El Reno Oklahoma TWISTEX Tornado Memorial

19 December 2021By Brett

El Reno Oklahoma was the unfortunate site of one of the largest tornados in history. The tornado was 2.6 miles wide and is considered the widest tornado ever. It left a visible scar across the land that could be seen from aerial and space photos. The twister killed 8 people, including 3 storm chasers, and affected countless more. I visited the memorial for the storm chasers today to learn more.

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The Disastrous Day

On 31 May 2013, the world would forever be changed by the brute force and sheer power of the weather. The widest tornado and one of the strongest winds were observed on that day. The tornado was 2.6 miles wide and the winds were radar measured at over 300mph.

Eight people died that day during the 16 miles and about 40 minutes this mammoth tornado was on the ground. This included 3 storm chasers who were measuring the atmosphere while they were following the tornado. These were the first recorded storm chaser deaths in 40 years.

The storm chasers, Tim Samaras, Paul Samaras, and Carl Young, were part of the TWISTEX Project whose mission was to study tornados. It was founded by Tim Samaras. They were caught off guard by the rapidly changing tornado in the northeastern portion of the storms’s track.

Tragedy

  • a close up of the writing on the black stone memorial about the 3 people who died in el reno during the 2013 twistex tornado
    The stone memorial from the El Reno Tornado Memorial near El Reno, OK.
  • memorial writing about carl young from the el reno 2013 tornado
    The memorial writing about Carl Young.
  • the writing from the el reno tornado memorial in oklahoma about paul samaras
    Paul Samaras’ memorial writing from the Twistex Tornado Memorial near El Reno.
  • the writing about tim samaras from the torando memorial
    The memorial writing about Tim Samaras at the tornado memorial near El Reno Oklahoma.

Normally, the team would travel in an upgraded truck made for hail and winds but for some reason, the team was using a small compact car during this day. Their vehicle was in the direct path of the tornado as it turned northeast and 2 of the 3 members were thrown out of the vehicle while one was still strapped in the crushed car. This was a horrific day for Oklahoma and for the storm-chasing community.

This memorial was dedicated in 2015 and is located on the spot where the team and their car were found. I think it’s a fitting tribute to those brave storm chasers who were willing to go the extra mile for science and to help save people by understanding tornados better. The memorial is a simple black stone memorial with information about each of the chasers and an explanation of the TWISTEX project and goals. If you’re ever near El Reno, Oklahoma, you should pay your respects to people who made the ultimate sacrifice for knowledge and helping people!

How wide was the 2013 El Reno Tornado?

According to the National Weather Service, the tornado reached a peak diameter of 2.6 miles.

What was the peak wind speed during the 2013 El Reno Tornado?

According to the NWS, the peak wind was over 300 mph as detected by radar.

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