Omaha tornado

preacher_dawg

Well-known member
Nov 12, 2014
2,086
887
113
Estimated to be among the 20 most powerful tornadoes of all time. Ii would love to know Hugh's thoughts.
 

Hugh's Burner Phone

Well-known member
Aug 3, 2017
3,984
2,699
113
Estimated to be among the 20 most powerful tornadoes of all time. Ii would love to know Hugh's thoughts.

I know it maxed out the velocity scale of the radar at a nearby airport, but I only saw debris lifted to 22,000ft. I say only as that's still good enough for EF-4 about on par with the Louisville tornado, but somebody saying top 20 all time is being a little presumptive as we've had some absolute monsters it would have to contend with. That would be up there with Smithville and similar tornadoes. Will be interesting to see what the damage surveys show in a couple of days.
 

FormerBully

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2022
763
1,203
93
I know it maxed out the velocity scale of the radar at a nearby airport, but I only saw debris lifted to 22,000ft. I say only as that's still good enough for EF-4 about on par with the Louisville tornado, but somebody saying top 20 all time is being a little presumptive as we've had some absolute monsters it would have to contend with. That would be up there with Smithville and similar tornadoes. Will be interesting to see what the damage surveys show in a couple of days.
Where does the Smithville tornado rank?
 

Hugh's Burner Phone

Well-known member
Aug 3, 2017
3,984
2,699
113
Where does the Smithville tornado rank?
It was a 5 but not sure. It's hard to rank them because very few have hard wind speed measurements. Most are estimates based on damage. Moore, Oklahoma, has the highest ever recorded wind speed at just over 300mph. Not sure what the actual winds were in Smithville but strong enough to throw a truck into the top of a water tower hard enough to put a big dent in it. Same outbreak an EF-5 in neshoba county dug a trench in the ground 2ft deep.
 

Dawgpile

Well-known member
May 23, 2006
2,047
512
113
Dunno if this was the same tornado, but it almost looks like CGI.

 

PooPopsBaldHead

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2017
7,629
4,020
113
To Hell with the tornado, the most awesome thing I have seen today is how this guy walked away from this... I can only imagine how hard it is to focus on the road when you are chasing tornadoes. Hell of a save.

 

Hugh's Burner Phone

Well-known member
Aug 3, 2017
3,984
2,699
113
To Hell with the tornado, the most awesome thing I have seen today is how this guy walked away from this... I can only imagine how hard it is to focus on the road when you are chasing tornadoes. Hell of a save.


Just like baseball, chasing can be a game of inches.
 

IBleedMaroonDawg

Well-known member
Nov 12, 2007
21,806
5,635
113
It was a 5 but not sure. It's hard to rank them because very few have hard wind speed measurements. Most are estimates based on damage. Moore, Oklahoma, has the highest ever recorded wind speed at just over 300mph. Not sure what the actual winds were in Smithville but strong enough to throw a truck into the top of a water tower hard enough to put a big dent in it. Same outbreak an EF-5 in neshoba county dug a trench in the ground 2ft deep.
I am not sure you rank them. Smithville was a monster on par with the Hackleburg and 99 Oklahoma City tornados. When they reach that level, they just obiterate everything in their path.

This may reach EF-5 classification but even if it doesn't, it's definitely another monster.
 

PooPopsBaldHead

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2017
7,629
4,020
113
Just like baseball, chasing can be a game of inches.
The Office Thats GIF
 

OG Goat Holder

Well-known member
Sep 30, 2022
5,994
5,659
113
Why are all of those cars driving toward it?
I honestly think it's a mix of a bunch of m17ers so consumed with their life, whether it's work/stress/whatever, that they don't even pay attention to weather or really anything. All they know is that they gotta get where they gotta go. I have some sympathy for that, sometimes. A lot of times many people in the middle and upper classes (like what's on this board) forget that there's another world of people out there that lead pretty stressful and dangerous lives.

These storm chasers? Hey man, whatever happens to you, happens. You're making your choice.
 

thatsbaseball

Well-known member
May 29, 2007
16,137
3,224
113
If anybody is interested, Reed Timmer has some really good videos from yesterday posted.
 

RocketDawg

Active member
Oct 21, 2011
16,236
277
83
I know it maxed out the velocity scale of the radar at a nearby airport, but I only saw debris lifted to 22,000ft. I say only as that's still good enough for EF-4 about on par with the Louisville tornado, but somebody saying top 20 all time is being a little presumptive as we've had some absolute monsters it would have to contend with. That would be up there with Smithville and similar tornadoes. Will be interesting to see what the damage surveys show in a couple of days.

The multi-vortices when it crossed I-80 were impressive. If nothing else, yesterday's outbreak had to be the best ever videoed. And, somehow, no fatalities and only a handful of injuries.
 

OG Goat Holder

Well-known member
Sep 30, 2022
5,994
5,659
113
The multi-vortices when it crossed I-80 were impressive. If nothing else, yesterday's outbreak had to be the best ever videoed. And, somehow, no fatalities and only a handful of injuries.
Big 12 country seems to be better prepared for tornadoes. I guess because it’s so flat and they get so big. I worked some a few years back in OK City and their procedures were pretty strict. But it still sucks when they hit urban areas (like Moore 2013). Can’t hide from that.
 

BulldogBlitz

Well-known member
Dec 11, 2008
8,123
2,772
113
I have the shirt from the okie 99 tornado. That was an insane day, etched for me, for sure.