, they are saying this one was 3X worse

current body count is 51, I expect a couple of hundred, there are 7 kids dead and expect another 30

1999 there was no school that day for what ever reason

and as I said in another thread, there have been 3 with the same path

May 3rd 1999
May 8th 2003
todays

Ive been watching all the news stations. No words can express how I feel for those people.

+100

the body count has been revised downwards, somewhere in the 20's

double counting is the explanation

How devastating for those families.

NOPE, they are saying this one was 3X worse

current body count is 51, I expect a couple of hundred, there are 7 kids dead and expect another 30

1999 there was no school that day for what ever reason

and as I said in another thread, there have been 3 with the same path

May 3rd 1999
May 8th 2003
todays Originally Posted by cptjohnstone

The big difference here is the May 3, 1999 happened in the early evening timeframe when everyone was at home. It was between 7 and 8pm.

Yesterday's tornado happened in the middle of the afternoon while people were still at work and the kids were still in school.

And yes, the overall damage from this storm is worse than the 1999 storm.

Don't think the people in Moore are debating which was the worst.

NOPE, they are saying this one was 3X worse Originally Posted by cptjohnstone

By most powerful, I am NOT counting body counts or property damage.

I am strictly going by wind speed. This one was an F4, but the 1999 one was an F5, I think.

Deaths and property damage are more dependent on where the funnel hits than how fast the wind was blowing.

An F4 that hits a school will cause more damage and deaths than an F5 that hits only a couple of isolated farmhouses.

By most powerful, I am NOT counting body counts or property damage.

I am strictly going by wind speed. This one was an F4, but the 1999 one was an F5, I think.

Deaths and property damage are more dependent on where the funnel hits than how fast the wind was blowing.

An F4 that hits a school will cause more damage and deaths than an F5 that hits only a couple of isolated farmhouses. Originally Posted by ExNYer

according to this guy, he said winds got between 255 to 318 and it was a F5

head weather man at KFOR Mike Morgan

Great debate.

Article from CNN on the rarity of two F5s hitting Moore:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/21/us/tor...html?hpt=hp_t2

Check out the photos.

Per Wiki, the 1999 F5 tornado killed 41 (more than current storm) and hit a top speed of 302 mph:
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"The 1999 Bridge Creek – Moore tornado was an extremely powerful F5 tornado in which the highest wind speeds ever measured, 302 miles per hour (486 km/h), were recorded by a Doppler on Wheels (DOW) radar. The tornado devastated towns just outside of Oklahoma City on May 3, 1999. Throughout its one hour and 25 minute existence, the tornado covered 38 mi (61 km), destroying thousands of homes, killing 41 people and leaving $1 billion in losses behind. This ranks the tornado as the third costliest on record, not accounting for inflation."
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That is phenomenal. Regarding yesterday's storm, the CNN srticle says:
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"The National Weather Service said Monday's tornado was 1.3 miles wide as it tore through Moore.
The estimated peak winds ranged from 200 to 210 mph -- which would make it an EF5, the most powerful category."
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200-210 sounds kind of low for yesterday's storm.

And none of this even discusses the 2003 F4 tornado.

Here is a related CNN article:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/21/us/okl...html?hpt=hp_t1

Key quote:
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"Crews are still surveying the damage. The strongest tornado on record to date struck Moore in 1999. It had winds recorded at 318 mph at 300 feet above the earth's surface. At the surface, officials estimated winds were at 250 mph. The estimated winds of this week's storm are 200-210 mph, but survey teams are still evaluating. It's safe to say this is one of the strongest tornadoes."
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