What Is The Strongest Tornado In History?

What Is The Strongest Tornado In History?

To answer this nearly impossible question, I looked at all of the most impressive tornadoes throughout history, and what I found was quite interesting. The 1999 Bridge Creek tornado is widely considered the strongest tornado because of the record wind speed measurement, but doppler measurements are not everything. The worst tornado damage ever was done by the 1997 Jarrell tornado, however there are reasons why it likely did that damage. To explore beyond those two tornadoes, I looked at F6 tornadoes, which supposedly produced damage worse than the damage outlined by an F5 tornado. These included the 1974 Xenia tornado, 1970 Lubbock tornado, and 1977 Birmingham tornado. From there I explored other tornadoes in the super outbreaks and beyond…

PS, I have been wanting to make this video for a loooong time. I even had almost completed a version last year, but it was garbage, so I shelved the idea. But I finally finished this one, and I think it lives up to the standards this deeply interesting question deserves.

List of tornadoes mentioned:
1896 SHERMAN F5
1899 NEW RICHMOND F5
1925 TRI-STATE F5
1970 LUBBOCK F5
1974 XENIA F5
1974 BRANDENBURG F5
1974 GUIN F5
1977 BIRMINGHAM F5
1990 BAKERSFIELD VALLEY F4
1990 STRATTON F4
1991 ANDOVER F5
1995 PAMPA F4
1995 KELLERVILLE F4
1997 JARRELL F5
1999 BRIDGE CREEK F5
2004 HARPER F4
2004 MARION F4
2007 GREENSBURG EF5
2008 PARKERSBURG EF5
2011 PHILADELPHIA EF5
2011 PHIL CAMPBELL EF5
2011 SMITHVILLE EF5
2011 RAINSVILLE EF5
2011 JOPLIN EF5
2011 EL RENO EF5
2013 MOORE EF5
2013 EL RENO EF3
2014 VILONIA EF4
2021 MAYFIELD EF4
2023 GREENFIELD EF4

[highriskchris]

What Is The Strongest Tornado In History?

PS, I have been wanting to make this video for a loooong time.

[alexmcmillen]

2013 El Reno only ended up EF3 because there's literally not shit out there to hit. I still think it's the most terrifying one out of the bunch due to the size, wind speed, and unpredictability. If that thing was 25 miles east it would have been downright apocalyptic.

[achristine]

I lived about 15 miles south of Jarrell TX, when that horrific tornado unleashed its havoc. I was 17 yrs old, and school had just got out for the summer. I remember that day VERY clearly. The whole area within a 30 mile radius was under the scariest tornado threat I’ve ever experienced even now. I’ve been a Texan my whole life. My cousin was a paramedic and was on rescue duty. Even after 26 yrs, he still has PTSD from the horror he saw.

[LVM]

This is the video I’ve waited years to see. I have this conversation with a lot of people. You hit this one out of the park Chris.

[TheQuackinator]

While probably not the strongest tornado compared to some others here, it's worth mentioning that the 2007 Elie F5 in Canada picked up an entire two-story house before disintegrating it, video of this happening is what gave the tornado its rating. The tornado was also an extremely skinny drillbit

[indygeo]

I've always considered the Phil Campbell tornado to have been the strongest tornado from the 2011 Super Outbreak. I knew that the Smithville tornado definitely gave it a run for its money, but after watching this video, I'd say the Smithville tornado was the strongest one from that outbreak and perhaps the strongest tornado in history. Thanks for making this video!

[rodolfobrenner]

Probably the best video ever made about this theme, congratulations (also for being the strongest tornado creator lol)

[dieselreapers]

2011 Joplin tornado in my mind (and I may be biased because I live in SW Missouri) but that tornado is one of the scariest ones I’ve seen. There’s a story of a younger dude that was driving that day in a hummer I believe, and he was trying to escape the tornado and as he was driving down the road trying to escape he got literally sucked from his vehicle out of one of the windows and his body was found a mile or more away. The Joplin tornado was evil man. That same year my town had a tornado go through it as well.

[stoneysdead]

I lived through the Guin, Al F5 and also helped clean up after the Hackleburg F5. I was literally just a baby when the Guin, Al tornado hit, I don't remember it at all, but my parents and everyone around me has told me about it all my life. Our car was picked up and thrown into an open field. My parents were both severely injured but survived- but me and my brother both managed to get through it with nothing more than a few scratches. I was 3 and he was 5, we were in the backseat but back then there were no car seats or anything like that. Maybe there was but we didn't have them, we were just buckled in with a seatbelt- but we were fine. This is a tiny little rural town where everyone knows everyone- and me and my brother both have red hair and look like twins- even though were 18 months apart. So I'm sure you can imagine- we became the miracle twins to everyone in town- some kind of symbol that God had not totally forsaken them in such a desperate time. Looking back I understand the town needed that sentiment, thy needed to hear that form their pastors- I get that, and in some ways I'm proud me and my brother gave ppl hope. But it was a tremendous amount of pressure and just oddity to grow up with this label on you- ppl remembered this for many, many years to come- I graduated in 1990 and there were still ppl making reference to it. Very strange life.
Fast forward to 2011, I volunteer as a first responder for a neighboring count- and we got sent to Hackleburg to help in whatever way we could. We've ben to a lot of places, seen a lot of bad stuff- it's part of the gig, you know that when you sign up. They don't call first responders for a good time. But before we got to Hackleburg they pulled over and warned us about what we were fixing to see- words could not describe the hell we drove into. There were no "miracle twins" for Hackleburg- those pl went through things that are literally indescribable. If you survived that- you are a miracle by it's very definition. There were countless ppl who did all the right things- and died anyway. A lot of ppl who were far better than me- there is no rhyme or reason to who makes it and who doesn't. I'm not more deserving or more special than any of those poor kids I helped recover and bag up. Every time you thought you saw something you could not stand, something so horrid your brain refused to process it- there was something even worse just ahead of you, waiting to be discovered. You literally couldn't work more than a few hours- your brain would break. You looking at a whole town of ppl who had no chance- it messes with your head.

[wayloncapps]

I’m a tornado nerd and have been for 40 years. Your list is great. In all my studies the Smithfield 2011 tornado to me had the most significant damage of any recorded tornado in history

[eyeballroomer]

I was a heavy equipment mechanic traveling around North Alabama in 2011. In Phil camper and hackleburg, Cullman and rainsville. I saw things I never want to see again.

[dustyspectacles]

Instant rewatch tier. My dude this is the energizer bunny of tornado videos. The first few minutes would have already been a good video and then it just gets better by the minute!

[cannonify]

The 1985 Niles Wheatland twister is one that always stands out to me. Not just for how far east but the intensity of the violence it had. It demolished and swept away a steel framed trucking depot and ripped up parking lots.

[richardslinger]

The pressure from the Smithville EF5 pulled somebody's curtains through the crease where the ceiling and wall meet.

[MstVerticalPrimate]

I’ll throw my hat in for Phil Campbell, for sheer longevity and consistency of damage. Every time I see a video on it it says something like “it escalated in strength as it came into but I think it’s much more likely it was absurdly strong the whole time and got higher ratings simply as it hit things with damage indicators

[MatthewWinters-hs]

Love these picks and no argument against any of them. I would however, add Joplin in the top three, if for no other reason, then for the rebar anchored parking lot stops being torn out of the concrete lots and TOSSED some distances, as well as pulling manhole covers out of the roads and tossing those some distance too. That is just INCREDIBLE power

[michaelgallant]

Hi Risk Chris...canadian viewer here...been watching your Amazing Clips since last night..What Power those Tornado's are...thanks and Stay Safe.

[Koolboiiq]

I'm so glad you included the Voliana Arkansas EF4 (EF5) Tornado. Definitely should've been an EF5

[Jonnosummit]

A video on older "pre-technology" times would be enthralling. Hearing of tornadoes in the 1800s really peaked my interest.

[Luingi]

The May 11th 1999 Loyal Valley, Texas tornado is another very underrated one