Understanding the Moore, Okla., tornado [live video chat]
At the beginning of this week, the wind’s fury was unleashed on the Oklahoma city of Moore. As the extent of the devastation has unfolded over the past several days, it’s a bit of an understatement to say that Moore has been unlucky.
The tornado was estimated to have followed a path nearly 20 miles long, remaining on the ground for about 50 minutes. Most tornadoes end within 10 minutes.
LIVE VIDEO DISCUSSION: Join us at 11 a.m. Pacific time
Meteorologists in the National Weather Service’s forecast office in Norman upgraded Monday’s storm to the highest severity a tornado can achieve on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which rates tornado strength by assessing the damage a twister inflicts.
But this wasn’t the first time in recent years the city was hit. At least twice before, in 1999 and 2003, destructive twisters struck the Oklahoma City suburb. As The Times’ Eryn Brown wrote, experts said they don’t know why Moore became a target yet again.
“If I gave you 1,000 darts and blindfolded you, and you threw the darts, some would cluster together,” said Robin Tanamachi, a postdoctoral researcher at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in nearby Norman, Okla. “That’s, I think, what’s happening here. It’s a random statistical fluke. Moore has been unlucky.”
Tanamachi joins us in a live video chat at 11 a.m. Pacific time Friday to explain why conditions were ripe for a storm that day. Viewer questions are welcome.
