2013 El Reno tornado

Last updated

ElReno PNS graphic final2.png
2013 El Reno Tornado Timeline.jpg
A minute-by-minute timeline of the tornado's position.

Revised RaXPol analysis found winds of 302 ± 34 mph (486 ± 55 km/h) well above ground level and ≥291 mph (468 km/h) below 10 m (33 ft), with some subvortices moving at 175 mph (282 km/h). [26] The strongest winds occurred in small subvortices along the south side of the main vortex. The two most intense vortices occurred north and east of the intersection of 10th Street and Radio Road, about 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of El Reno. [27] [28] The main funnel is believed to have had radar-estimated EF4 winds, with wind speeds around 185 mph (298 km/h). Radar-estimated EF5 winds were only found aloft and in the smaller vortices that revolved around this funnel at 110 mph (180 km/h). [24] A revised analysis in 2015 revealed a peak wind of 313 mph (504 km/h). [1] In March 2024, NOAA and OU published a new analysis, which estimated that winds may have reached up to anywhere between 115–150 m/s (257–336 mph; 414–540 km/h). [2]

Rick Smith, the warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Norman, stated that this tornado was among a "super-rare" category within the EF5 rating. Smith also stated that it was fortunate the tornado did not track into more densely populated areas, particularly those within the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, "this would have been … I don't even want to imagine what it would have been." [27] William Hooke, a senior policy fellow at the American Meteorological Society stated that, "[Oklahoma City] dodged a bullet...You lay that path over Oklahoma City, and you have devastation of biblical proportions." [29]

On August 30, the National Weather Service office in Norman once again revised the intensity of the El Reno tornado. Keli Pirtle, a Public Affairs worker at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, stated that, "despite the radar-measured wind speeds, the survey team did not find damage that would support a rating higher than EF3. While the wind measurements from the mobile radars are considered reliable, NWS policy for determining EF-ratings is based on surveys of ground damage." [23] The lack of EF5 damage was likely a result of the rural nature of the area, as the sub-vortices that contained the EF5 wind speeds did not impact any structures. [30] [31]

Storm chaser incidents

The crushed remains of TWISTEX's Chevrolet Cobalt near the intersection of Reuter and South Radio Roads, almost 5 mi (8.0 km) southeast of El Reno. 2013 El Reno tornado Samaras Car.jpg
The crushed remains of TWISTEX's Chevrolet Cobalt near the intersection of Reuter and South Radio Roads, almost 5 mi (8.0 km) southeast of El Reno.

The tornado's unusual behavior consisted of these simultaneous occurrences: abrupt changes in direction, rapid enlargement to a width of 2.6 mi (4.2 km) in diameter in about 30 seconds, swift increase in forward motion from about 20 to 55 mph (32 to 89 km/h) within a few minutes, multiple vortices within and around, and an expansive translucent outer circulation without a full condensation funnel while being surrounded and obscured by precipitation made it a worst-case scenario for storm chasers. Several professional and amateur chasers were caught off guard and impacted by the tornado. [32] Many were located in a region northeast of the tornado, known as the "bear's cage". Chasers can generally get a clear view of the tornado from that area; however, it places them at great risk and with little time to react should the storm take a left turn. [33]

In the case of El Reno, the wrapping rain bands did not lead to a narrow corridor of clear air close to the tornado. Rather, these rotating curtains of rain were the outer circulation of the tornado itself. Former Discovery Channel storm chaser Tim Samaras (an engineer), his son Paul Samaras (a photographer), and Tim's longtime chase partner Carl Young (a meteorologist), all professional storm chasers with the TWISTEX project, were caught directly by the tornado; all three died in their vehicle, two of them were ejected. [34] Normally, Tim drove a reinforced three-quarter ton truck optimized for hail protection and stability in high winds; however, on May 31, Carl was driving an unmodified Chevrolet Cobalt, a subcompact vehicle with three 45-lb barometric probes in the trunk likened by one TWISTEX chaser to a "pizza delivery car", making it much less suited to high winds and rain-slicked backcountry dirt roads. It was also underpowered, which hampered their escape in the strong inflow winds. [35] Tim's body was found still buckled in the passenger's seat. They were the first known tornado-related deaths of either recreational storm chasers or scientific researchers. [36]

The supercell thunderstorm which produced the El Reno tornado as viewed from above. El Reno, OK supercell from above 2013-05-31.jpg
The supercell thunderstorm which produced the El Reno tornado as viewed from above.

Mike Bettes, a meteorologist for The Weather Channel, was also caught in the storm. His sport utility vehicle was severely damaged, having been thrown about 200 yards (180 m); the driver was left with a broken neck, fractured vertebrae, and several broken ribs while Bettes and the other passenger sustained minor injuries. [33] [37] [38] Meteorologist Emily Sutton and storm chaser Kevin Josefy of Oklahoma City NBC affiliate KFOR-TV (channel 4) were also caught in the path of the storm; their vehicle was damaged by debris hurled by the tornado. [39] University of Oklahoma student Billy Prater, along with his father and a friend, sought refuge under an overpass (an action strongly discouraged in these situations) when the tornado changed direction. [40] Near Union City, debris from a barn destroyed by the tornado struck the vehicle of Brandon Sullivan and Brett Wright, breaking their windshield; they escaped without injury. [41] The hood of Reed Timmer's Dominator 2, a vehicle designed for intercepting tornadoes, was torn off by lines that were down from the tornado. [42] Storm chaser Dan Robinson received injuries after being enveloped within the outskirts of the tornadic circulation. He escaped a few hundred meters ahead of the TWISTEX crew on Reuter Road and is believed to be the last person to see the car occupied by Samaras, his son Paul and Young. [17] Just behind the TWISTEX crew, a tour group led by storm chasers Randy Walton and Mike Phelps followed immediately behind both TWISTEX and Robinson's vehicles on Reuter Road, however the group turned around just as the tornado began crossing the road ahead and escaped without being impacted. [43]

A Doppler on Wheels-based analysis of how the tornado impacted these teams revealed that they were hit by an intense internal sub-vortex. This analysis showed that both the Weather Channel and TWISTEX vehicles entered the tornado through the less intense north/northwestern side, then were impacted by the internal sub-vortex, which contained radar-indicated winds approaching 200 miles per hour (320 km/h) and was moving in a complex quasi-trochoidal pattern, sometimes nearly stationary, sometimes with forward speeds over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). Entering the larger tornadic circulation without the ability to maintain situational awareness of the internal sub-vortex was likely a key contributing factor to the deaths and injuries. [7]

Response

Storm spotter tribute to Tim Samaras, Paul Samaras, and Carl Young across the Plains on June 2. Storm chaser tribute June 2, 2013.jpg
Storm spotter tribute to Tim Samaras, Paul Samaras, and Carl Young across the Plains on June 2.

In the wake of the storm chaser deaths, Kansas Emergency Management Association president Brian Stone called for there to be regulations put on future storm chasing; however, he stated that there are questions as to how it would actually be implemented. AccuWeather Senior Vice President Mike Smith urged against overreacting to their deaths, citing that they were the first chasers to be killed in 40 years of the practice and that chasing as a whole is a significant source of real-time and research information. [33]

On June 2, dozens of members of the storm chasing and spotting communities coordinated a tribute to Tim Samaras, Paul Samaras, and Carl Young. Using GPS transponders over Spotter Network, they aligned themselves to spell out the initials of the three men in North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska for many hours. [44] The Discovery Channel scheduled a special tribute episode of Storm Chasers titled Mile Wide Tornado: Oklahoma Disaster on June 5, both honoring the three chasers and covering the events of the EF5-rated tornado that struck Moore and portions of southern Oklahoma City eleven days earlier on May 20. [45] The November 2013 issue of National Geographic , for its featured cover story, paid tribute to Tim Samaras, a National Geographic Explorer funded in part by the Society, and featured a detailed scientific analysis of the tornado itself. [46]

A team of scientists and veteran chasers embarked on a crowd-sourcing survey project to gather storm chaser information, including video and photographic recordings and GPS logs, to piece together precisely what happened. It is, as of February 2014, the largest such visual data set ever collected on a tornado. The chaser information is compiled with radar and lightning data and the project is intended to eventually expand to a standardized open access database covering future events. [47] In association with the project, software was unveiled in 2015 allowing for the synchronization of maps, radar data, and storm chasers' footage of the storm. The tool was named "Tornado Environment Display" (TED) after Dr. Ted Fujita. Anton Seimon, one of the tool's architects, said that while the tool had only been used in relation to the El Reno tornado, it could potentially be applied to future tornadoes with sufficient footage as well. [48]

Casualties and impact

A destroyed home about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of U.S. Route 81. EF3 damage from 2013 El Reno tornado.jpeg
A destroyed home about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of U.S. Route 81.

Since the tornado remained over mostly open terrain, damage was relatively light – although still significant in isolated locations – in comparison to its extreme intensity. Surveys from the National Weather Service revealed that structures in its path sustained EF3-level damage at most. [49] The Oklahoma City West Livestock Market was described as a "war zone," sustaining extensive damage. Several large steel-frame warehouse type buildings were destroyed at that location. Multiple large brick buildings at the nearby Canadian Valley Technology Center were heavily damaged or destroyed, and a large metal wind turbine prop blade was thrown 100 yards (91 m) into the side of a daycare building on the property. Damage totals at that location alone were estimated at up to $40 million. [50] [51] [52] One farmstead, consisting of a large barn, a cattle barn, three machine sheds, granaries and the owner's home, was also completely destroyed. [53] Several other rural homes were destroyed, and large amounts of gravel was blown off of gravel roads in the area, with only the dirt underneath left at some locations. [52] Several large metal electrical transmission poles were downed, trees were snapped and defoliated, and multiple vehicles were tossed from roadways in the area. At least 29 buildings and 40 vehicles were damaged or destroyed by the tornado, with repairs in the El Reno area expected to take at least a year. [52] [54]

On June 1, the American Red Cross set up a shelter at the Redlands Community College in El Reno for victims of the storm. [55] The following day, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin toured damaged areas of El Reno. Due to the tornadoes that occurred previously on May 20, a state of emergency was already in place for the affected areas, allowing residents to quickly obtain emergency assistance. [56] Residents left homeless were provided with temporary housing constructed from shipping containers. Each container was fitted with a kitchen, bedroom, living room, and bathroom. [57]

Overall, eight people lost their lives as a result of the tornado, all of whom were killed in vehicles. [58] Local hospitals in Oklahoma City, including OU Medical Center and INTEGRIS Southwest Medical Center, and Mercy Hospital in El Reno, reported receiving at least 115 injured, including five critical patients. [59] [60] Overall, 151 injuries were attributed to the tornado. [8]

Evacuations

Satellite image of the Oklahoma City area on June 2 displaying the ground scar left behind by the tornado. Ground Scar from May 31, 2013 El Reno tornado.jpg
Satellite image of the Oklahoma City area on June 2 displaying the ground scar left behind by the tornado.

As the tornadoes approached the Oklahoma City metro, thousands of residents decided to leave the area for safety, possibly due to the still fresh memories of the devastation caused by the EF5 tornado that struck Moore on May 20. [60] Already congested with rush hour traffic, Interstates 35, 40, 44 and 240, became "parking lots" as the storms neared. [60] [61] Residents reported the highways to be a scene of chaos, "people were going southbound in the northbound lanes. Everybody was running for their lives." [60] It has been suggested that the evacuation was partially caused by a controversial call to action on-air by KFOR-TV chief meteorologist Mike Morgan, who suggested on-air during coverage of the storm – as the tornado was projected to track into Oklahoma City – that residents without underground storm shelters or safe rooms get into their cars and evacuate south of the track. [37] This advice was contrary to the recommended plan to go to an interior room, bathtub or closet with no windows if no basement or other underground shelter is available. These locations are typically much safer than an automobile in tornadic winds. [62] Dr. Jeff Masters of Weather Underground stated that had the tornado tracked directly over one of the congested highways, the death toll could have easily exceeded 500. [10]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 The National Weather Service does not currently implement wind speed estimates into its official tornado ratings, so while the winds align with the "EF5" category of the Enhanced Fujita scale, damage surveys took precedence. As a result, while the wind estimates are considered reliable by the NWS, the tornado ultimately received a rating of "EF3" based on a damage survey (in the weeks before this, it was considered an "EF5"). The wind speeds that produced the EF3 damage were not disclosed.
  2. ↑ Though the El Reno tornado officially ranks as the widest on record, Doppler on Wheels measurements of the 1999 Mulhall, Oklahoma tornado indicated that it may have been 4.3 mi (6.9 km) wide. [18] The 1946 Timber Lake, South Dakota tornado was documented by the United States Weather Bureau to have been 4 mi (6.4 km) wide, but it occurred outside the National Weather Service's timeframe for "reliable records", which started in 1950. [19]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Bluestein, Howard B.; Snyder, Jeffrey C.; Houser, Jana B. (June 1, 2015). "A Multiscale Overview of the El Reno, Oklahoma, Tornadic Supercell of 31 May 2013". Weather and Forecasting. 30 (3): 525–552. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-14-00152.1 . ISSN   1520-0434.
  2. 1 2 Lyza, Anthony W.; Flournoy, Matthew D.; Alford, A. Addison (March 19, 2024). "Comparison of Tornado Damage Characteristics to Low-Altitude WSR-88D Radar Observations and Implications for Tornado Intensity Estimation". Monthly Weather Review . -1 (aop). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and University of Oklahoma via the American Meteorological Society. doi:10.1175/MWR-D-23-0242.1 . Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  3. ↑ Bluestein, Howard B.; Snyder, Jeffrey C.; Houser, Jana B. (2015). "A Multiscale Overview of the el Reno, Oklahoma, Tornadic Supercell of 31 May 2013". Weather and Forecasting. 30 (3): 525–552. Bibcode:2015WtFor..30..525B. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-14-00152.1 .
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  10. 1 2 Jeff Masters (June 1, 2013). "A Night of Tornado Chaos in Oklahoma City: 9 Killed, 71 Injured". Weather Underground . The Weather Company . Retrieved September 23, 2020.
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  15. ↑ "Special Weather Statement: Tornado Watch". National Weather Service Tulsa, Oklahoma. May 31, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2013– via Iowa Environmental Mesonet NWS Product Archive.
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  17. 1 2 Brantley Hargrove (August 29, 2013). "The Last Ride of Legendary Storm Chaser Tim Samaras". Dallas Observer . Dallas, Texas. Archived from the original on August 28, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
  18. ↑ Joshua Wurman; C. Alexander; P. Robinson; Y. Richardson (January 2007). "Low-Level Winds in Tornadoes and Potential Catastrophic Tornado Impacts in Urban Areas". Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society . 88 (1). American Meteorological Society: 31–46. Bibcode:2007BAMS...88...31W. doi: 10.1175/BAMS-88-1-31 .
  19. ↑ "Severe Local Storms for April 1946". Monthly Weather Review. 74 (4): 73. April 1, 1946. Bibcode:1946MWRv...74...73.. doi: 10.1175/1520-0493(1946)074<0073:SLSFA>2.0.CO;2 .
  20. 1 2 "Update On May 31 El Reno Tornado". National Weather Service Norman, Oklahoma. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. June 4, 2013. Archived from the original on August 5, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Special Weather Statement: Tornado Warning". National Weather Service Norman, Oklahoma. May 31, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2013– via Iowa Environmental Mesonet NWS Product Archive.
  22. ↑ Joshua Wurman; K. Kosiba; P. Robinson; T. Marshall (January 2014). "The Role of Multiple-Vortex Tornado Structure in Causing Storm Researcher Fatalities". Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society . 95 (1): 31–45. Bibcode:2014BAMS...95...31W. doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-13-00221.1 .
  23. 1 2 Nate Johnson (August 31, 2013). "NWS releases statement about El Reno tornado rating". Digital Meteorologist. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  24. 1 2 Jeff Masters (June 4, 2013). "Largest Tornado on Record: the May 31 El Reno, OK EF-5 Tornado". Weather Underground. The Weather Company. Archived from the original on June 5, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  25. ↑ Bluestein, Howard B.; Snyder, Jeffrey C.; Houser, Jana B. (2015). "A Multiscale Overview of the el Reno, Oklahoma, Tornadic Supercell of 31 May 2013". Weather and Forecasting. 30 (3): 525–552. Bibcode:2015WtFor..30..525B. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-14-00152.1 .
  26. ↑ Jeff Snyder; H. B. Bluestein (2014). "Some Considerations for the Use of High-Resolution Mobile Radar Data in Tornado Intensity Determination". Weather Forecast. 29 (4): 799–827. Bibcode:2014WtFor..29..799S. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-14-00026.1 . S2CID   122669043.
  27. 1 2 Bryan Painter (June 4, 2013). "El Reno tornado is 'super rare' national record-breaker". The Oklahoman. Norman, Oklahoma: Oklahoma Publishing Company. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  28. ↑ A. Edwards (June 4, 2013). "El Reno, Union City tornado widest tornado on record". KFOR-TV . Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  29. ↑ Sean Murphy (June 4, 2013). "El Reno, Oklahoma Tornado Believed To Be Widest Twister On Record". HuffPost . Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: AOL. Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 5, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  30. ↑ "Storm Events Database: May 31, 2013 Tornado". National Climatic Data Center . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. May 31, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  31. ↑ Greg Forbes; Matt Daniel (September 5, 2013). "Why was El Reno, Oklahoma tornado downgraded to EF-3?". EarthSky.org. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
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  35. ↑ Brantley Hargrove (August 29, 2013). "Legendary Tornado Chaser Tim Samaras' Last Ride". Miami New Times . p. 2. Archived from the original on August 31, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
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  37. 1 2 James Samenow (June 1, 2013). "The day that should change tornado actions and storm chasing forever". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  38. ↑ "Weather Channel vehicle tossed by tornado". WVVA. May 31, 2013. Archived from the original on June 13, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  39. ↑ A. Edwards; Emily Sutton (May 31, 2013). "Emily Sutton, photographer Kevin Josefy have very close call with El Reno tornado". KFOR-TV. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  40. ↑ Sarah Stewart (June 3, 2013). "Amateur storm chaser survives tornado under overpass". KFOR-TV. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  41. ↑ Beth Stebner (June 1, 2013). "'Duck down!' Daredevil storm chasers get too close to tornado, struck by debris from destroyed barn". Daily News . New York. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  42. ↑ B. White (June 1, 2012). "The Weather Channel's "Tornado Hunt 2013" vehicle flips over while chasing May 31 tornadoes". KFOR-TV. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  43. ↑ Walton, Randy (January 7, 2017). "2013 El Reno Tornado Escape". YouTube.
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  45. ↑ Chiderah Monde (June 4, 2013). "'Stormchasers' tribute episode to honor stars killed in Oklahoma tornado". Daily News. New York: Daily News, L.P. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  46. ↑ Robert Draper (November 2013). "The Last Chase". National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  47. ↑ "El Reno Survey – A Survey of the tornado of 31 May 2013". 2014. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
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  49. ↑ Bryan Painter; Silas Allen (June 4, 2013). "El Reno tornado is 'super rare' national record-breaker". The Oklahoman. Oklahoma Publishing Company. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  50. ↑ Manny Fernandez (June 2, 2013). "Oklahoma Campus, Ravaged by a Tornado, Draws Attention to Storm Shelters". The New York Times. El Reno, Oklahoma. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  51. ↑ "Rebuilding Starts in El Reno". KOKH-TV. June 13, 2013. Archived from the original on May 22, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  52. 1 2 3 "Damage Viewer". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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  55. ↑ "Red Cross Opens Shelters For Storm Victims". KOKH-TV. June 1, 2013. Archived from the original on June 9, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  56. ↑ "Fallin tours El Reno damage". KOKH-TV. June 2, 2013. Archived from the original on June 9, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  57. ↑ "El Reno tornado victims get unusual temporary housing". El Reno, Oklahoma: KOCO-TV. June 19, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  58. ↑ "Annual U.S. Killer Tornado Statistics". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. June 10, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
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  61. ↑ "As tornadoes neared, drivers hit the road – with deadly results". NBC News . May 31, 2013. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  62. ↑ Roger Edwards (2013). "Tornado Safety". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
2013 El Reno tornado
El Reno, OK EF3 Tornado 2013-05-31.jpg
View of the tornado from the southeast at 6:28 p.m. CDT (2328 UTC) as it was nearing peak strength
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