This is a list of tornadoes by their official and unofficial width. The average width of a tornado according to the National Weather Service is 50 yards (46 m).[1] The official widest tornado in history is the 2013 El Reno tornado, which a confirmed width of 2.6 miles (4.2 km).[2]
List
editWidth of at least 2 miles (3.2 km)
edit| Tornado | F#/EF#/IF# | Width | Rated by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 Mulhall tornado | F4 | 4.3 miles (6.9 km) | NWS Norman, CSWR, Wurman, OU, Penn State |
| Officially, this tornado was just over 1 mile (1.6 km) wide. A Doppler on Wheels (DOW) mobile radar observed this tornado as it crossed Mulhall. The DOW documented the largest-ever-observed core flow circulation with a distance of 1,600 m (5,200 ft) between peak velocities on either side of the tornado, and a roughly 7 km (4.3 mi) width of peak wind gusts exceeding 43 m/s (96 mph), making the Mulhall tornado the largest tornado ever measured quantitatively.[3] | |||
| 1946 Timber Lake tornado | FU | 4 miles (6.4 km) | USWB |
| The United States Weather Bureau published in 1946 stating the width of the tornado was 4 miles (6.4 km), which would make this the widest tornado ever officially documented in history. However, this is outside the period of reliable documentation accepted by the modern National Weather Service, which is 1950–present.[4] | |||
| 2024 Custer City tornado | EF2 | ~3 miles (4.8 km) | NWS Norman |
| This EF2 tornado, which prompted a tornado emergency for Custer County, Oklahoma,[5] was recorded to have a tornadic damage path of nearly 3 miles wide, despite only having a 1 mi (1.6 km) wide condensation funnel.[6] | |||
| 2013 El Reno tornado | EF3 | 2.6 miles (4.2 km) | NWS Norman, OU |
| This is officially the widest tornado to ever occur, with a width of 2.6 miles (4.2 km) at its peak. This is the width found by the National Weather Service based on preliminary data from University of Oklahoma RaXPol mobile radar that also sampled winds of 296 mph (476 km/h), which was used to upgrade the tornado to EF5.[7] However, it was revealed that these winds did not impact any structures, and as a result the tornado was downgraded to EF3 based on damage.[8] | |||
| 1984 Maxton–Red Springs tornado | F4 | 2.5 miles (4.0 km) | NWS Wilmington, NC |
| The National Weather Service in Wilmington, North Carolina stated this tornado was 2.5 miles (4.0 km) at a point in time.[9] | |||
| 2004 Hallam tornado | F4 | 2.5 miles (4.0 km) | NWS Omaha/Valley |
| Prior to the 2013 El Reno tornado, this tornado held the official record as the widest tornado to ever occur.[10][11] | |||
| 2016 Jiangsu tornado | EF4 | 2.5 miles (4.0 km) | CMA, OU, NJU, Weathernews Inc. |
| This tornado is the widest tornado to ever occur in China and officially is tied as the 2nd widest tornado in history.[12] | |||
| 2020 Bassfield–Soso tornado | EF4 | 2.25 miles (3.62 km) | NWS Jackson, MS |
| This tornado was documented by the National Weather Service in Jackson, Mississippi to have been 2.25 miles (3.62 km) wide, setting the record as the widest tornado to occur in the state of Mississippi.[13] | |||
| 1935 Melbourne tornado | F0 | 2.239 miles (3.603 km) | BoM |
| The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) documented that this weak tornado was 3,603 metres (2.239 mi; 3.603 km) wide.[14] | |||
| 2007 Trousdale tornado | EF3 | 2.2 miles (3.5 km) | NWS Dodge City |
| The high-end EF3 tornado had a recorded width of 2.2 miles (3.5 km).[15] | |||
| 2021 South Moravia tornado | IF4 | 2.2 miles (3.5 km) | ESSL, CHMI, CUNI, Meteopress, SHMU, CU, Geosphere, Austrocontrol, BUT |
| This tornado reached a maximum width of 2.2 miles (3.5 km), setting the record as the widest tornado to ever occur in the Czech Republic and in Europe.[16] | |||
| 2008 Pardeeville tornado | EF2 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan |
| This tornado was extremely wide since the thunderstorm cloud base was very low and the meso-cyclone that is usually aloft was well-formed all the way to the ground. Within a broad 1 to 2 miles (1.6 to 3.2 km) wide area of EF0 to EF1 damage, there were several small swaths of EF2 damage due to multiple votices.[17] | |||
Width of 1–2 miles (1.6–3.2 km)
edit| Tornado | F#/EF#/IF# | Width | Rated by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 Greensburg tornado | EF5 | 1.7 miles (2.7 km) | NWS Dodge City |
| This tornado reached a maximum width of 3,000 yards (1.7 mi; 2.7 km).[18] | |||
| 2021 Western Kentucky tornado | EF4 | 1.47 miles (2.37 km) | NWS Paducah, Marshall, NWS Omaha |
| This long-tracked tornado reached a maximum width of 1.47 miles (2.37 km).[19] | |||
| 2011 Hackleburg–Phil Campbell tornado | EF5 | 1.25 miles (2.01 km) | NWS Huntsville |
| This tornado reached a maximum width of 1.25 miles (2.01 km) while at peak EF5 intensity.[20] | |||
| 2013 Moore tornado | EF5 | 1.1 miles (1.8 km) | NWS Norman, OU, Marshall |
| This tornado reached a maximum width of 1,900 yards (1.1 mi; 1.7 km).[21] | |||
| 2023 Jonesboro tornado | EF2 | 1.095 miles (1.762 km) | NWS Shreveport |
| This tornado reached a maximum width of 1,928 yards (1.095 mi; 1.763 km).[22] | |||
| 2011 Joplin tornado | EF5 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | NWS Springfield |
| This tornado reached a maximum width of 1,760 yards (1.00 mi; 1.61 km).[23] | |||
| 2011 El Reno–Piedmont tornado | EF5 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | NWS Norman |
| This tornado reached a maximum width of 1,760 yards (1.00 mi; 1.61 km).[24] | |||
| 2024 Spaulding–Holdenville tornado | EF3 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | NWS Norman |
| This tornado reached a maximum width of 1,760 yards (1.00 mi; 1.61 km).[25] | |||
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ National Weather Service. "tornadoes FAQ". Louisville, Kentucky: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ World Meteorological Organization (2016). "Tornado: Widest Tornado (maximum diameter)". Arizona State University. United Nations. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ Wurman, Joshua; 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.
- ^ "Severe Local Storms for April 1946". Monthly Weather Review. 74 (4): 73. 1 April 1946. Bibcode:1946MWRv...74...73.. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1946)074<0073:SLSFA>2.0.CO;2.
- ^ "IEM :: Valid Time Event Code (VTEC) App". mesonet.agron.iastate.edu. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
- ^ "The May 19, 2024 Severe Weather Event". National Weather Service Norman, Oklahoma. 21 May 2024.
- ^ "The May 31-June 1, 2013 Tornado and Flash Flooding Event". National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma. Archived from the original on 8 July 2013.
- ^ "Event Details". National Climatic Data Center. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
- ^ National Weather Service. "Carolinas Tornado Outbreak: March 28, 1984". Wilmington, North Carolina: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ "Hallam Nebraska Tornado May 2004". www.weather.gov. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ^ "U.S. News: Breaking News Photos, & Videos on the United States".
- ^ Meng, Zhiyong; Bai, Lanqiang; Zhang, Murong; Wu, Zhifang; Li, Zhaohui; Pu, Meijuan; Zheng, Yongguang; Wang, Xiaohua; Yao, Dan; Xue, Ming; Zhao, Kun; Li, Zhaoming; Peng, Siqi; Li, Liye (1 June 2018). "The Deadliest Tornado (EF4) in the Past 40 Years in China". Weather and Forecasting. 33 (3). American Meteorological Society: 693–713. doi:10.1175/WAF-D-17-0085.1. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ National Weather Service. "2020 Easter Sunday Outbreak". Jackson, Mississippi: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ "Tornado ID: 422". Bureau of Meteorology. Australian Government. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ National Centers for Environmental Information; National Weather Service (2007). "Kansas Event Report: EF3 Tornado". Storm Events Database. Dodge City, Kansas: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ Púčik, Tomáš; Rýva, David; Staněk, Miloslav; Šinger, Miroslav; Groenemeijer, Pieter; Pistotnik, Georg; Kaltenberger, Rainer; Zich, Miloš; Koláček, Jan; Holzer, Alois (July 2024). "The Violent Tornado on 24 June 2021 in Czechia: Damage Survey, Societal Impacts, and Lessons Learned". Weather, Climate, and Society. 16 (3). American Meteorological Society: 411–429. doi:10.1175/WCAS-D-23-0080.1. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ "Wisconsin Event Report: EF2 Tornado". Storm Events Database. National Center for Environmental Information. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ National Weather Service (2007). "Kansas Event Report: EF5 Tornado". Storm Events Database. Dodge City, Kansas: National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ National Weather Service (March 2022). "Kentucky Event Report: EF3 Tornado". Storm Events Database. Paducah, Kentucky: National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ National Weather Service (2017). "EF5 Tornado Track: Franklin(AL) to Franklin(TN)". Huntsville, Alabama: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ Tim Marshall; Kiel Ortega (February 5, 2014). "Damage Survey and Analysis of the 20 May 2013 Newcastle-Moore, OK, EF-5 Tornado". American Meteorological Society. Archived from the original on March 13, 2014. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
- ^ National Weather Service in Shreveport, Louisiana (2023). Louisiana Event Report: EF2 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
- ^ National Weather Service in Springfield, Missouri (17 April 2021). "Commemoration of Joplin, Missouri EF-5 Tornado" (StoryMap). ArcGIS StoryMaps. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- ^ "The May 24, 2011 Tornado Outbreak in Oklahoma". National Weather Service. NOAA. Archived from the original on December 11, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
- ^ National Weather Service (2024). "The April 27-28, 2024 Tornado Outbreak and Flash Flooding Event". Norman, Oklahoma: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.