2013 Moore tornado

The Moore, Oklahoma Tornado of May 2013

The 2013 Moore tornado was a very violent EF5 tornado that went through Moore, Oklahoma on the afternoon of May 20, 2013. 24 people were killed and 212 others were hurt, and the tornado caused very heavy damage.^[1] It had winds of up to 210 miles per hour (340 km/h).^[2] This tornado reminded people of the similar tornado that struck Moore fourteen years before, in 1999.

The tornado started northwest of Newcastle, Oklahoma, at 2:56 PM local time (Central Daylight Time). The tornado lasted for 37 minutes, and it traveled more than 17 miles. It was also 1.3 miles in diameter at its worst. The tornado passed through the area of Moore with the highest amount of people. The tornado was similar in size, severity, and followed a similar path with a tornado that also struck the town in 1999.

A damaged police car and a destroyed neighborhood caused by the tornado.

2013 Moore Tornado Media

An NWS preliminary comparison of the tracks of the 2013 Moore tornado (red), the 1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado (green), and the 2003 Moore–Choctaw tornado (blue)
An aerial view of cumulonimbus clouds over Oklahoma a couple of hours before the tornado
Timelapse of the Moore tornado via radar images from its formation to dissipation. Note the large debris ball signature.
Extreme vehicle damage and ground scouring at the Celestial Acres horse training area
Meteorologist Tim Marshall surveys a neighborhood that was devastated
The Moore Medical Center and many vehicles left in ruins after the tornado
A large, well-built home that sustained EF5 damage in eastern Moore
An aerial view of destroyed homes in Moore, taken by the Oklahoma National Guard
Over a dozen emergency workers comb through the rubble of Plaza Towers Elementary School
Governor Mary Fallin stands with a family that survived the devastating Moore tornado