El Reno Tornado Was a Record 2.6 Miles Wide

Posted on June 4, 2013

The National Weather Service is reporting that the May 31st El Reno, OK tornado was a record 2.6 miles wide. This is officially the widest tornado on record. NWS Norman reports it was an EF-5 with winds of 295 mph. It remained on the ground for 16.2 miles. An image of the path is pictured above. This information is based on preliminary tornado survey results.

At least nine deaths and 115 injuries are linked directly to the tornado according to the Wikipedia entry. NBC News reports that three of the people killed were experienced storm chasers, caught in the path of the tornado when it suddenly changed direction.


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