Support NeoGAF

[Black Mamba]

holy shit. stay safe OKC gaf. Those are some frightening images.

 

[Lonestar]

All a brick house would do in the situation of a tornado this size, is give the tornado more dangerous debris to work with. I'd hate to see what would happen if a skyscraper got a full bore shot from one of these.

 

[LordCanti]

Looking at the pictures, I'm reminded of the Joplin tornado. We had a line of T-Storm's with a history of tornadic activity come through Kansas City last night, but nothing really came of it. This type of massive destruction is on all of our minds whenever a storm like that comes through, but the closest I've ever come was about half a mile down the road. That was way too close for comfort, but you've just got to be ready to hit the basement at a moments notice.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

My God...I've been thru the Cullman, AL area a couple months after that tornado blitz, and it was nowhere near as horrifying as this.

May the death toll be as small as possible.

 

[VariantX]

Jeezus dude. These tornado-prone areas really ought to stop building their houses with wood.

The only thing that you could do against winds like those is to not be above ground, or not be in the path of the twister. The debris alone in the winds would go through brick like styrofoam.

 

[GaimeGuy]

Jeezus dude. These tornado-prone areas really ought to stop building their houses with wood.

This tornado destroyed houses built entirely out of concrete

 

[Vyroxis]

Thankfully this happened during the day when people were more aware. Something like this at night, most people would be fast asleep. Some may never even hear the sirens.

But good lord, that city is just gone.

 

[Karma Kramer]

This tornado destroyed houses built entirely out of concrete

:/

 

[CountBlack]

That's terrible

Did people know it was coming? Was there a tornado warning much before so they had time to drive the opposite way?

 

[CrankyJay]

Goddamn, a mother and baby killed, trying to get in a freezer. Sitting next to my 6 month old daughter and I can't imagine. =(

 

[HerbertFish]

Ugh, that story about the mom who had to put her baby in the freezer.

 

[NihonTiger90]

That's terrible

Did people know it was coming? Was there a tornado warning much before so they had time to drive the opposite way?

Yeah, there was a heads up; I think some people were able to evacuate.

 

[Pristine_Condition]

wow at the picture. Doesn't help that a lot of American houses seem to be built with mostly wood.

These homes were generally well-build brick homes.

Like I said before, as someone who experienced this in a town I lived in first-hand, and had friends' homes destroyed, when the tornado is this powerful, it doesn't matter.

 

[Froli]

Here's a timelapse video of the tornado moving through the countryside:

http://www.wmctv.com/category/240217/video-landing-page?clipId=8899079&autostart=true

Jesus fucking christ. That is huge

 

[HerbertFish]

All kids accounted for in one school according to local affiliate!

 

[NightmareTrigger]

We got lucky here in Tulsa, storms just went around us, barely any rain.

 

[NihonTiger90]

All kids accounted for in one school according to local affiliate!

I think that's Briarwood Elementary, the other school that was hit.

 

[fierrotlepou]

Goddamn, a mother and baby killed, trying to get in a freezer. Sitting next to my 6 month old daughter and I can't imagine. =(

Ugh, that story about the mom who had to put her baby in the freezer.

Holy fuck, I feel like shit now.

 

[Branduil]

All a brick house would do in the situation of a tornado this size, is give the tornado more dangerous debris to work with. I'd hate to see what would happen if a skyscraper got a full bore shot from one of these.

Given what happened when an F3 tornado hit them, it would likely be very bad.

Fortunately there are very few skyscrapers in tornado alley.

 

[youngwerther]

I'm in Norman, Moore is about 10 miles from here. Unreal.

 

[Pristine_Condition]

Here's a timelapse video of the tornado moving through the countryside:

http://www.wmctv.com/category/240217/video-landing-page?clipId=8899079&autostart=true

Jesus fucking christ. That is huge

Yeah.

Wow, look at how, when it hits the town, the debris cloud expands. Then, in town, you can see the funnel and the debris field "pulsing" (widening and expanding) several times. They say at it's widest it was pulsing between 1 1/2 mi to 2 mi wide. Terrible.

 

[bengraven]

Have we heard anything about the other school yet?

 

[maquiladora]

Jesus...those pieces of metal embedded into the concrete walls of that medical building.

 

[HerbertFish]

Have we heard anything about the other school yet?

They just said kids were being rescued from the rubble there.

 

[ElRenoRaven]

Have we heard anything about the other school yet?

Still working on site. Nothing new since last which was K through 3rd still unaccounted for. And of course the looting bastards are already out.

 

[Chris R]

WTF at the people blaming Obama and HAARP for this?

 

[legacyzero]

The stream is reporting that looting has already begun.

 

[ElRenoRaven]

The stream is reporting that looting has already begun.

Of course. Everywhere you go there is some trash willing to loot instead of fucking help other people. People like that really make me sick.

 

[neoism]

Holy fuck.

Apparently this thing was on the ground for 45 minutes? And it was the strongest kind? And a mile long?

Didnt know that was possible.

twister wasn't all fantasy... they can get insanely big... read on wiki one was on the ground for 4 hours @_@... hope for the best for those people

 

[Boom Boom Pow]

Of course. Everywhere you go there is some trash willing to loot instead of fucking help other people. People like that really make me sick.

now we just gotta find out what skin color are the looters so we can make wild general accusations

 

[ElRenoRaven]

now we just gotta find out what skin color are the looters so we can make wild general accusations

I could not care less what color their skin is. Their still pieces of shit in my opinion.

 

[Vyroxis]

WTF at the people blaming Obama and HAARP for this?

Tin foil hat types think everying is the fault of the government and the top secret mind control waves. They are the worst of the worst.

 

[Vincent Alexander]

No fucking way. CNN had blurb at bottom now saying 2 miles wide.

 

[akira28]

WTF at the people blaming Obama and HAARP for this?

haha you'd think after 30 years they'd have better things to use HAARP for than helping Obama make life harder for the working class white male in middle America.

 

[cajunator]

Tornado path is ridiculously similar to May 1999. You can actually still see the destruction path from 1999 on google maps.

 

[NihonTiger90]

No fucking way. CNN had blurb at bottom now saying 2 miles wide.

That would be near record size. Largest was 2.5 miles wide near Hallam, Nebraska, in 2004.

 

[ElRenoRaven]

Tin foil hat types think everying is the fault of the government and the top secret mind control waves. They are the worst of the worst.

Those are the only people I hate as almost as badly as looters. I've never understood people who will blame the current president for a natural disaster.

 

[thecouncil]

8 to 12 minute warning that it was coming.

 

[NihonTiger90]

Tornado path is ridiculously similar to May 1999. You can actually still see the destruction path from 1999 on google maps.

It follows the path part of the way along I-44 but it went much further east, right into the heavily populated areas in downtown Moore.

 

[Vincent Alexander]

That would be near record size. Largest was 2.5 miles wide near Hallam, Nebraska, in 2004.

My mind can't comprehend that size.

 

[luxarific]

why do you say?

More energy in the environment due to global warming, more energy to generate storms like these.

Those poor folk. I can't even imagine.

 

[speculawyer]

WTF at the people blaming Obama and HAARP for this?

People are stupid and always want a scapegoat to blame.

 

[Baskcm]

jesus mother of god that is something ive never seen before

 

[ElRenoRaven]

Tornado path is ridiculously similar to May 1999. You can actually still see the destruction path from 1999 on google maps.

Yup. For about half the distance traveled it was almost right on it. Then about midway it went more to the east while the May 3rd one went to the north. It's just downright scary how close the path was for half it's time on the ground.

 

[neoism]

The tornado had the diameter of a mile? How rare is that?

The widest tornado ever recorded occurred between Wilber and Hallam, Nebraska. The tornado was 2.5 miles wide.

wow I would say F5's are rare 1 at most a year maybe 2...

 

[Seanspeed]

No fucking way. CNN had blurb at bottom now saying 2 miles wide.

On the ground, it doesn't look it went bigger than maybe 3/4's of a mile wide. I think all the mile-wide/2 mile wide stuff is based on the debris cloud measurements, which are usually top of the funnel-based.

Obviously this was still a massive, massive tornado, but that kind of thing is misunderstood a little and thus misreported.

 

[Eusis]

jesus mother of god that is something ive never seen before

Reminds me of some pictures of bombings in the past, but those actually left some of the structure behind.

I hope the casualty and disruption to life is as minimal as can be, but regardless this is a huge, unexpected tragedy. :/

 

[everyday math]

Reporter on the Weather Channel talking right now needs a break.....sounds like he's gonna loose it. :/

 

[ElRenoRaven]

Tornado path is ridiculously similar to May 1999. You can actually still see the destruction path from 1999 on google maps.

Oh goddamn it. Dumbshit would have to be hanging up a rebel flag while the newscaster is there.

 

[TacticalFox88]

To put the size of that torando in perspective. Line up approx 18 football fields, each endzone to each endzone. That's how WIDE the the thing was, when it was twisting.