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Moore, OK Tornado 5/20/2013

CT Rain

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OUGrad05

OUGrad05

Posted
Posted

I was thinking the same thing and just noticed this on the NWS SPC:

 

C00tS3U.jpg

Oklahoma County on a per square mile basis has had more tornadoes since 1950 than anywhere else on earth...at least as of 2005 my last year at OU...I'd assume thats likely still true.

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Buckeye05

Buckeye05

Posted
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I think it might be one of those curbs in a parking lot that separate spaces. Not a curb pulled up from the edge of a street.

If that is the case, I would like to point out that the exact same thing happened in Joplin, and was one of the determining factors for the EF5 rating.

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Cajun Thunder

Cajun Thunder

Posted
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Don't local NWS teams call in a special national team to survey an EF 4 that might possibly be an EF 5, with specialized people like Tim Marshall? I don't think it is just a local assessment.

If there's one office with plenty of subject experts available on a moment's notice, it's WFO Norman.

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gabel23

gabel23

Posted
Posted

I think it might be one of those curbs in a parking lot that separate spaces. Not a curb pulled up from the edge of a street.

That would make more sense, I just don't see it being possible to rip a piece of curb from a road.

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RandyHolt

RandyHolt

Posted
Posted

Good discussions on what to do. Modern alerting - you folks here - have increased warning times and thus options. Thank you. 

 

Without a storm shelter, but with the benefit of advanced warnings and the modern day information sources giving close to exact expected paths, all coupled with the benefit of day light to aid in determining a direction to travel,  I feel like I would bug out.

 

Cars in general seem to be safer than ever before, air bags, shatter proof glass, child safety seats, collapse zones etc . If traffic is impassible as you exit your neighborhood, running on foot or riding a bike seem like possible options. Our modern day reliance on the car aside, it does not need to be the only way we can transport ourselves.

 

Others stuck in traffic would certainly let you in their car if the situation grew dire. Others may let you into their homes.  You can try and find a low lying ditch if caught on foot.

 

The width of the heavy damage area seems reasonable enough to be able to get to a safer area given enough time, but of course it is critical to know the general path to safety. 

 

Last minute alert in darkness, I'd think you have to stay home.

 

Thoughts and prayers tonight

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jacindc

jacindc

Posted
Posted

That would make more sense, I just don't see it being possible to rip a piece of curb from a road.

 

It was funny, they had called it a curb a few moments earlier, but when Forbes was trying to talk about it, he totally blanked on the word "curb," and so had to describe it as (paraphrasing) "one of those things in a parking lot that separates spaces." So that's how I knew what he meant. :)

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JoMo

JoMo

Posted
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If that is the case, I would like to point out that the exact same thing happened in Joplin, and was one of the determining factors for the EF5 rating.

 

yeah parking stops were pulled up from St. John's hospital and thrown. The winds required to do that 'are around 205 MPH' according to a wind engineer. 

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NaoPos

NaoPos

Posted
Posted

Good discussions on what to do. Modern alerting - you folks here - have increased warning times and thus options. Thank you.

Without a storm shelter, but with the benefit of advanced warnings and the modern day information sources giving close to exact expected paths, all coupled with the benefit of day light to aid in determining a direction to travel, I feel like I would bug out.

Cars in general seem to be safer than ever before, air bags, shatter proof glass, child safety seats, collapse zones etc . If traffic is impassible as you exit your neighborhood, running on foot or riding a bike seem like possible options. Our modern day reliance on the car aside, it does not need to be the only way we can transport ourselves.

Others stuck in traffic would certainly let you in their car if the situation grew dire. Others may let you into their homes. You can try and find a low lying ditch if caught on foot.

The width of the heavy damage area seems reasonable enough to be able to get to a safer area given enough time, but of course it is critical to know the general path to safety.

Last minute alert in darkness, I'd think you have to stay home.

Thoughts and prayers tonight

You need to educate yourself. Tornadoes can have forward motions up to 60-75mph... you'd have a tough time out running it wih a car....forget the run or bike theory please.

post-810-136910405086.jpg

Modern car windows won't stop a 2x4 traveling 140mph+ ( this case its safe to assume at least ef4 winds of 160mph+)

A car is a last resort. Sometimes, when an ef-4, ef5 is bearing down on you, it might just be your time..

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thewxmann

thewxmann

Posted
Posted

I know this has been commented on before, and I know the odds are still ridiculous of being struck again, but I really think I'd have to think twice about staying if I lived in Moore.  3 major (and 4 if you count the tornado in 1998) tornadoes including  (possibly/preliminary) 2 EF 5 in less than 20 years?  The chances of that have to be absolutely astronomical.  Not to mention even if you weren't in the path of any new storms, if you were under a watch or a PDS watch, I don't know how you could make it through the day without thinking you're gonna get nailed and have a nervous breakdown.  I'd have to seriously think about relocating.  Couldn't imagine going through this time after time.

 

The whole area around OKC is ridiculously prone to tornadoes. Yesterday and 5/24/11 were near disasters for OKC. 5/10/10 could've been a lot worse given the parameters in place (though two EF4's in the metropolitan area was still bad). Then count the other events: 6/13/98, 10/4/98, 5/3/99, 5/8/03, 5/9/03, 4/13/12, and today. I'm probably missing a lot too. And this is just in the past 15 years. 

 

Given the rapid population increase in the OKC area, the amount of urban sprawl, and the rapid return rate of significant tornadoes in this area, I wouldn't be surprised if another mass casualty event occurs within the next 20 years.

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andyhb

andyhb

Posted
Posted

The whole area around OKC is ridiculously prone to tornadoes. Yesterday and 5/24/11 were near disasters for OKC. 5/10/10 could've been a lot worse given the parameters in place (though two EF4's in the metropolitan area was still bad). Then count the other events: 6/13/98, 10/4/98, 5/3/99, 5/8/03, 5/9/03, 4/13/12, and today. I'm probably missing a lot too. And this is just in the past 15 years. 

 

Given the rapid population increase in the OKC area, the amount of urban sprawl, and the rapid return rate of significant tornadoes in this area, I wouldn't be surprised if another mass casualty event occurs within the next 20 years.

 

Agree with this, it's another warning sign to the DFW metroplex as well (along with May 15th event).

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gabel23

gabel23

Posted
Posted

You need to educate yourself. Tornadoes can have forward motions up to 60-75mph... you'd have a tough time out running it wih a car....forget the run or bike theory please.

attachicon.gifImageUploadedByTapatalk1369104050.225787.jpg

Modern car windows won't stop a 2x4 traveling 140mph+ ( this case its safe to assume at least ef4 winds of 160mph+)

A car is a last resort. Sometimes, when an ef-4, ef5 is bearing down on you, it might just be your time..

 

It was crazy hearing the met from ch. 4 saying get in your car and drive away if you can't get under ground, you think about it that was the best option in this case. Just like someone said earlier, hind sight is 20/20; in this case I would have taken my chance of trying to get away after seeing the aftermath.

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OUGrad05

OUGrad05

Posted
Posted

Anyone watching the KFOR feed? Want to comment on the met's discussion just now of Fujita vs EF? (He came down firmly on Fujita, but then said an F5 was 255-318 mph? [deleted the rest, I'm an idiot])

I know Mike Morgan is not alone in his thoughts.  I tend to be a bigger fan of the old scale because it seems to more accurately reflect what it takes to destroy various structures...but again I'm no scientist and supposedly the EF scale is the "better" scale.

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mempho

mempho

Posted
Posted

Why were these kids in Moore not on buses headed straight south instead of just having them sit there and wait for it?  This is another one of those long-track tornados with loads of warning time and people just had schools full of kids just sit and wait on it.  I don't care what anyone says, this is about the dumbest idea I've ever heard.  I wouldn't care what the official "policy" was.

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