What was the widest tornado ever recorded

While the area in the Central U. Here's a look at a handful of tornadoes that made the record books over the last century. Based on the damage it caused, it was determined to be an EF 5 after the fact because the EF scale wasn't in use at the time. The tornado was approximately. It caused fatalities and destroyed over 15, homes. The lack of tornado watches and warnings in was likely a major contributor to the inconceivable destruction. It contorted St. John's Mercy hospital to such an extent that the building need to be demolished.

It just goes to show that while tornadoes don't often hit heavily populated areas, when they do, it can result in catastrophic levels of destruction. More: The 10 Worst Tornadoes in the U. According to the NOAA , between and , Texas saw the highest average number of tornadoes in a year Kansas was a close second with The April super outbreak is considered one of the worst tornado outbreaks in U.

Large tornadoes typically have long tracks. Many of these unusually wide storms can stay on the ground for dozens of miles, sometimes traversing several states before finally dissipating. A recent tornado in Wisconsin tracked along a path more than 80 miles long. Some small tornadoes can produce scale-topping winds, while some big tornadoes are more bark than bite and leave only minor damage—to barns or farm equipment, for example—in their wake. The reason we can see tornadoes is that the low pressure within that column condenses moisture in the air, producing a funnel cloud.

If a tornado moves through an area with lots of dust or loose soil, it can make the storm look much larger than it actually is. Storm chasers report this as a " multiple-vortex tornado. The EF-5 tornado that struck Joplin , Missouri, in was so strong that it warped and shifted the entire structure of a hospital, requiring its demolition. This tornado was apart of a mini-outbreak 12 days before the April Super Outbreak.

This EF-0 tornado was yards wide and caused damage in Stuarts Draft. Likely one of the strongest tornadoes to strike the Valley, this EF-2 tornado registered as yards wide about a quarter of a mile. This tornado was on the ground for The widest tornado to hit the Valley touched down just north of Stanley in This EF-1 tornado was yards wide, but only on the ground for 1.

In contrast, the El Reno tornado was 7. When the Valley sees tornadoes, they are limited in strength and size. It took the worst outbreak in US history to bring many of these larger sized tornadoes to hit the Valley. Skip to content. Medical Monday. Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Wheel Of Justice.

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