1999 May 3 Bridge Creek - Moore Oklahoma Tornado part 2 of 2

[Joseph4675]

I remember living in a little city called Ada Oklahoma during this time. I was in like 7th grade at the time and all the churches in Oklahoma were sending convoys and vans of food and supply to aid the people who were victim of this tornado. I can remember driving into the city with my dad and the destruction that I saw is engraved in my mind like stone. Whole neighborhoods were gone, nothing left but concrete driveways. Brand new cars off car lots sticking out of random buildings. So scary.

[tearpixy]

@manxkittie Not surprising since it was an EF5.  ;)

[tearpixy]

@dragonridley is right, there is no EF6 because an EF5 tornado does so much damage that a higher rating is unnecessary. EF5 twisters will rip a building to tiny shreds and leave behind nothing but the cement foundation and fling whatever's left of the building over the next half mile. An EF6 would basically have to dig a hole in the ground to be worse than an EF5. The rating system is there to inform people of what level of damage to prepare for, rather than giving approximate wind speed.

[manxkittie]

@tearpixy . It did dig ditches into the ground! That is a fact. I lived through that tornado. I was on the road right next to it in Newcastle. It measured as an Earthquake on Norman, OK's richtor scale!

[ferrarimike23]

I know people in cars think there invincible

They just drive straight tward it

[tankdogg937]

Retarded folks continue driving toward it like it's nothing.

I would of busted a U-Turn and headed the complete opposite way at a high rate of speed.

Not taking any chances.

[M44resto]

@tankdogg937 This is typical of most Oklahomans behind the wheel of a car. Borderline retarded. Try just driving home from work around here and you'll see what I mean.

[DjHardaFasta]

i wonder how extreme the weather conditions where that day and why it doesnt do it every year?? now that the EF scale has been made there is room for an EF6 as its based on wind speed aswell EF5 is anything over 200mph so even if there was a 400mph tornado itll still be classed as EF5 and scientists beleive anything over 350mph is practicly impossible as there isnt enough energy in the atmosphere to produce it. much like we need infinite energy to break the speed of light its impossible.

[dragonridley]

@DjHardaFasta

The Enhanced Fujita scale estimates wind speed based on damage done but does not use direct measurements. The damage done by each tornado category is still the same (i.e. EF5 damage=F5 damage) since EF5 damage is total destruction, there still is no room for an EF6 category.

[cryhwks]

@DjHardaFasta The chances for rain/storms was 20% on this day.

[yellowfish32]

@cryhwks Shut the front door.Are you serious?It always rains during a tornado.

[xPH3NOMv4x]

there has been much specalation that The tornados of Xenia, and the tri state tornado may have had faster winds then this tornado considering its destruction but u also have the factor technoligy and structures are built better now so its a go figure

[Stewie7629]

Do you know if that was the record breaking tornado of 1999? Was the a truck with a doppler on top there? It looks like the 318 mph tornado.

[Antwancool]

Yes it was. Please refer to the information box concerning this video clip (at the top right).

[chicagomarchingbands]

those people were driving like...nothing was there lol

[RobertPrentice]

I was dumbfounded that motorists were driving towards the tornado when it was crossing I-35 in Moore. Couldn't they see all the power flashes and debris flying? One trucker and a car slammed on their breaks just a few seconds before they drove into it! Damn smart move! <;-) I just wish my SVHS camcorder wasn't malfunctioning during this critical period. I trashed it after this day.

[ncheel231976]

Even though the camera was messing up it is still impressive footage. I thought that I had seen all of YouTube's Moore Tornado footage, but it just shows to go ya. Thanks for posting and keep up the good work!

[spenceredwin]

i remember the tornado back in 1901. it was strong.

[prljamrlz]

Holy crap...I-35 and 12th street...that's just a few blocks from where I live now. Damn, I hate this town.

[spenceredwin]

me to!!!!!

[prljamrlz]

Awesome! Maybe we've run into each other at Crest and not known it, ha ha!

[horseluver1394]

I hated that day.

[jarocho7]

this is the most destructive tornado at the history, is the biggest F5

[ProfessorIgor]

not even close actually... it is the strongest tornado in history, but not the most destructive. That title (still) goes to the Tri-State tornado on 1925.

[jrwel14]

But, the tri-state happened when they didn't have the radar, storm spotters, helicopters, etc that this one did. That's why the tornadoes that had the most fatalities happened before the 1940's.

[mustwinder]

It's almost like an F-6, with 318MPH winds, if it's the one I'm thinking of. Had there been no warnings of any kind, this would have killed thousands.

[spenceredwin]

actually f6

[dragonridley]

There is no such thing as an F6.

[SverdIFjell]

technically, no there isnt. But the wind speeds of the May 3rd 1999 tornadoes were classified as F6 wind speeds because the size and wind speeds of those tornadoes broke the old F5 limits.

[dragonridley]

They did not break the F5 wind speed estimates. F5 wind speed estimates are 261-318mph, the winds in the Moore F5 were measured at 302 mph 32 meters off the ground. Even if the winds were over 318 mph the scale is based on damage, not windspeed, therefore the measurement is irrelevant.

[SverdIFjell]

This tornado's remarkable wind speed (at the high extreme of the Fujita Scale's F5) led to much speculation that the scale would be modified to include an F6 category, due to the winds possibly exceeding 320 mph (515 km/h).

[dragonridley]

The scale is based on damage, not windspeed. F5 damage is complete destruction. There is no room for a higher category.

[britainmalbangkok]

@dragonridley Dude, the winds hit 318, which is the end of F5 rating, but it is still an F5.

[dragonridley]

@britainmalbangkok

I actually did a bit of research. Apparently, the initial data that came from the radar it said 318. But when they filtered it for errors etc, the result was bit lower.

[britainmalbangkok]

@dragonridley What was the correct speed then?

[dragonridley]

@britainmalbangkok

302 mph from what I've found.

[britainmalbangkok]

@dragonridley still the strongest on earth.

[dragonridley]

@britainmalbangkok

Indeed. I believe the record before that was 287.

[britainmalbangkok]

@dragonridley Yes, that one was from the 1991 Red Rock Tornado.

[lateintheday2007]

Part 1- was amazing that you caught it as it lifted. It was so darn big! Part 2-Is this the same one? Is it a different tornado? You can see that the traffic lights were out toward the end.

Thanks for posting these vids.