Moore, OK

To be hit by one EF-5 tornado in a lifetime is gut-wrenching enough, but to have another strike only 14 years later is absolutely crippling.   That's exactly what happened yesterday, as a mile wide tornado swept through the southern half of Moore, Oklahoma.  Considering the number of chasers that are currently on the roads now-a-days, nearly every different angle was captured of this awe inspiring tornado as it moved east/ northeast at 25 mph.   It was on the ground for approximately 40 minutes and covered about 20 miles.  Below is an image which shows the eerily similar storm track that the May 3rd 1999 tornado went through across the northern part of Moore, as well as the track from yesterday which took a direct hit through downtown Moore, OK.

Sadly, the tornado struck an elementary school killing almost a dozen children.  With just over 20 people having died from this tornado, and over 200 injured, this is the deadliest since the Joplin, MO event from two years ago.  As population continues to grow, this will unfortunately continue to be a trend.  The lead time on the tornado warning was approximately 20 minutes, which may seem like enough time, but when a lot of people are in store retail stores, schools, etc., there just isn't enough time to take shelter.  It is a known fact that the National Weather Service continues to try and make the warning systems better.

                             Courtesy of the National Weather Service (Norman, OK)

 

 

Above radar image actually shows a "debris ball" (highlighted in blue) in association with the strong rotation that this storm was showing.  This storm is considered a "Supercell" which is a particular storm that shows a strong, persistent, rotating updraft.   

 

 

Below is a link from theatlantic.com which shows several devastating pictures of the damage from Moore, OK.

 

 

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2013/05/photos-of-tornado-damage-in-moore-oklahoma/100518/

 

 

Eric Szos

Chief Meteorologist