EF5 Tornado Damaged Cars in Oklahoma

1 Comment

In terms of weather, May was a pretty bad month for Oklahoma citizens with dozens of dangerous tornadoes bombarding the state. Two of these tornadoes were especially devastating including one that struck Moore, Oklahoma on May 20th, 2013 and another that tore through El Reno, OK on May 31st. Although the tornado damage cost from both of these twisters is likely to well surpass 2 billion dollars; the real tragedy is the fact that hundreds were injured and 33 people perished with an additional 11 from flash flooding.

The tornado damage cars that are pictured below were taken in Moore, Oklahoma about a week after the deadly tornado struck. Many Oklahomans do not have basements due to the volatility of the soil making it fairly costly to properly engineer basements. Some Oklahoman’s have storm cellars or safe rooms made from thick concrete or steel, although the percentage that do not have a storm shelter on there premises is actually quite high. If you don’t have a below ground area or storm shelter to get to then you are told to go to an interior room such as a bathroom or a storage closet and cover your head. Both the El Reno and Moore tornadoes were rated as EF5, which is the most powerful classification for tornadoes with wind speeds of over 200 mph. Unfortunately the force from EF5 tornadoes is so great that it will likely level an entire structure, unless it is unusually fortified. Therefore, being in an interior room as instructed won’t necessarily keep you safe as it likely would for less powerful twisters. If you live in tornado alley (basically anywhere east of the Rocky Mountains) then make sure to have a good tornado safety plan in place. If you don’t have one then make friends with your neighbor who does. Ideally you will have your own storm shelter or basement, as sometimes tornadoes can develop quickly and without formal warnings and can even exist without a visible funnel on the ground.

According to AccuWeather meteorologist Mike Smith, Central Oklahoma has more tornadoes per square mile than any place else on Earth. The storm system that hit El Reno produced two rare tornadoes including the widest ever recorded at 2.6 miles (responsible for the major damage and deaths) and another smaller tornado that was anticyclonic, or in other words spun the opposite direction of most tornadoes. The cities of El Reno and Moore are both suburbs of Oklahoma City, which is considered to be the most tornado prone urban city in the world. Unfortunately the state of Oklahoma particularly provides an ideal climate for tornadoes to form due to the clash between warm, moist air from the Gulf coast and cold air from the Rockies and even as far as Canada. Although Oklahoma is prone to these potentially deadly tornadoes, it is hailed by its proud citizens as a wonderful place to live. As with any area that is prone to natural disasters, such as nearly the entire state of California (earthquakes, landslides, wildfires, floods, tsunamis, etc) people simply need to take appropriate precautions when poor weather approaches.

We hope that you enjoyed learning about the recent tornado activity that has plagued this state and seeing the EF5 tornado damaged cars from Moore, Oklahoma. If you are moved by the severe tornado damage to cars then we suggest that you check out RedCross.org to learn more about how you can help with clean-up and support efforts.