Originally the El Reno-Union City Tornado was given a preliminary rating of EF-3 based on observed damage from the tornado path and other data.

The NWS now has upgraded the rating from EF-3 to EF-5, largely based on data recorded by the DOW (Doppler on Wheels) that was in the area of the tornado. The maximum wind speed recorded by the DOW was, I believe, 296 mph and the maximum path has been established as 2.6 miles, making this the widest tornado on record. This is phenomenal....but, unfortunately, it is phenomenal in a bad way.

Those of you who were there in central OK near this monster storm just survived an epic tornado of incredible size and wind speed. While is is extremely unfortunate that many people lost their lives, when you look at the size and wind speed, it is incredible that the death toll is not in the hundreds.....especially given that so many people were on the roadways with little to no protection.

Hopefully today will be a quiet day, but it is important to stay weather-aware and to have a plan for how you would seek shelter wherever you are whenever severe weather is occurring.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Public Information Statement on El Reno Tornado