blackjack123

-56F wind chill Milwuakee on January 10, 1982.

Here is the record for Chadron, Nebraska. https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KCDR/1989/12/21/DailyHistory.html?req_city=&req_state=&req_statename=&reqdb.zip=&reqdb.magic=&reqdb.wmo= I think it is likely Kansas has had -50F or colder WC's just no records to indicate it. My dad told me he had a temperature of -19F wind winds blowing between 25 and 35 mph in Emporia back in 1983. However no records to confirm it. He had a wind chill of possibly -50F to -52F(-72F to -77F using old formula).

On February 5, 1982 at 6:43 am there is an unknown temperature with a wind speed of 16.1 mph. So depending on whether the temp was -22F or -23F it would make the WC -48F or -50F. Most Kansas offices have no good records but Goodland has some really good records. https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KGLD/1982/2/5/DailyHistory.html?req_city=&req_state=&req_statename=&reqdb.zip=&reqdb.magic=&reqdb.wmo=

I found this for Mansfield, Ohio on January 20, 1985. The temp was -22.0F with a wind speed of 24.2 mph creating a WC value of -53.1F. https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KMFD/1985/1/20/DailyHistory.html?req_city=&req_state=&req_statename=&reqdb.zip=&reqdb.magic=&reqdb.wmo=

What is the coldest wind chill ever recorded in Kansas using the new WC formula?

I have also had wondered that for some time for I have mentioned it before. It seems like one area in parts of a tornado may have winds that are non existent but like maybe a few feet away from that area winds of 200 mph or more. It may explain why some well-built buildings are completely swept away but a pole or some object you would have expected to be destroyed as well remains untouched.

I gave $20 for the Reading tornado victims to our hospital here in Emporia where I work. I sent $25 through Red Cross to the Joplin but may send a little bit more through Salvation Army around another $25 when I get paid Thursday. I wish I could send a huge donation but I am not exactly rich. God bless them people in Joplin.

I personally met Jeff a few years ago when storm chasing with a few other guys. He is a really nice guy but he is way out there when it comes to chasing tornadoes.

That is a very impressive picture but also very scary. I wonder if that is EF5 damage.

It is just my personal guess on the Greensburg and Parkersburg/New Hartford tornadoes as well as the other EF5's in April. I am far from being expert it is just my personal opinion.

I would probably would say the lower value of 225mph would probably seem like the more appropriate value. That one tech building JoMo showed in damage photos was clearly at least EF4(180mph) and probably EF5(200-220mph). These more recent tornadoes such as the one in Hackleburg may have winds around 220mph, as well as the Smithville and Philadelphia tornadoes. The Parkersburg tornado if you used the upper bound on a well-built home that was swept away that would be 220mph. Greensburg had EF5 damage to about six victorian homes that were swept away as well as the brick buildings being crushed into rubble I would estimate around 210-220mph. Like I said winds are winds and its only an estimate in association to the damage produced.

That tornado came out of nowhere from an area I never would have suspected. 13 miles is not extremely long tracked but still the tornado was able to annihilate parts of Joplin and live not as long as I would think. The conditions that day were favorable for strong tornadoes but I never would have suspected a tornado of that magnitude in the area it was at. There was a 10% hatched area for strong tornadoes in Joplin. It also probably wasnt favorable for extremely long-lived tornadoes but the Joplin tornado was very violent and something you would not expect. I have heard of a few times strong tornadoes in lower risk days but like I said this tornado was extremely violent. It seems very real now that a mile-wide EF5 tornado could take a 30-40 mile path through downtown Dallas during the middle of rush hour traffic killing thousands of people. I would hate to think something like this would happen but ever since this tornado in Joplin it seems very possible.

The whole thing on the Joplin tornado just blows my mind. I know its not impossible because it has happened in Joplin. How is it that a tornado of this magnitude live for not even 10 minutes, be on the ground for only 7 miles, max out at EF5 over Joplin, and destroy that beautiful city? I mean it is just beyond my comprehension how a tornado could destroy that much of that city and kill over 100 people in such little time. It is just truly scary and unthinkable.

Dont mean to get off topic but if a mile-wide EF5 tornado is referred to as a monster then what would you consider a rope EF5 tornado?

Yes I believe it was Tim. The aerial view of damage was amazing

It makes me wonder if a rope tornado(<100 yds wide) could move along the ground at 70+mph and still do EF5 damage. Has anything like that ever occured?

The death toll has exceeded 300 according to CNN. ~305 fatalities.

Here is some comparisons though not quite as widespread as what was in Parkersburg. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/image/dmx/ParkersburgSvcAssmntfinal.pdf

Aerials look like what the Parkersburg tornado did in 2008. It is really hard to tell the difference because this tornado was rated high-end EF4 but the Parkersburg tornado was rated EF5. I also believe the Parkesburg/New Hartford tornado did more ground scouring, tree debarking, and sweeping homes even more clean from their foundations than this tornado.

I dont know about that but this will defenitely be in the top 10 deadliest tornado outbreaks of all time. Fatalities and injuries are probably close to the same as in the 1974 Superoutbreak. There will probably more tornadoes confirmed but I dont believe there will be as many violent tornadoes confirmed from this outbreak as in 1974. Hard to compare both because they were beyond devastating.

I have never heard of NWS rating a tornado an EF4 with winds of 190 mph before. It sounds right to me although by the description of the damage (180-190 mph winds).

I might say EF4 based on the damage and also that depends on the construction. If I had to do this survey I might start with EF3-EF4 and if I think any of this damage might qualify as an EF5 I would get several experts opinions before rating it that.