Your Top 10 Strongest Tornadoes Since 1950

[andyhb]

I was browsing Eastern and saw that Tony created a thread like this awhile ago, posting the top 10 most violent tornadoes since 1950.

Figured this could use some 2011 updating...

1. Hackleburg/Phil Campbell/Mount Hope/Tanner/Harvest, AL (April 27th, 2011; I think this tornado may easily be one of the most violent of all time, the extent of its EF4/EF5 damage was incredible, and I'd have to think the winds in it exceeded 210 mph, what the NWS eventually settled at)

2. Tie between Parkersburg, IA (May 25th, 2008) and Niles, OH/Wheatland, PA (May 31st, 1985)

3. Joplin, MO (May 22nd, 2011)

4. Guin, AL (April 3rd, 1974)

5. Smithville, MS (April 27th, 2011)

6. Udall, KS (May 25th, 1955)

7. Tie between Andover, KS and Red Rock, OK (both April 26th, 1991)

8. Worcester, MA (June 9th, 1953, I still think this tornado was easily an F5, despite the studies concluding that there was insufficient evidence to confirm it)

9. Wichita Falls, TX (April 10th, 1979, easily one of the largest extents of violent-category damage that I have ever seen)

10. Tie between Waco, TX (May 11, 1953) and Flint, MI (June 8th, 1953)

Honorable Mentions (there's a lot):

Pampa, TX (June 8th, 1995)

Kellerville, TX (June 8th, 1995)

Bridge Creek/Moore, OK (May 3rd, 1999)

Xenia, OH (April 3rd, 1974)

Atkins/Clinton/Mountain View, AR (February 5th, 2008)

Jackson, MS (March 3rd, 1966)

Russiaville/Kokomo/Greentown, IN (April 11th, 1965)

Brandenburg, KY (April 3rd, 1974)

Coldwater Lake/Manitou Beach, MI (April 11th, 1965, first tornado)

Oak Grove/Concord, AL (April 8th, 1998)

Inverness, MS (February 21st, 1971)

Tuscaloosa/Birmingham, AL (April 27th, 2011)

Philadelphia, MS (April 27th, 2011)

Rainsville/Sylvania, AL (April 27th, 2011)

Ringgold, GA/Apison, TN (April 27th, 2011)

Waynesboro, TN (April 16th, 1998)

Jordan, IA (June 13th, 1976)

Charles City, IA (May 15th, 1968)

Ruskin Heights, MO (May 20th, 1957)

Plainfield, IL (August 28th, 1990)

Edmonton, Alberta (July 31st, 1987)

Elie, Manitoba (June 22nd, 2007)

Franklin/Girard, KS (May 4th, 2003)

Hesston, KS (March 13th, 1990)

Harper, KS (May 12th, 2004)

Jarrell, TX (May 27th, 1997)

Hallam, NE (May 22nd, 2004)

Greensburg, KS (May 4th, 2007, tornado that formed after it may have actually been even more violent, just didn't hit much)

Lubbock, TX (May 11th, 1970)

Belvidere, IL (April 24th, 1967)

Oak Lawn, IL (April 24th, 1967)

Smithfield, AL (April 4th, 1977)

Fargo, ND (June 20th, 1957)

Barneveld, WI (June 8th, 1984)

Mulhall, OK (May 3rd, 1999)

Piedmont, OK (May 24th, 2011)

[AtticaFanatica]

With the poor proxies that we have to use in tornado wind speed estimation and the inherent biases associated with those proxies, we really have no idea.

[andyhb]

I meant more to give your personal top 10...

[battlebrick]

I'm too lazy to make a top 10, but the Jarrell, TX F5 was pretty ridiculous.

"About 40 structures were completely destroyed by the tornado and dozens of vehicles were lifted in the air and tossed, some thrown more than half a mile. Many researchers, after reviewing aerial damage photographs of Double Creek Estates, considered the Jarrell storm to be the most violent tornado, in terms of damage intensity, that they had ever seen. Most of the homes in the tornadoes path were well-constructed and bolted to their foundations: the tornado left only the slab foundations.^[5] Several entire families were killed in the tornado, including all five members of the Igo family and all four members of the Moehring family."

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wtxtrcvr.htm

[Cory]

I'm too lazy to make a top 10, but the Jarrell, TX F5 was pretty ridiculous.

"About 40 structures were completely destroyed by the tornado and dozens of vehicles were lifted in the air and tossed, some thrown more than half a mile. Many researchers, after reviewing aerial damage photographs of Double Creek Estates, considered the Jarrell storm to be the most violent tornado, in terms of damage intensity, that they had ever seen. Most of the homes in the tornadoes path were well-constructed and bolted to their foundations: the tornado left only the slab foundations.^[5] Several entire families were killed in the tornado, including all five members of the Igo family and all four members of the Moehring family."

http://www.usatoday....er/wtxtrcvr.htm

I was just about to make this point. That tornado was intense and was made worse by the fact that it was moving so slowly; the storm was propagating slowly southwestward along a boundary in very weak steering flow. I talked to the WFO EWX WCM (who was on the survey team) just after that event, and he was floored by what he saw there.

[andyhb]

Yeah, Double Creek was essentially wiped off the map.

[Quixotic1]

I'm too lazy to make a top 10, but the Jarrell, TX F5 was pretty ridiculous.

"About 40 structures were completely destroyed by the tornado and dozens of vehicles were lifted in the air and tossed, some thrown more than half a mile. Many researchers, after reviewing aerial damage photographs of Double Creek Estates, considered the Jarrell storm to be the most violent tornado, in terms of damage intensity, that they had ever seen. Most of the homes in the tornadoes path were well-constructed and bolted to their foundations: the tornado left only the slab foundations.^[5] Several entire families were killed in the tornado, including all five members of the Igo family and all four members of the Moehring family."

http://www.usatoday....er/wtxtrcvr.htm

I saw that tornado. It was the most awe inspiring and one of the most terrifying things I've ever seen. It'd be hard to convince me of another twister that was worse.

[andyhb]

Jarrell could have been much worse too, say had it gone through the center of town or down the Interstate where there was a traffic jam at the time...

[shaggy]

If I remember correctly I read an article saying that not only were the houses swept clean in Jarrel but that the foundations on a few houses had been lifted up a little bit as well. Whether that was an actual finding in the survey or just a reporters embelishments I don't know.

[valkhorn]

I'm surprised how many people are forgetting Moore, OK in 1999, and Andover, KS as well as the Tri State Tornado. Recall the Moore, OK tornado's winds were close to being an F6.

The Red Rock tornado in the Andover outbreak was measured using doppler radar of having 257-268 mph winds - but it didn't damage much. The Moore, OK tornado had wind speeds of 301 mph.

From what I've read, Udall, KS appears to be the most intense tornado on record.

[SluggerWx]

Joplin is just a different realm of destruction - in my opinion. Greensburg also reminds me of this.

One wild card for me though... Yazoo City tornado. Though an EF-4, that tornado appeared to maintain at least EF-3 severity for SUCH a long time.

[arcc]

Of the tornadoes that I have looked into, the best list I can give right now is:

1. Hackleburg/Phil Campbell

2. Smithville, MS

3. Smithfield, AL

4. Parkersburg, Iowa

5. Lawrence county, TN

6. Joplin, MO

7. Moore, OK

8. Birmingham, AL('98)

9. Greensburg, KS

Well, that's nine. I'm positive tornadoes like Guin, Xenia, Andover, ect belong on this list somewhere as the last three are likely on the weaker side of things. However, I haven't been able to have time to look or looked and can't find pictures good enough to compare.

[SluggerWx]

I am also convinced that Bowdle, SD would have been rated an EF-5 tornado were it to have encountered more structures.

I mean look at it:

[greg ralls]

I'm far from an expert, but here's my top 10:

1. Bridge Creek/Moore, OK
   
2. Jarrell, TX
   
3. Phil Campbell, etc..., AL
   
4. Joplin, MO
   
5. Andover, KS
   
6. Parkersburg, IA
   
7. Greensburg, KS
   
8. Niles, OH/Wheatland, PA
   
9. Xenia, OH
   
10. Brandenburg, KY
    

[hurricaneman]

my top 5

1. Jarrell, Tx, reportedly actually pulled some foundations a few inches out of the ground

2. Moore, Ok Dopler indicated winds of 318mph

3. Joplin, Mo Developed from a wall cloud to ef 5 within minutes and actually moved the hospital a few inches off its foundation and killed 160+

4. Worcester, Ma destroyed the city of Worcester and was a rare EF5 tornado in that geographical location

5. Phil Campbell, AL had tornado winds in excess of 210mph and destroyed several towns on the way

[JoMo]

3. Joplin, Mo Developed from a wall cloud to ef 5 within minutes and actually moved the hospital a few inches off its foundation and killed 160+

Didn't actually shift the hospital off it's foundation. It did tilt the top 3 floors, 3" though. I also thought the 31 missing manhole covers was interesting as well since according to Partha Sarkar, professor of wind engineering at Iowa State University in Ames, the wind speed required for that is barely above 200 MPH, while the parking stops that were picked up and thrown would have required 205 mph winds. You also have to consider how dense the area is with trees and houses which would have resulted in friction and a slowing of the winds some. The average speed of the tornado was 20-25 MPH which is pretty slow as well.

[blackjack123]

Very difficult to say.

1. Phil Campbell/Hackleburg

2. Smithville, MS

3 Philadelphia, MS

4. Parkersburg, IA

5. Elie, MB

6. Moore/OKC

7. Joplin, MO

8. Oakfield, WI

9. Udall, KS

10. Jarrell, TX

Many more could be added but this is just a guess.

[shaggy]

The 1984 carolina outbreak had several F-4's rated at 207mph+ also. One of those passed 2 miles east of my house at the time.

[andyhb]

Of the tornadoes that I have looked into, the best list I can give right now is:

1. Hackleburg/Phil Campbell

2. Smithville, MS

3. Smithfield, AL

4. Parkersburg, Iowa

5. Lawrence county, TN

6. Joplin, MO

7. Moore, OK

8. Birmingham, AL('98)

9. Greensburg, KS

Well, that's nine. I'm positive tornadoes like Guin, Xenia, Andover, ect belong on this list somewhere as the last three are likely on the weaker side of things. However, I haven't been able to have time to look or looked and can't find pictures good enough to compare.

My case for Andover/Red Rock comes from some of the absolutely incredible video footage of the two tornadoes, the motion in them was absolutely ridiculous, and some of the phenomenon witnessed within the damage from Andover was mind boggling, as it was in Guin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG2ufzIxHBk

[nwohweather]

Joplin is #1 for shear destruction and deaths. Unreal to see 160 people killed in one tornado. We hadn't had 160 killed in a single season for decades before last year let alone a single twister

[downeastnc]

The 1984 carolina outbreak had several F-4's rated at 207mph+ also. One of those passed 2 miles east of my house at the time.

Ted Fajita himself did the survey of that storm and said winds exceeded 200 mph the question is would the same tornado get that kind of rating today....its really amazing the lack of pictures or video concerning this event. We saw it first hand but there are little to no photos online and nothing of the extreme damage we saw around SE Greenville.

great site with info on that cell,

http://bangladeshtornadoes.org/UScases/032884/032884x.html

[aslkahuna]

The F5 tornado in Lubbock TX that occurred on May 11, 1970-17 years to the day that Waco was blitzed by an F5 actually twisted the high rise building housing the Great Plains Insurance Company.

Steve

[andyhb]

High school in Udall, KS after the tornado, this is very clearly extremely severe damage...

[blackjack123]

High school in Udall, KS after the tornado, this is very clearly extremely severe damage...

My Dad and his brothers told me that this tornado was so powerful it sucked foundations out of the ground. Another thing that list of tornadoes you posted at the beginning are really impressive. Do you have all those dates memorized for when those tornadoes happened? Your better at memorizing dates than I am.

[knitwx]

The Palm Sunday April 11, 1965 "Twins" That walked along U.S. 33 In Dunlop Indiana like a giant wearing grey pants.

The lesser known F5 twins near Cleveland Ohio the same day.

The Montecello Indiana long track tornado with Derecho enhancement. April 3rd 1974

The Depaul Indiana F5 in the same outbreak.

Bowdle ,South Dakota

Picher Oklahoma

Billings Oklahoma

Albert Lea Minn. 2011

Woonsocket South Dakota And Manchester Sout Dakota same dayin 2003 or 2004 .

[andyhb]

The Palm Sunday April 11, 1965 "Twins" That walked along U.S. 33 In Dunlop Indiana like a giant wearing grey pants.

The lesser known F5 twins near Cleveland Ohio the same day.

The Montecello Indiana long track tornado with Derecho enhancement. April 3rd 1974

The Depaul Indiana F5 in the same outbreak.

Bowdle ,South Dakota

Picher Oklahoma

Billings Oklahoma

Albert Lea Minn. 2011

Woonsocket South Dakota And Manchester Sout Dakota same day.

This was found to be an F4, FYI.

Woonsocket was an F3...although Manchester was very violent.

[knitwx]

Thanks

[Floydbuster]

Far more a hurricane aficionado than tornado, but my top three list would be:

1. Moore, OK

Despite nearly being outdone in '11 by the Joplin twister, Moore was just an incredible tornado. A true inconceivable F-6 twister.

2. Joplin, MO

The number of deaths disturbs me greatly. 160 or so people on a muggy May afternoon die suddenly at the hand of a single tornado. As a matter of fact, this may be a tie with Moore '99.

3. Jarrell, TX

This is a tornado that didn't even leave damage. It wiped areas, even asphalt and grass, clean.

[Hoosier]

Far more a hurricane aficionado than tornado, but my top three list would be:

1. Moore, OK

Despite nearly being outdone in '11 by the Joplin twister, Moore was just an incredible tornado. A true inconceivable F-6 twister.

lol, no

[knitwx]

lol, no

I Agree there's no such animal.