Tornado outbreak of May 26–31, 2013
The storm system responsible for the tornado outbreak at 6:10 p.m. CDT May 31 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Duration | May 26–31, 2013 |
| Tornado outbreak | |
| Tornadoes | 134 |
| Maximum rating | EF3 tornado |
| Duration | 5 days, 10 hours, 43 minutes |
| Highest winds | Tornadic – 313 mph (504 km/h) (El Reno, OK EF3 on May 31) |
| Highest gusts | Non-tornadic – 87 mph (140 km/h) (Tinker Air Force Base, OK non-tornadic on May 31) |
| Largest hail | 5.25 inches (13.3 cm) in diameter NW of Montrose, Kansas on May 27 |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 9 (+18 non-tornadic) |
| Injuries | 172 injuries |
| Damage | $2.3 billion (2013 USD) |
| Areas affected | High Plains, Central and Eastern United States |
Part of the tornado outbreaks of 2013 | |
A prolonged and widespread tornado outbreak affected a large portion of the United States in the final days of May 2013. The outbreak was the result of a slow-moving but powerful storm system that produced several strong tornadoes across the Great Plains states, especially in Kansas and Oklahoma. Other strong tornadoes caused severe damage in Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, and Michigan. The outbreak extended as far east as Upstate New York. 27 fatalities were reported in total, with nine resulting from tornadoes (eight in Oklahoma and one in Arkansas).
By far the most significant tornado of the outbreak was an extremely large EF3 tornado that struck areas near the town of El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31. With a maximum width of 2.6 miles (4.2 km), it was the largest tornado on record. The second-highest wind speeds recorded by a Doppler radar, up to 313 miles per hour (504 km/h), were also observed in this tornado. The twister was responsible for eight deaths, including famous storm chaser Tim Samaras, his son Paul, and Carl Young as a result of being caught off-guard by the tornado's unprecedented width. In addition, the tornado caused 151 injures.