A new assessment by the National Weather Service indicates peak winds in the tornado that hit the Newcastle/Moore Okla., area on May 20 reached the 200 mph to 210 mph range, putting it into the classification of an EF5 event. The NWS previously assessed the tornado as an EF4, with wind speeds up to 200 mph.
The maximum width of the 17-mile path of the tornado was 1.3 miles, the NWS said.
The massive tornado struck the suburban Oklahoma City area at 3:01 p.m., according to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide. Homes, businesses, and public buildings, including two elementary schools and a hospital, were destroyed. There have been 24 casualties and more than 200 injuries reported.
Property damage in the affected region is extensive, with whole neighborhoods heavily damaged or destroyed, AIR Worldwide reported.
Touching down about 5 miles south of Newcastle, Okla., at 2:56 p.m., the powerful tornado tracked northeast for 40 minutes, AIR Worldwide said.
The NWS said the storm initially produced EF0 and EF1 damage before very rapidly intensifying over 4 miles or around 10 minutes, producing EF4 damage before reaching Interstate 44.
“In all, this system produced 22 tornadoes on May 20, largely in Oklahoma, although tornadoes were also reported in Missouri, Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, and Colorado, said Dr. Tim Doggett, senior principal scientist, AIR Worldwide. “Many localized hailstorms occurred in the region as well, with quarter-size hail noted in Missouri and baseball-size hail reported in Osage County, about 100 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.”
A preliminary estimate puts the number of homes destroyed by the May 20 Newcastle/Moore tornado at more than 8,000.
AIR estimates that the replacement value of properties within a 0.4-mile buffer zone around the track of yesterday’s tornado – for a total width of 0.8 miles – is about $2 billion.
Within a 1-mile buffer zone of the storm track (for a total width of 2 miles), AIR estimates a total replacement value of about $6 billion.
These two buffer zones, and the differing estimated replacement value associated with them, reflect the uncertainty in the exact size of the tornado. However, the exposure within each buffer zone is not equally at risk from damaging winds, according to AIR Worldwide. Exposures on the periphery of the 1-mile buffer zone would experience wind speeds of EF0 force, and hence much lighter damage, than exposures within the 0.4-mile buffer zone.
Damage assessments from the National Weather Service are ongoing, and it will take weeks to develop a more complete picture of the destruction, AIR Worldwide said.
Insurance agents and adjusters are already working to help in the storm recovery. Oklahoma-licensed agents and adjusters are required to obtain ID badges before entering the disaster zone.
Local residents and victims of the tornado disaster who wish to gain access to their residences, however, are not required to obtain the ID badge, according to the Oklahoma Insurance Department.
Identification badges for agents and adjusters are being distributed at the Insurance Command Center located at the First Baptist Church of Moore, 301 N.E. 27th Street.
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