2013 El Reno tornado facts for kids
| EF3 tornado | |
|---|---|
View of the tornado from the southeast at 6:28 p.m. CDT (2328 UTC) as it was nearing peak strength
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| Type | Tornado |
| Formed | May 31, 2013, 6:03 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Duration | 40 minutes |
| Dissipated | May 31, 2013, 6:43 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Max rating1 | EF3 tornado |
| Highest winds |
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| Damage | $35–40 million (estimate) |
| Total fatalities | 8 fatalities, 151 injuries |
| Areas affected | Canadian County, Oklahoma; especially areas to the south of El Reno |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale Part of the tornado outbreak of May 26–31, 2013 | |
The 2013 El Reno tornado was a very powerful and wide tornado. It happened on May 31, 2013, near the city of El Reno, Oklahoma in central Oklahoma. This tornado was special because it was the widest tornado ever recorded on Earth. It also had some of the strongest winds ever found inside a tornado.
Scientists used a special tool called a mobile Doppler radar to measure the winds. They found winds as fast as 296 miles per hour. These winds were almost as strong as the fastest winds ever measured in a tornado, which were 301 miles per hour. That tornado happened on May 3, 1999, near Bridge Creek, Oklahoma.
Contents
What Was the El Reno Tornado?
The El Reno tornado was part of a larger group of storms. These storms hit the Oklahoma City area in late May 2013. Tornadoes are spinning columns of air that connect a thunderstorm to the ground. They can cause a lot of damage.
This particular tornado formed quickly. It lasted for about 40 minutes. During that time, it grew to an incredible size. It became a record-breaking storm.
A Record-Breaking Storm
The 2013 El Reno tornado was unique because of its massive width. At its largest, the tornado was 2.6 miles (4.2 kilometers) wide. Imagine a path of destruction that wide! This made it the widest tornado ever measured.
Its huge size meant it covered a very large area. This made it especially dangerous. It was hard to know where the edges of the tornado were.
How Strong Was It?
Even though the tornado had incredibly strong winds, it was officially rated as an EF3 tornado. The EF scale measures tornado strength based on the damage it causes. An EF3 tornado causes severe damage.
However, the high wind speeds measured by radar were much stronger. They were close to EF5 level. An EF5 is the strongest rating on the scale. This difference shows how hard it can be to rate tornadoes. Sometimes, the strongest winds happen in open fields. If there are no buildings to damage, the official rating might be lower.
What Damage Did It Cause?
The El Reno tornado caused a lot of damage. It mostly affected areas south of El Reno. Many homes and buildings were destroyed. The total cost of damages was estimated to be between $35 million and $40 million.
Sadly, this tornado also caused fatalities and injuries. Eight people lost their lives. This included three storm chasers. These brave people study tornadoes up close. They help us learn more about these powerful storms. About 151 people were also injured.
Images for kids
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Satellite imagery of the storm system responsible for the May 26–31, 2013 tornado outbreak at 6:10 p.m. CDT
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Phased array radar (reflectivity; click to animate) of the series of supercell thunderstorms that impacted the Oklahoma City metropolitan area on May 31.
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The supercell thunderstorm which produced the El Reno tornado as viewed from above.
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Satellite image of the Oklahoma City area on June 2 displaying the ground scar left behind by the tornado.
See also
In Spanish: Tornado de El Reno de 2013 para niños
