Board Thread:New on Hypothetical Tornadoes Wiki/@comment-26014793-20161001010612

Hey guys, sorry I've been away for a while (just started senior year at high school). I'm back, and I'm working on my main hypothetical tornado outbreak, the 2024 Super Outbreak of May 26-June 1, 2024. I was wondering if you guys had any opinions. The first point I'd like to get some opinions on is: which tornado from this outbreak do you think was the most violent? I just added some descriptions for some of the very violent tornadoes in the page's tornado table. Which one do you think would be the strongest in real life?

Marshall, MN EF5 - May 28, 46 deaths

Numerous well-anchored brick houses were swept away along the path, over a dozen of which were assessed to have sustained EF5 damage. One house had its step-up concrete porch torn away and shattered, while another had no visible debris left anywhere near the foundation. The main building of the Southwest Minnesota Regional Airport sustained severe damage, with several interior walls demolished and a portion in the middle partially collapsed. Several vehicles were thrown up to 400 yards and mangled beyond recognition, and a large irrigation system originating to the west of Marshall was tossed intermittently for 6 miles. Trees were completely debarked and denuded, and extensive ground scouring occurred along much of the path.

Winona, MN EF4 - May 28, 17 deaths

Officially rated high-end EF4; rating disputed. A 230-tonne internet service tower was blown over and rolled several times, a passenger train car was bounced roughly 120 yards, and a large tugboat was flipped as the tornado reached the Mississippi River. Ground scouring up to 10 inches deep occurred, and an entire grove of trees was completely debarked. One damage survey assigned an EF5 rating.

Auburn, NE EF5 - May 29, 10 deaths

Greatest structural damage was high-end EF4. Rated EF5 based on multiple instances of extreme unconventional damage indicators to the north of Auburn. Corn stalks were shredded, with the husks being peeled back from the ears in some cases, and decorative shrubs and hedges were ripped apart and debarked. Ground scouring up to 18 inches deep occurred in places, and a portion of a dirt road was scoured “from ditch to ditch”.

Gladbrook, IA EF4 - May 29, no deaths

Rated EF5 in initial surveys; rating was subsequently downgraded to EF4 by the National Weather Service office in Des Moines. Small brick houses were cleanly swept away with debris wind-rowed well away from the foundations, trees were completely debarked, and widespread ground scouring occurred.

Slater, MO EF5 - May 29, 18 deaths

Numerous homes, some of which were large, well-built, and anchor-bolted were swept away. At one house, most of the bolts themselves were snapped off. Debris from some obliterated homes was scattered and wind-rowed well away from the foundations, and a bathtub was found embedded deeply into the ground. Many vehicles were thrown up to 700 yards through the air and mangled beyond recognition, with a few stripped down to their frames. A 180-tonne radio mast was snapped in the middle and toppled with its upper half being thrown over 90 yards through the roof of a shopping mall, and a 100,000 gallon water storage tank was tossed 130 yards through the air. Trees were completely debarked and denuded, and a manhole cover was removed from the ground. Extensive ground and pavement scouring occurred as well.

Liberal, KS EF5 - May 30, 26 deaths

Greatest structural damage was high-end EF4. Pronounced ground scouring, 18 inches deep in places, occurred over rural areas, manhole covers were removed from the ground, and a portion of a water supply line was uprooted. Concrete power poles were snapped less than six inches above ground level and dragged along the ground for considerable distances and transmission towers were shredded. A railroad viaduct was demolished with its steel framework being crumpled and shredded, and I-beams being twisted and sheared off at their base in some cases. Additionally, trees were completely debarked and denuded, and extensive wind-rowing of debris occurred.

Woodward, OK EF5 - May 31, 30 deaths

Many large, well-built, and anchor-bolted brick homes were swept cleanly away with plumbing uprooted and destroyed. Debris was wind-rowed well away from the foundations, leaving prominent streaks through nearby fields. One house had its ground floor dislodged and swept away as well, and two of its basement walls collapsed. Debris from some homes was finely granulated. Nearby parked cars were thrown in excess of 0.75 miles (1.2 km) with several stripped down to their frames and one crumpled into a tight ball slightly over three feet across. At a construction site, a front-end loader was tossed 600 yards and crumpled into a ball, an excavator was tossed 450 yards with its body snapped off of the treads, and a steamroller was tossed 500 yards and stripped down to its frame. Additionally, trees were completely debarked and denuded, with several being reduced to small stubs, grass and crops were scoured from the ground along with several inches of soil, and significant pavement scouring occurred.



Red Oak, OK EF4 - May 31, 2 deaths

Officially rated mid-range EF4. Winds were recorded at 261 miles per hour over rural areas. Farmhouses were swept away, and several reinforced wind turbines were destroyed. While EF5 winds were recorded roughly 70 metres above ground level, tornado expert Timothy Marshall stated in a report that “[it is] very possible that EF5 winds reached ground level or near ground level at some point”.

Canadian County, OK EF5 - May 31, 84 deaths

Numerous homes were swept away, many of which were found to have been well-anchored to their foundations with bolts secured with nuts and washers. Basements were left exposed at several houses, with one house sustaining collapse of all four basement walls. Several houses had no visible debris left anywhere near their foundations. Much of the debris along the path was finely granulated. Many cars and trucks were tossed up to 1 mile (1.6 km) and mangled beyond recognition; several were stripped down to their frames and three were found crumpled and wrapped around trees. Between El Reno and Piedmont, a refinery and train yard were struck, where a freight train engine was tossed 600 yards and tanker and boxcars were tossed up to 0.75 miles. Six 75,000-gallon petroleum tanks nearby were destroyed, with four described as being “crumpled like soup cans”. A power substation was leveled, with most of the transformers severely mangled or shredded, and some missing entirely. Additionally, trees were entirely debarked and denuded; many being reduced to stumps, and one large oak tree being uprooted and thrown 80 yards through the air, a curtain rod was found speared into the steel wall of a warehouse, and tremendous ground scouring up to 24 inches deep occurred.

Ardmore, OK EF5 - May 31, 14 deaths

Rated EF5 based on damage at and around the Ardmore Municipal Airport. The main building was mostly demolished, with well over a third near the south side being entirely leveled. Debris from airport buildings was finely granulated. The cabin of a control tower was removed and thrown 300 yards through the air, and several small to mid-sized cargo planes were flipped or tossed short distances. A layer of newly laid asphalt was scoured from the ground, along with over 12 inches of soil beneath it. Two fueling trucks tossed from the airport were never located. Additionally, deep ground scouring occurred over nearly a third of the tornado’s path, and trees were completely debarked and denuded.

Edmonton, Kentucky EF5 - May 31, 11 deaths

A cluster of large brick houses was swept cleanly away, including the ground floor of one house, leaving its basement exposed. Tiles were scoured from the foundations of two other houses. Several vehicles were tossed up to 550 yards, with one van found wrapped around the base of a power pole. At an amusement park, several roller coaster cars were tossed in excess of 1 mile (1.6 km), and the tracks were blown over and pushed out of the park onto a nearby highway. Several trees were completely debarked, pavement was scoured from roads, and a portion of steel roofing from an obliterated warehouse was wedged beneath the asphalt. Extensive ground scouring was noted outside of town as well.

  