2013 Moore tornado facts for kids
The 2013 Moore tornado was a very violent EF5 tornado that went through Moore, Oklahoma on the afternoon of May 20, 2013. It killed at least 23 people and hurt 377 others, and caused very heavy damage. It had winds of up to 210 miles per hour (340 km/h). This tornado reminded people of the similar tornado that struck Moore fourteen years before, in 1999.
The tornado started northwest of Newcastle, Oklahoma, at 2:56 PM local time (Central Daylight Time). The tornado lasted for 37 minutes, and it traveled more than 17 miles. It was also 1.3 miles in diameter at its worst. The tornado passed through the area of Moore with the highest amount of people. The tornado was similar in size, severity, and followed a similar path with a tornado that also struck the town in 1999.
Images for kids
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Comparison between the preliminary tornado track (red), the 1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado (green), and the 2003 Moore–Choctaw tornado (blue); graphic produced by the National Weather Service Norman, Oklahoma.
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Radar images of the Moore tornado with a debris ball and signature hook echo.
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Extreme vehicle damage and ground scouring at the Celestial Acres horse training area.
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Meteorologist Tim Marshall surveys a neighborhood that was devastated.
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The Moore Medical Center and many vehicles left in ruins after the tornado.
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A large, well-built home that sustained EF5 damage in eastern Moore.
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Aerial view of a destroyed neighborhood to east of Interstate 35, taken by the Oklahoma National Guard.
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Over a dozen emergency workers comb through the rubble of Plaza Towers Elementary School.
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Governor Mary Fallin stands with a family that survived the devastating Moore tornado.
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President Barack Obama talks on the phone to Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin in the Oval Office.
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Major structural damage at Briarwood Elementary School.
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The damage from the tornado was still evident one month later.
