DAMAGE ANALYSIS: Mayfield, KY EF4 Tornado

[@wolfywise]

Another point about the trees: This happened in December. The lack of leaves on the trees made them significantly more wind resistant. They're going to hold up better without them.

[@davashorb6116]

Yes, "crown load" is higher when trees are leafed out.

[@morganw.2473]

Also, I've wondered about tree debarking in the Spring vs Winter. If you've ever had reason to peel the bark from a tree, and have done it in both seasons, you have inevitably found that it is much easier to remove tree bark in the Spring. The sap is flowing, water uptake is in full swing, the cambium layer is just soaking wet. New growth has begun, and it is week and can easily break. In many cases all you need is one cut and you can peel the bark right off by hand alone. In the Winter, though, the complete opposite is true. You will struggle to remove that bark. The sap has receded, the tree is taking up minimal water, and the last season's growth has hardened off. Everything is dry and more brittle. Judging trees in both seasons the same in regards to how they withstand wind seems too simple.

[@Marios_WX]

@@morganw.2473 This is kind of the reason I find this tornado remarkable in the sense that it still did some areas with really nasty Debarking. Bremen, SW of Mayfield, Cambridge Shores, Crutchfield. Could go on but especially in the Crutchfield area where you had partial debarking with very little manmade debris on trees that had been ripped out and tossed dozens of feet. Absolutely insane tornado all around but some of the damage it did does place a remarkably impressive feat especially when compared to tornadoes like Bassfield or Cookeville in the 2020s. It's extremely sad it tooked the path that it did, but for research purposes surrounding vegetation during the cold season, especially for varied vegetation, this tornado does some really interesting stuff.

[@alexlubbers1589]

​@@Marios_WXthe EF4 before the Mayfield also did some bassfield-esque total debarking to an open line of trees surrounded by fields. Not sure if they were healthy or not, but worth a mention

[@Marios_WX]

@@alexlubbers1589 They weren't healthy. I did extensive research on that particular tree line. Satellite for like 3 consecutive years prior showed the trees (which are pine) being completely defoliated in the middle of summer. Coupled with the fact you have pine not being snapped or denuded right around a completely debarked stump. Trees were either extremely diseased or dead for a while, and at that point it doesn't take a-lot of force to rip the bark off. Im pretty sure the bark slipped off in mostly one piece when the tops of the trees were snapped and shredded.

[@alexlubbers1589]

Everyone's already mentioned it should've been an EF5, and I agree. However what strikes me is how consistently violent this tornado was for its entire lifespan. Most tornadoes have a relatively small area of most intense damage, but this beast just kept its strength for hours. Almost every town and subdivision it hit was totally wiped out for miles and miles. Its just unbelievable. Id also mention the severe ground scouring near Cayce where it dug a couple trenches several inches deep. Though scouring is really really tricky to pin down, it is noteworthy. And debarking/denuding trees is SIGNIFICANTLY more difficult to do in winter due to lack of leaves and sap which makes trees more "soft"

[@CaseyandBreelyn]

Thats what I was thinking! This truly was an evil tornado for the fact alone of it almost increasing its damage or ramping up to EF4/5 damage as soon as it would encounter a town or population. Really scary.

[@13_cmi]

@@CaseyandBreelynthe increase in damage rating is not always with the tornado. Since there’s few structures outside of population centers, there’s no damage to rate. With rolling fork last year it intensified slightly right as it was leaving town so that isn’t always true. But that’s why there’s ef4 only in the towns and not in empty fields.

[@CaseyandBreelyn]

@@13_cmi ohhhhh good point!!! I feel kinda stupid for not realizing that and thinking the tornado just got stronger right before it hit towns😅

[@Salvador_but_he_plays_gd]

They may make trees more soft, but the lack of leaves makes trees more wind resistant

[@jackiehumphrey3445]

Great video. I go to Mayfield often, and though they are rebuilding, it is slow. There are people I see daily that are still not recovered or still living in trailers.

[@jodyfleming7135]

This storm was at EF5 intensity when it hit Bremen. No doubt in most folks mind.

[@thorenshammer]

This was also the case in Dawson Springs, where the damage was catastrophic.

[@brettstuart4000]

@@thorenshammerit was worse in Mayfield

[@TheSkyGuy77]

What matters more, people's feelings or the truth?

[@jodyfleming7135]

@@TheSkyGuy77 the truth. Do some research. The only reason it wasn’t rated EF5 in the Bremen area is due to a few trees standing near a residence that had the foundation ripped from the ground. Had that storm taken place in the spring when there is leaves on trees, those trees would’ve been history.

[@Salvador_but_he_plays_gd]

@@jodyfleming7135 Unfortunately, for some reason the EF scale got an update in 2014, which made it so there would need to be more than 1 EF5 indicator to be classified as an EF5

[@justie1220]

These videos are always well put together and an excellent combination of science and storytelling. I’ll have to go back and watch the entire livestream, but I definitely am grateful for this condensed video.

[@wolfywise]

The conclusion section, while flipping through the Mayfield photos with the hauntingly somber music, made me feel hollow inside. Such a hopeless sadness from that moment alone.

[@mitchellpotter6457]

Even though most of my family is from Wisconsin, I do have a small group of relatives that live in the Mayfield, Ky. area. In fact, one cousin was employed by that candle factory, and was there on that day. He was missing for a day or two, but he did survive.

[@IIIAnchani]

I'm pretty sure this tornado should have gotten an EF5 rating.

[@thomasknepshield5751]

I’ll never forget the aftermath of that tornado. I did not chase it but I volunteered and toured the damage. I haven’t looked at anything the same since. The last imagery really hit me hard. Can’t imagine how those people have felt from the day it hit until now.

[@kaminky228]

I'm a Kentuckian and a chaser. I intercepted that tornado and cell right as it crossed into Kentucky. I was coming from Louisville so by the time I got there the cell already dropped tornadoes in Arkansas I'd I recall correctly. I remember sitting near the path just west of Mayfield and looking in radar waiting for a cc drop in Mayfield. I was so terrified seeing the debris on radar. I immediately dropped the chase and went into town and my brain shut off and the only thing I could say for 10 minutes was "holy shit"

[@williamabaker12]

Wow. I bet. We aren't wired to see this sort of destruction passively. Good to know your empathy is intact! A trait that's slowly slipping away.

[@davashorb6116]

57 souls lost in a small community. That's a huge impact.

[@McDanielStormChasers]

Quick correction on the 2004 Roanoke, IL event - it was a steel component manufacturing/welding facility, not a fertilizer plant. Parsons Company, Inc. I watched it unfold from the eastern edge of Metamora, IL. Great video!

[@s1kkris40]

Awesome video man! One of my favorite channels on here along with Convective Chronicles

[@yeetloaf_]

i love watching videos like this cause i’m constantly confused by the nws because they’ll use dis and non standard dis to rate one tornado an ef5 and then they’ll make note of an instance in a different tornado where it was worse and then say it wasn’t an ef5

[@issacteems4664]

Cayce, KY (Fulton County) was completely devastated. Went through the town early the next morning and it looked like a bomb exploded. Gravestones were scattered, some houses were leveled, etc. I was living less than 1/4 mile away and it was eerie.

[@SirenRecordingsofIowa]

You make some of the most top tier tornado and or storm content on KZbin, Atleast in my oppinion your great!

[@thorenshammer]

The EF scale has become irrelevant. As you have pointed out in your analysis, there were several points along this tornado's path that indicated EF-5 damage, yet they hesitated giving it that rating. I have to wonder why. In the end, The EF scale doesn't matter, when the lives of so many have been altered in the way that these people in Kentucky have been. I hope the NWS factors in DOW readings into the EF scale. This would change the landscape of tornado science for the better and give the public a more realistic view of the power of these storms.

[@Kilosim]

The DOW is useful on the few storms they deploy to. The issue with this idea of using Doppler wind readings is that the beam height often is far too high to accurately read the winds of the tornado, leading to bad readings and thus an underrated tornado.

[@mattb6646]

It actually hasn't, it's still what's used by NWS. The EF scale is what it is, yall just don't like it. The point of the ef scale is to rate the damage done to well built structures, not give an account ting of overall damage

[@ianshackelford2010]

@@mattb6646It should just be rated by overall damage. The EF scale is just too flawed and too many tornadoes have been rated EF4.

[@mattb6646]

@@ianshackelford2010 well apparently the weather experts don't agree, there is a purpose to the EF scale and its not to please people online with how big and bad a certain tornado was

[@MrNorth69]

Who really cares? Is rating it an EF5 going to bring back all the people who died?

[@AllisonSavage-j5k]

as someone who worked in Mayfield in late 2022. I would have never guessed that area of town looked so full. actually brought tears to my eyes.

[@theresemalmberg955]

I was working night shift in a plastics factory in Michigan when the Mayfield tornado demolished the candle factory. I remember some of the "what if" discussions we had in the break room following that event. Like the Mayfield plant the factory I worked in has an open floor plan, it is mainly built like a pole barn, it is filled with heavy molding machinery and the only tornado shelters available are in restrooms located along the outer walls. Clearly not adequate against the kind of tornado that struck Mayfield. Personally, I don't think most people take tornadoes seriously. In Michigan they are relatively rare and weak. The last F5 was nearly 70 years ago. So people gamble. They say, it won't happen to us. I've been involved with our local Skywarn group and one of the things they worry about are tornadoes like Mayfield and Rolling Fork. We simply are not prepared to deal with tornadoes of this magnitude in Michigan. Even the local Emergency Preparedness Office admits that there are no public tornado shelters in my county (but they will open one after the fact). If you bring up this subject at work, management will tell you that there is nothing to worry about, just simply take shelter in the designated areas (never mind that they are NOT safe!). After all, you are just an employee, what do you know about the subject?

[@ToastAndJellyfish]

I grew up in SE Michigan and plan to, hopefully, move back at some point in the future (I currently live in, well, Kentucky… although my city keeps threading the needle with the really bad shit). I remember the sirens going off a lot as a kid, having to hunker down in hallways repeatedly during elementary school, and one afternoon in middle school where my mom drove me home during a tornado warning (she never took them seriously). I saw my first funnel cloud driving down a major street in town. First thing I’ll be doing if I make it back is making sure I’m living on my own land, and having a below-ground storm shelter installed. I don’t have that option where I am now, and if anything big or even not so big comes through, I’m fucked. The Western Kentucky tornado just makes me even more aware of that. Hopefully they’ll also have an active SKYWARN group wherever I end up! Lol when he thanked NWS Louisville at the beginning, I had to laugh. They’re notoriously useless on the whole, a storm can enter their area warned and be warned immediately upon leaving, but be unwarned the entire time it’s their problem. They’re always behind the ball with watches, warnings, etc.

[@boinqity4621]

always bothered me when people in columbus ohio tell me things like "i can just check radar" even though columbus is in a pretty big radar gap and data is oftentimes low resolution or skewed by multiple miles. honestly central ohio is overdue for a new radar

[@dynella6216]

2 yr anniversary. Crazy

[@Michael-gi5th]

Its unreal how quick that went, felt only like yesterday when i watched the stream its that stuck in my head

[@williamabaker12]

I just found your channel. As an amateur weather enthusiast myself, i thoroughly enjoy these. Thanks for your breakdowns!

[@rockcvn71]

Great channel man. I think you do a great job. Appreciate your endeavor brother.

[@PsychoCPU]

I live in Hopkinsville which is about 45 minutes east of Mayfield (the Bowling Green EF3 in this same outbreak started about 15 minutes south of me). We were in Mayfield last year for my sons archery tournament and it was numbing how desolate these parts of town are. Mayfield was already small, it may not recover in the end. There were new homes being built/rebuilt in the damage areas and it's a strong community, but when the town is that small and the damage that intense it's almost impossible to get back to where you were before.

[@dillyboyq]

Great analysis as always. Every time I hear you’re working on another one I get excited because I know it’s going to be absolutely premium content. Thank you for doing what you do!

[@matthewfranklin6041]

I lived in Murray at the time, we thought it was headed for us until the last minute. We were without power for 4 days, and being outside while it was happening was very eerie.

[@codyrafiner7096]

Was in Bremen the night it hit approximately 3/4 of a mile from the path. From that distance, the pressure was sucking in the walls of the closet we were sheltering in. Ill never forget looking out the window to see the row of power flashes and power poles yanked out of the ground like toothpicks. Did search and rescue for 3 days after, and havent set foot back in the fire dept since. Losing a friend and his wife did it in for me.

[@CRSD60I]

It's a good and fair point to say the rating doesn't matter in when it comes to the victims and the devastated communities. But I do think it should be debated in the weather and engineering communities. Building codes are a big help in the fight against tornado fatalities.

[@braydenking1856]

So considering the water tower was if I had to guess not even half full at the moment, mayfield was hit pretty early in the night. Considering that’s a 500,000 gallon tank it would take a considerable amount of time to fill up. Meaning less stress on legs due to being more on empty side, which allllll points me to believing the winds speed would’ve had to been faster than the mph you came up with. There isn’t a reason in the world this shouldn’t be an EF5 just based on path length alone. A tornado like this is just as rare as the April 2011 outbreak. I’ve been waiting a very long time for this video from you and it only proves further this tornado IS within EF5 standards. Blows me away. Rolling fork tornado is another good example. I’ve done my studying on it more and am okay with EF4 rating it was given. The western Kentucky tornado deserves the title. Those people went through hell that night and to make it out to be not as bad as it was by giving it the 4 rating just rubs me the wrong way. I appreciate you videos dearly. Please keep doing them as they happen.

[@VTMADDIE]

path length and the wind speed of a tornado are entirely unrelated, no tornado should ever be given a rating based on path lenght or its "rarity"

[@braydenking1856]

@@VTMADDIE you missed the whole point, those were just added everything else within this video is the proof. Wind speeds play a HUGE role in this, that’s literally the driving force of a tornado…

[@braydenking1856]

@@VTMADDIE I’m also wondering how path length and wind speeds are unrelated? They’re pretty good indicators of a tornados severity. 🤷‍♂️ most meteorologists have agreed that velocity should be taken into consideration when surveying a tornado. Path lenght, a very big chunk of violent tornados are long tracked which… also means… it’s very relatable to topic at hand.

[@williamabaker12]

It blows everything else away as well as you! Sorry, cant help throwing in a good pun.

[@tcp3059]

Sometimes it feels like surveyors are looking for excuses to downgrade high-end tornadoes.

[@glissyyy]

That's exactly how the EF scale works, they get the minimum windspeed required to do damage and that's the windspeed. If wind speeds above a certain point aren't guaranteed then putting it above there isn't proper surveying.

[@hunterwolff-schollmeyer3902]

​@@glissyyyno it worked properly in 2011. So sometime between 2011 and 2013, the scale was emasculated and gutted.

[@VTMADDIE]

@@hunterwolff-schollmeyer3902 You know the way the scale works is public, the damage surveys are public too...

[@braydenking1856]

I agree 110%, the damage caused during the last Moore tornado is pretty similar to things we seen in mayfield or Cambridge shores or anywhere else this tornado impacted.

[@glissyyy]

@@hunterwolff-schollmeyer3902 It worked that way in the early days because the scale was new, I would bet half of the current EF5 tornadoes would be EF4 max if they happened today

[@JeffreyB1983]

I didn't see a rating for the slabbed house where the circuit judge in Bremen on NWS site. That would've been a very high end house for area. Also, how many other storms above 300 mph gate to gate have been damage rated below EF5?

[@sojiiiiiiii]

Greenfield did

[@minguyen-rl7sn]

You’re a great help in knowing what tornados are capable of.

[@dakotastrawn93]

I've just discovered these videos, and I thoroughly enjoy them. I would love to see your analysis on some of the 4/27/2011 tornadoes if you get the time. Specifically Hackleburg-Phil Campbell, Smithville, and the controversial Tuscaloosa tornado. Keep up the great work!

[@mattrogersftw]

How this is not an EF5 is beyond me and shows how flawed the EF scale is. Multiple EF5 damager indicators in dofferent comminities brushed aside because of building codes, and arbitrary high EF 4 rating.

[@iandouglas4145]

Awesome that you included Trey's vid in the description.

[@terpfan1018]

I hope you will be doing more of these with other tornadoes pretty interesting should do like a little series for them

[@junefirst]

This is actually the 8th Damage Analysis I’ve done! There’ll be many more for sure,

[@terpfan1018]

@@junefirst looks like I got a lot to watch then can’t wait!

[@Noobalator]

It's wild that you can still see where the tornado crossed over the Natcher parkway north of hartford.

[@scotabot7826]

Remember, Sub vortices can be in the parent tornado. A F-5 sub vortex could have easily destroyed that house and done F-5 damage, all while leaving that tree standing with minimal damage!! Now, do we start subdividing each F class to include different types that are contained in each class? I think that would create more mis-understanding, but it would certainly answer a lot of different questions. Cool video!!

[@nurfyturf3202]

The next video should be talking about how houses and buildings in general manage to be picked up from their foundation intacted.

[@rustyvette6593]

I lived in Mayfield for years and the first time I saw the damage in person brought tears to my eyes. The town was steadily declining before the tornado and now there's not much left at all. I don't think it'll ever be what it once was.

[@brad5349]

I was on the ground providing disaster recovery in Mayfield, Dawson and Bremen. From everything else I've seen and read I would classify Mayfield and Dawson springs as high end EF4. Bremen was different, finally granulated debris, wind rowed debris, I saw a driveway with asphalt stripped. This level of damage only happens in the highest upper end events. But to add to this, the construction quality in this area of the country is very bad, it's a very poor area economically and there were not a lot of buildings that can support the EF5 rating.

[@alexis_ian]

Its interesting how similar the recent Rolling Fork, MS and Western Kentuky Tornado in terms of rating and strength are there both High-end EF4 tornado the former had a higher windspeed at 195 mph, while the later travel further at 166 miles. But regardless of the rating its really sad to see how littke progress the recovery in Mayfield is which once had such an idealistic look of what a samll US City should look like. Turn to rouble by the tornado and struggling to rebuild makes me wonder if Rolling Fork, MS will suffer the same fate? Guess will have to wait and see?

[@jamesstemmler7620]

Was there for the livestream but still gonna watch the condensed version anyways😆

[@richarpadilla1891]

I survived this one working at the candle factory that night, some coworkers die very close to me under that rubble ! I was a worker from line 2 and i was a box maker !

[@Duuhvis]

Some got caught up in this storm. I had been paying attention to the weather and I knew it was gonna be bad. But I was outside of mayfield when this hit. By the time I realized it was right there all I could do was just wait in my car. Dumb choice but didn’t know what else to do at that point since it was close to me. I just remember the noise of the tornado, and bam. Got hit with debris in the side of my head. No idea what it was but it messed me up pretty bad. Had to get stitches from near the top of my head all the way down to my neck. I’ve seen some tornados all through my life but this one was way different. Anyways interesting video man!

[@appatula]

Bit off topic but as a fellow Quinnipiac Bobcat, I had to ask. Were you on the Mount Carmel campus when the 2018 Hamden/North Haven tornado hit? After the roads were cleared I remember driving through New Rd./Orchard Loop (next to Clarks Pond). Seeing the forest of pines trees with the tops just twisted off like toothpicks. Really hard seeing the devastation at Sleeping GIant State Park as well. I was too young to remember the 1989 Hamden EF4 and I'm forever grateful for that...I never want to hear the "freight train" again.

[@dragracer-ts2xt]

You should do the 2011 el Reno Piedmont tornado

[@flybykingz6706]

Damage analysis videos are ace , great job , ever thought on doing one on jarrell, I know there was nothing left but some pictures of damage available, I just think this tornado was so underrated but of course EF5 is maximum damage but maybe when you look at details 270+ to basically to don't no seems insane to just leave at that it was maximum damage like nothing else I've ever seen

[@williamabaker12]

From what I've seen and watched, the MOST vicious tornado of all time. If you were above ground, you were scapled and/or turned to dust essentially. Complete devastation

[@alexlubbers1589]

​@@williamabaker12its definitely a contender for sure. One of those ultra-violent beasts that erases all in its path.

[@junegaishin3181]

Staying almost motionless or moving very, very slowly contributed to the nightmare.

[@KMHrock89]

I will say this. Hurricanes are rated by the Saffir-Simpson scale and they are based solely on wind speed. We can estimate the damages caused by hurricanes based on the wind speed. I also know that a tornado is a MUCH smaller storm than a hurricane and we may not be able to see a sustained wind, but we can capture gate to gate shear. I don’t know the data reliability/validity of such a measure but what I’m getting at is… why can we not measure major tornadoes on this gate to gate combined with the damage they cause? I don’t know what that formula would look like. Threats to this measure: some tornadoes occur in unwarned storms (May 6th 2022 Burnside KY EF1). It would be hard to measure gate to gate if there is no clear couplet on radar, which can happen in radar holes as one example. It seems that the NWS is scared to put an EF5 rating on a tornado probably due to its rarity and violent impact. But a Cat-5 Hurricane is a Cat-5 Hurricane if it spins in the ocean and never impacts land or slams onto a shore and wipes towns off the map. May be comparing apples to oranges here but just my thoughts. Like you said it doesn’t matter because there were still 57 lives taken from this earth.

[@Dekxter45]

Great analysis again 💪. I understand why they went with the EF-4 rating. The garage and deep porch were relatively big compared to the house size. It might have been too much of a weakness and something to “grab” on to for the tornado.

[@IllegalIcons]

I live in the area and the trees are still bad towards Samburg as well :( Its really unfortunate

[@sacchef831]

My Son's live in Mayfield KY. We drove out to visit them and saw what this Monster did to Mayfield. First thing I saw was light polls still on the ground but twisted like a curly fry. Deviation every where

[@alangrant5684]

Would an encircling row of trees planted at a safe distance help to protect a structure within?

[@supermassiveblackhole8182]

Sorry if im being ignorant but i dont understand how a brand new foundation can be shattered and thrown and not be rated ef5. Is it because its not poured into the ground itself?

[@janledford3010]

I find these videos so revealing, and mostly, on the math, way over my head!!! I’m getting the meteorology part, as opposed to w been studying for a few years. There are , well all, devastating life taking and life changing storms are heart breaking. This yess are r will make 8 years…👀👀👀….really!!!!! Yea, 8 years from the storm that changed my life entirely, and I didn’t get hurt physically! But the loss of most everything that one worked so hard for, and the things that seemed so important the time, can change your life. One has to find a new, different way to live, and think. What was once so important is not anymore. The end of this video broke my heart all over for the lovely town of Mayfield. It was like I was there, terrified for the people as it was on going. I know how they felt. Then afterwards, when the damage was known. That town looks so much like the town I grew up on. We have had 1 F4, and 1 EF4 that went through the neighborhoods around my town, but did not hit the down town. Seeing all those empty lots, I just wept. May God look down on Mayfield, and all the towns and neighborhoods that have been decimated, and bless them. May His light shine on them, and help bring back these precious towns and neighborhoods. God bless everyone, and let us not fear, but be very watchful. And, become more knowledgeable, so they can’t sneak up on us!🙏🙏🙏❤️🤍💙

[@carlmay9532]

Loved the video but I was disappointed in one thing in particular. I would have like to see a breakdown of what kind of wind speeds needed for that house in Bremen where part of the foundation was broken and thrown. I think we all believe this tornado possessed winds well into the EF5 range at times throughout its path. I know why you don’t like to be critical of the folks doing the surveys and I get it. I however think it would be awesome to do a series based solely on finding EF5 evidence in tornadoes not rated as such. Yes. I know I’m a “weather weenie”. I can’t help it.

[@junefirst]

I do my best to go into these analyses with no bias. I don’t take any sides of the debate and just present the evidence as I see fit. I think if you’ve already made up your mind before looking at things, then it will cloud your judgement. That being said, I had a hard time trying to best create a simple mathematical analysis for the 190 DI and it was just getting too complicated. Maybe factors went into it that opened up to too many assumptions that i don’t think would’ve yielded a ballpark estimate. Hope that sheds some light on that :)

[@carlmay9532]

@@junefirst That’s an awesome response. You pointed out something that I hadn’t thought about as well. Where you mentioned “going into it with my mind made up….” Until just right now, I had never considered that I might actually be guilty of that at times, so, thank you. Great perspective. We all need it sometimes I suppose. Also, please don’t take my comment as a criticism, it definitely wasn’t meant that way. I think a lot of us “non engineering” types are just so used to thinking “Ethan will automatically know the answer every time without fail….” and I suppose we shouldn’t put that kind of pressure on. For me personally, I like others do feel there is something truly going on with the rating system in an attempt to lean conservative and not sure why. Sure I understand an EF5 can really only be rated as such in a finite number of locations due to construction standards. However; I saw an interview with Dr Long Pham regarding Jarrell and he talked about the dangers of “overclassificstion” and how it could lead to an excuse for builders to say “we can’t build to that standard, they’re just too strong” and it made me question things. In the end a rating of 0 or 5 doesn’t replace loved ones lost or lives changed forever. I think all of us are very curious people that are fascinated by what nature can do and we like to rank or score things simply because of our curiosity. Keep doing what you do. I love the videos and I seem to learn something new every time. Perhaps one day we’ll have technology to know wind speeds maybe even in real time. Can you imagine how effective a tornado warning would be if you were being told that the tornado currently 10 miles to your southwest had a history of producing winds of 175mph etc….? Who knows? Maybe one day. Anyway, You’re a straight up Boss and we love the content.

[@jasoncullen7787]

I think there are 2 factors when it comes to these ratings. I don't want to say it's corruption or anything, because I don't know. What I do know from experience is that when you're labeled an ef5, it deters folks from moving there. You google cities that have been hit by ef5 tornadoes, and the first thing you're going to see is Tornado. These mayors and other city commissioners don't want to be known as that city, town..ect. The next thing is federal aid for rebuilding. When you give an EF 1-4 rating to these structures, you're saying, " Hey, these could have been built better, and you can list them. Then, when the rebuilding happens and these insurance companies have to pay out, a lot of the indicators of why it was only a ef 4 rating goes into how it could have been built better. With an EF5 rating, you're basically throwing your hands in the air and saying we couldn't have done anything cause no matter how well built that structure was, it was going away. So, ins I think there are some issues going on with these surveys. In every survey iv seen over the past 10 years, where there was credibility for a ef 5 rating, there is always some excuse, or wild theory they had, that prevented the tornado from being rated an ef5. Also, sometimes, based on their biases. I thought the foot and half deep ground scouring would be a ef 5 indicator, but then they come up with some crazy theory to discredit their own indicators. Then they start this campaign that any one who disagrees is a weather weenie. How does that even make sence. We are going based off of there rules of damage indicators, yet when they decide to waiver off those indicators, the people who call them out on it are the weenies? I think the surveyor and the people who stand up for these surveyors are the weenies. If the public doesn't hold them in check, who will.

[@brad5349]

Agreed no tornado has ever torn foundation out of the ground and not been an F5/EF5. I’ve never seen granulated debris to this level outside of an EF5.

[@P_RO_]

@@carlmay9532 Everyone should see the post-Jarrell report from Dr Pham. It is an eye-opener in so many ways and shows clearly how inadequate rating only by specific damage indicators can lead to wrong results. It also shows that some of the DI's reported there were inaccurately assessed and reported. He proposes and shows why that Jarrell could have been as low as a F3 in reality even with the comprehensive total damage it left behind. It it mandatory study for anyone wanting to better understand tornadoes and their ratings.

[@bubbawubba2307]

In Cayce there was some concrete block buildings where there was nothing left for you to say there was a building there. Everything was gone. Don't know where it went too. Also debris was lofted 30k feet in the air at this time after it passed Cayce heading towards mayfield. And not very far away another tornado passed through Dresden Tn that was a high F3 I'd like to also say if this tornado was going only 20 mph instead of 60 the damage would of been much greater than it was. The water tower legs would of shared some weight on the other legs. I've seen a lot of pics and videos of F5 rated tornados and I've seen damage here matched f5 in other tornadoes. Also other F5s where the damage here doesn't match it. But F5 is a very broad rating. 190 mph and up over 300. If I remember right the mayfield tornado had a windspeed over 260+ in elevation. Can't remember if it was at 500 ft or 5000 ft. It was still a strong tornado and killed many people including friend's. The horror of that night is undescribable. And almost 2 years to the day another group of storms dropped more tornados around Dresden Clarksville etc

[@P_RO_]

Though it may seem different, most concrete block structures aren't much more wind and damage resistant than wood-framed structures, and in some ways and instances they can actually be weaker and more prone to failure.

[@cjclardy5452]

Good video- just wanted to point out that Bremen is pronounced 'Bree-man". I grew up in Madisonville, KY.

[@HahnJames]

It's absolutely heart wrenching when we consider the lives lost and the property damage done by this tornado. Will they rebuild Mayfield? They will need a whole lot of funding and a reason to do so.

[@carlmay9532]

If that home in Bremen can’t rate a 5, then I seriously doubt anything will going forward. An extremely well built home, securely bolted to the foundation is pulled literally from its foundation in tact (because the home was so well constructed) and pulverized into granulated debris. But now the goal posts have moved. The “foundation” wasn’t securely secured to the ground? I give up. There is clearly an effort to avoid rating a 5 and I just don’t understand why.

[@thomaselkins2774]

Did the radar get any wind speed measurements?

[@Subcomfreak1]

I'm from that area. I consider my dad very lucky to live in between Murry and Mayfield... just for future reference: "Louisville" is pronounced, "Loo-vul".

[@illinoiscentralrailroadfan6015]

I grew up in Bardwell and Paducah from 84 to 05

[@bvallot1]

Ethan- Do a DA of Rainsville. Insane damage..

[@superawesomegamerdude9907]

I thought this EF4 tornado was the 1st closest we've ever gotten to an EF5 But On march 24th this year it was 195 MPH at rolling fork. i Believe that 200 MPH was the wind rate for an EF5

[@calvinsummerlin6395]

Technically it has to be estimated to have windspeeds *over* 200mph to get an EF5. There was an EF4 that they rated at the very edge, 200mph (April 9, 2015 Rochelle-Fairdale Illinois). Now *that* is splitting hairs.

[@hunterwolff-schollmeyer3902]

I don't care what anyone says, this was an EF5.

[@Caydenculpoutdoors]

Yes

[@dmoney3305]

The 1985 Niles Ohio thru a huge silo in the middle of warren av in Niles

[@fizzyvalkie1170]

So according to my knowledge, they are redoing the EF scale, El Reno will be upgraded to a EF5, so maybe Mayfield will be upgraded, the New EF scale is using DI’s and recorded wind speed so they are now putting 2 and 2 together

[@sabishiihito]

The problem is there is rarely a DoW truck on hand to take real-time, near ground level windspeed measurements. Also they need a 3 second sample of the same area and tornadoes like Mayfield move too quickly for that.

[@christian4688]

Are they really?

[@chrisuuu393]

I don't think they gonna change the ranking of past tornadoes. Rather, they will simply apply the new system to future events

[@wxchris2666]

sorry but your knowledge is wrong

[@camryenthusiast]

When the NWS introduced the new scale in 2007, they didn't redo the rankings for any prior tornadoes, why would they do it this time?

[@dmoney3305]

I'm shocked he has done the Tuscaloosa tornado or Joplin yet bro check out the 1985 Niles Ohio f5

[@rugger1009]

It’s pretty rare for a tornado to take down a water tower -

[@ej_makesvideos]

NO WAY MY NAME IS ETHAN TOO

[@billbombshiggy9254]

On fatigue stresses. Best way i describe it is if you have a long fingernail, and continually bend it over and over. Eventually that nail will break. Also I was in Metropolis IL about 30 minutes north with my sons that day (ages 17 and 18) and we lived in a trailer with my ex husband (their father). The parameters were off the charts that I insisted we get a hotel room. Took the boys to the super 8 and waited out the night, eating pizza, boneless wings and watching the entire event on channel 6. Their father often accused me of overreacting to the weather, and maybe he was right (I say was because my new husband and I have moved in with his parents to help care for them) because my youngest has extreme storm anxiety (he is now near 20). But I'm not like that here. I dont care about me, the husband, his parents or their niece when shes here which is all the time because she has bad parents. I kept my children safe in severe weather. Its not my job now. I did my job. You want that little girl to be safe then be a parent. Its not my kid. I sat in this trailer with no intention of leaving, back in May, when we had an event and a touchdown just a few miles north of us. Mother in law was panicking even when I explained it was well past us ("but they said our county!" Yes, they did, but the cell is east of us. But what do I know? She went to college and I am a dumb redneck that didnt.) and paranoid about the kid. Like, take her somewhere if youre so scared. If this place blows away, I aint hanging onto her. Yes, chip on my shoulder. I know.

[@N5KDA]

Well Mr. Moriatry, Which one of your relatives was the pain in the side of Mr Holmes? Just kidding, but I would like to know why you studied mechanical engineering instead of weather since you like to chase. Are you assuming the water tower was new with no weakening of the supports due to corrosion? I do traffic crash reconstruction, and anytime I have to approximate something I always truncate the numbers. So 99.999 would be 99. Also, the tower could have suffered an impact from something like an airborne vehicle. That happened once I know of. I seriously doubt the slab of that house was just poured flat. It had to have had footings. EF-5 tornadoes have been known to dislodge slab foundations. I don't need to tell you what would happen to thee am over time without footings. Great stuff. Thanks!!!

[@robdiesel2876]

Working in construction for alot of my life, there are things that look great on paper. The equations line up, and it's easy to say, this or this could have helped your house stand. But when in reality, there was nothing that was gonna stop that tornado from slabbing the home. There aren't many things that will withstand an EF-4 or an EF-5 tornado. Things on paper look fantastic, but in reality not so much.

[@carlmay9532]

On another note….with all the inconsistencies and controversy regarding rating the higher end events….. If the standard for EF5 is Jarrell, Bridgecreek/Moore ‘99, then I wish they’d just come out and tell us that. Then we’d all shut up….Probably…..maybe…hopefully….,nah who am I kidding? We’d find something else to b!tch about.

[@danielwieten8617]

Tim Marshall outright said that Jarrell was what he measured all other events against, since he was there. It’s on one of the interviews you can find here on YT.

[@carlmay9532]

@@danielwieten8617 I’ve seen it and that’s what made me think this way. I think Jarrell type devastation should be in a category all by itself anyways. But honestly I know that is HIS opinion. Does that mean it’s the opinion of whoever makes the final call? Starting to look like a possibility to me. And if that’s the case, then they should just say so. Maybe then an EF5 is something so horrible, so rare that it really does only happen once or twice a century then. All I know is the house in Bremen met every listed DOD for EF5 as it currently sits.

[@carlmay9532]

@Obviousthrowawayaccount hmm…..not familiar with the Mobara event. I’ll have to check that out. Regarding the rest of what you said, I agree. If nothing else I think it points out how much we still don’t understand about all the different dynamics occurring in tornadoes. One thing I’d love to learn more about (it’s rarely discussed) is the difference in some tornadoes having insane vertical velocities vs always reporting wind speeds in horizontal. Seems like a lot of the more narrow strong tornadoes have this quality that what we see in the strong wedge types. Or perhaps we can just see it more easily since it’s a smaller area to focus on. But Elie is a great example. As is Pampa ‘95, Andover ‘22 etc…

[@JJJJ-he8bz]

Jerrell did the worst damage I’ve ever seen. I’ve never herd of a tornado flat out ripping the skin off of bones

[@jobethk588]

Love the nerdy information. Not a huge fan of the background music. It is relatively benign compared to what some creators use.

[@JakInnaBooth]

EF-Bad Enough to hurt

[@youtubegm8256]

Definitely an EF5, but I understand that's an imaginary rating as of the past decade.

[@AnthonyMemes]

On radar at some point we saw 240 Mph delta velocity near Bremen on reflectivity, no one to this day can explain how it was possible and why. Sometimes contamination can get radar data wrong but never by 50 mph. Maybe, rarely, 30 never this much, usually is 10-20. So as far as I'm concerned this is EF5

[@beansandcheese6575]

This is worse than many EF-5,s

[@Norton-mj7us]

This tornado came with in 2 miles of me

[@Mission_panda]

Who did that

[@DSGB2199]

You arent gonna tell me we havent had an f5 in 10 plus years. It doesnt even make logical sense. The measuring system is flawed.

[@jacob45415]

I don’t get how we’ve had such a long streak it seems like there is more intense tornadoes as a whole but maybe not as violent as years past

[@free99lolz]

Ah yes, the famous rectangular sphere

[@triton115]

From the looks of the destruction in Mayfield, that easily looks like 275 mph minimum if not at least 300 mph sustained, which is an F-5.

[@9BallBory]

Idc what anyone says that is an EF5

[@danielponder690]

Re socio-ecnomic issues: I would make a comment about Massacre Mitch and whom they generally vote for but I've said enough. It is sad, the word is verklempt = speechless

[@ericascali5427]

😢😢😢😢😮😮

[@Caydenculpoutdoors]

This should have been a Ef 5

[@Mission_panda]

100 like

[@DeeGee-mv6eq]

Could you do a video about the Joplin, Missouri EF5? I have been wanting to know in depth details about that one for years.