Latest news with #EnhancedFujita
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
May Tornado Outbreak Spawned EF4s In Kentucky, Illinois; Over 150 Twisters Confirmed In Midwest, South and East
Another multiday, deadly severe weather outbreak spawned over 150 tornadoes in 22 states, along with damaging thunderstorm winds and hail from the Plains to the Midwest, South and East, including the most active day for severe weather so far in 2025. A total of 156 tornadoes were either sighted by spotters or confirmed by the National Weather Service in this outbreak from May 15 through the morning of May 21. Of those, 39 were categorized as "strong" tornadoes, those that produced at least EF2 damage on the Enhanced Fujita scale from which tornadoes are rated and peak winds are estimated. That total tornado tally is likely to change slightly in the coming days, as damage surveys by National Weather Service meteorologists are still being conducted. In addition to the tornadoes, there were over 2,000 reports of large hail and either damaging or strong thunderstorm wind gusts during the outbreak. Over 700 of those reports were from Friday May 16 into early morning on Saturday May 17, alone. Two of these tornadoes were rated EF4, a threshold the NWS classifies as violent tornadoes. Twisters this strong aren't rare, but they make up a small fraction of America's yearly tornado tally. From zero to six EF4 tornadoes occurred in the U.S. annually from 2015 through 2024. The first violent tornado tracked through southern Illinois' Williamson County on the evening of May 16. Along its almost 17-mile path, one two-story home south of Marion was swept clean off its foundation, with just stubs of trees left behind the home by winds estimated up to 190 mph. Luckily, the residents of the home weren't there at the time. This was the strongest tornado to impact the region served by the National Weather Service's Paducah, Kentucky, office since the Dec. 10, 2021, outbreak. The other violent tornado tore a 60-mile path across Russell, Pulaski and Laurel Counties, Kentucky, in almost 90 minutes late on the night of May 16. Heavy damage was reported in parts of the cities of London and Somerset, with homes "wiped clean from their foundations" in London's Sunshine Hills subdivision, where 17 people were killed, according to the NWS damage survey. Peak winds were estimated at 170 mph. Two others were killed by the tornado in Russell and Pulaski Counties. That made this tornado the deadliest in the area served by the NWS-Jackson, Kentucky, office. There were three other deadly tornadoes on May 16. First, an afternoon EF3 tornado tore through the north side of the St. Louis metro area, killing five and injuring 38. Over 5,000 buildings were damaged in the city. The tornado crossed the Mississippi River and tracked through Granite City and Pontoon Beach, Illinois, before ending its almost 23-mile journey in the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville campus. It was the strongest tornado in St. Louis since the April 22, 2011 EF4 that hit Bridgeton and Lambert International Airport. Other deadly tornadoes included an EF3 just north of Sikeston, Missouri (2 killed), and an EF2 in Greene County, Indiana (1 killed), both on May 16. Notable long-track tornadoes included a 35-mile path carved by an EF2 tornado south of Bloomington, Indiana, on May 16 and a 32-mile path in south-central Kansas on May 18. May 15 Among over 30 tornadoes, 15 of those were in Wisconsin, including four rated EF2. Two of those occurred in Dodge County, striking the towns of Juneau and Mayville. Eleven other tornadoes - all rated EF0 or EF1 - touched down in Lower Michigan. May 16 As mentioned earlier, this was the most active 24-hour period for severe weather during this extended siege, including an EF1 tornado that started in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, then crossed Interstates 95 and 895, damaging several warehouses before ending in the Dundalk Historic District. More bizarre that afternoon was a cloud of dirt and dust whipped up by outflow winds from thunderstorms over central Illinois and pushed northeastward into Chicagoland, northwest Indiana and even parts of Lower Michigan. This reduced visibility to zero in some outlying areas of Illinois, forcing some roads to close. According to the National Weather Service, it was believed to be the first dust storm to affect Chicago since May 31, 1985, which was also the day of a prolific tornado outbreak in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Ontario. The NWS also said it was the strongest Chicago dust storm since the Dust Bowl (May 10, 1934). May 18 NWS-Boulder noted two of the landspout tornadoes east and southeast of Denver were unusually strong, both rated EF2 in northeast Elbert County and northeast of Bennett in far eastern Adams County. The west side of Grinnell, Kansas, was struck by a slow-moving EF3 tornado that tracked only about 8 miles in 30 minutes. Greensburg, Kansas, leveled by an EF5 tornado in May 2007, was fortunate that three EF3 tornadoes on May 18 all remained either south or east of the town. A family of tornadoes spun up from a supercell in far northwest Oklahoma near Arnett. One of those produced at least EF2 damage, and hail up to the size of grapefruits was also reported. May 19-21 Among the roughly 60 tornadoes from May 19 into the early morning of May 21, several of these stood out. An EF1 tornado on May 19 in Dodge Co., Nebraska, downed a tree on a home and sliced it in two, narrowly missing a man. And on May 20, a rare tornado emergency - the highest level of tornado warning from the National Weather Service - was issued before an EF2 tornado slammed into Madison, Alabama, near Huntsville. Another EF2 tornado in eastern Madison County was one of at least seven north Alabama twisters on May 20. Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
5 Violent EF4 Tornadoes Have Now Hit The US In 2025. Is That Unusual?
Five tornadoes rated EF4 have struck the U.S. so far in 2025 after two more were confirmed following the most recent siege of severe weather in mid-May. Tornadoes in the violent category like these makeup less than 1% of twisters this century, so how does this year's number stack up compared to the average? -Defining Violent Tornadoes: While all tornadoes are dangerous, meteorologists reserve "violent" for those with the two highest ratings on the Enhanced-Fujita scale - EF4 or EF5. That's because these strongest tornadoes are capable of devastating damage, such as crushing and throwing vehicles, leveling well-built homes, even sweeping foundations clean. These select few tornadoes are estimated to have peak winds of 166 mph or higher. -This Year's EF4 Tornadoes: Two of them struck northern Arkansas on the night of March 14. The following day, EF4 damage was found from a tornado that tracked from Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, to Covington County, Mississippi. May 16 had two EF4s, one south of Marion, Illinois, and another that devastated parts of Pulaski and Laurel counties in southeast Kentucky. -More Than The 10-Year Average: There have been anywhere from zero to six EF4-rated tornadoes each year from 2015 through 2024, so this year is on the higher end of that range for the past decade. The average over that time is about 3 per year, which is 2 fewer than we've seen in 2025. -Two Outlier Years: Looking farther back in time to when the Enhanced Fujita scale was implemented in early 2007, there have been as been as many as 23 violent tornadoes in 2011 and 13 in 2010. Those two outlier years skew the average higher to about 5 to 6 EF4 tornadoes per year since 2007. -Violent Tornadoes Are Overwhelmingly Deadlier: From 2007 through 2024, this tiny fraction of tornadoes was responsible for more than half of all U.S. tornado deaths. 828 people were killed by EF4 or EF5 tornadoes in that time compared to 649 for all tornadoes rated EF0 to EF3, combined. -Top States: It should come as no surprise where violent tornadoes occur most often. From 1950 through 2024, the conventional Plains "Tornado Alley" states of Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa and Kansas had the largest number of violent tornadoes. Elevated violent tornado counts also extend eastward into the Ohio Valley and a southern corridor that includes Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. -No EF5s In More Than A Decade: The last one to reach this rating hit Moore, Oklahoma, in the Oklahoma City metro area on May 20, 2013. -Why So Long?: A recent study found that may be due as much to the more stringent engineering criteria of the Enhanced Fujita scale compared to the pre-2007 Fujita scale. In essence, it appears a destroyed building had to be built beyond standard construction codes to be rated EF5 today. -An Example This Year: The photo below shows a two-story home built in 2003 that was completely swept away by a tornado that struck south of Marion, Illinois, May 16, 2025. Given nothing is left, it might make you immediately think it should be an EF5. The National Weather Service storm survey stated, "The extreme tree stubbing combined with the typical construction methods of the home support a peak wind speed rating of 190 mph". Since the home had typical construction methods, the damage was just short of what can be rated as an EF5, which contains winds greater than 200 mph. Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with for nearly 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s. Senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman contributed to this report.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
On This Date: The Moore, Oklahoma, EF5 Tornado
May in the central and Southern Plains is a notoriously volatile month for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, as recent history has illustrated. On May 20, 2013, 12 years ago today, a supercell thunderstorm spawned an intense tornado that tore a 14-mile path from Newcastle to the city of Moore and the south side of Oklahoma City. This up to 1.1-mile wide violent tornado claimed 24 lives, injured another 212 during its 40-minute rampage through central Oklahoma. Seven of those deaths occurred at Plaza Towers Elementary School, when a wall collapsed. Over 300 homes sustained at least EF4 damage, according to the NWS-Norman survey. Damage to nine of those homes, however, was rated EF5, the highest level on the Enhanced Fujita scale for tornado damage. Each of those homes were swept off their foundations. Damage to the Briarwood Elementary School a second school hit that day, was also rated EF5. Miraculously, no deaths occurred at this second school. Damage from the tornado was at least $2 billion. Twelve years later, it remains the most recent tornado to be rated EF5 in the U.S. A recent study found that may be due as much to the more stringent engineering criteria of the Enhanced Fujita scale compared to the pre-2007 Fujita scale. In essence, it appears a destroyed building had to be built beyond standard construction codes to be rated EF5 today. Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
EF2 tornado confirmed in western Wisconsin; St. Louis struck by large twister
National Weather Service crews have determined that a tornado that spun through western Wisconsin on Thursday was fairly strong, having been given a preliminary EF2 rating. "Our survey crew has confirmed a preliminary rating of EF2 damage for the tornado that touched down just southeast of New Richmond, WI (NW of Hammond)," the National Weather Service said. "More information will be released as we finalize the damage assessment." Specifics about the tornado haven't been released, but an EF2 tornado packs winds between 111-135 mph, according to the Enhanced Fujita scale. EF0: 65-85 mph (light damage). EF1: 86-110 mph (moderate damage). EF2: 111-135 mph (significant damage). EF3: 136-165 mph (severe damage). EF4: 166-200 mph (devastating damage). EF5: 201+ mph (incredible damage). According to NOAA, most tornadoes are classified as "weak," with wind speeds 100 mph or less. "Some tornadoes intensify further and become strong or violent. Strong tornadoes last for twenty minutes or more and may have winds of up to 200 mph, while violent tornadoes can last for more than an hour with winds between 200 and 300 mph! These violent tornadoes are rare in occurrence," NOAA says. Damage assessments haven't been revealed for a confirmed tornado that hit near Benson in west-central Minnesota on Thursday. Meanwhile, St. Louis, Missouri, didn't avoid a tornado on Friday like Minneapolis did on Thursday. Minneapolis was in a tornado warning, but nothing touched down. In St. Louis, a large tornado touched down and produced damage through the heart of the city on Friday afternoon. The severe weather outbreak in Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and surrounding areas on Friday is part of a more active pattern that Bring Me The News meteorologist Sven Sundgaard wrote about.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Tuesday marks 45 years since the 1980 Kalamazoo tornado
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — May 13, 2025, marks the 45th anniversary of the 1980 Kalamazoo tornado. The F3 tornado touched down just after 4 p.m. on a Tuesday. The tornado stayed on the ground for approximately 11 miles or right around 22 minutes. The path of damage was quite intense, leaving behind 47 destroyed homes and 216 damaged homes. Lookback: The deadly Kalamazoo tornado of 1980 The National Weather Service out a tornado watch and warning with an approximately 10-minute lead time. Regardless, five people were killed and 79 injured, most of them in downtown Kalamazoo. The damage in Kalamazoo County was estimated at $50 million. Adjusted for inflation, that's nearly $190 million in today's dollars. The Enhanced Fujita scale took over as the tornado ranking system on Feb. 1, 2007. This replaced the former Fujita scale to help better assess the damage and correlate wind speeds to each level on the scale. EF3 tornadoes are quite rare across the state of Michigan. The only EF3 tornado to touch down in the last decade was in . Before that, it was in March of 2021 in Washtenaw County. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
