A recent tornado in Enid, Oklahoma, might have been more severe than initially thought. New research indicates that the tornado, which occurred on April 23, could have been an EF-5, with wind speeds exceeding 200 mph.
Tornado Details
The tornado started south of Enid around 8:13 p.m. and traveled across Vance Air Force Base and Highway 81 before being upgraded to a tornado emergency at 8:25 p.m. At least 10 injuries were reported, and approximately 40 homes were damaged.
Researchers at the National Severe Storms Laboratory and the University of Illinois conducted several tests to estimate the potential wind speed of the tornado. Their findings, based on a treefall pattern analysis and six sets of constraints, determined the wind speed near Southgate Road. All six experiments produced winds over 205 mph, with a second researcher using different technology to analyze the treefall pattern and determining a max velocity of 210 mph.
A final researcher used calculations of a displaced RV to determine the vertical motion of the tornado and how far the RV was thrown. Those calculations verified that maximum winds would be 204-217 mph, supporting the possibility of an EF-5 tornado.
Original reporting: Oklahoma City News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
