Tim Samaras' death now makes sense.

[catbyte]

http://valleywx.com/2013/06/04/el-reno-tornado-upgraded-to-an-ef5-now-widest-on-record/

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1206 PM CDT TUE JUN 4 2013

...UPDATE ON MAY 31 EL RENO TORNADO...

METEOROLOGISTS WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND RESEARCHERS FROM
THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE INFORMATION
RELATED TO THE MAY 31 EL RENO TORNADO.

WITH THIS INVESTIGATION... THE TORNADO HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN EF5
TORNADO BASED ON VELOCITY DATA FROM THE RESEARCH MOBILE RADAR DATA
FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA RAXPOL RADAR. IN ADDITION... THE
WIDTH OF TORNADO WAS MEASURED BY THE MOBILE RADAR DATA TO BE 2.6
MILES AFTER THE TORNADO PASSED EAST OF US HIGHWAY 81 SOUTH OF EL
RENO. THIS WIDTH IS THE WIDTH OF THE TORNADO ITSELF AND DOES NOT
INCLUDE THE DAMAGING STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS NEAR THE TORNADO AS
DETERMINED BY THE HIGH-RESOLUTION MOBILE RADAR DATA. THE 2.6 MILE
TORNADO PATH WIDTH IS BELIEVED TO BE THE WIDEST TORNADO ON RECORD
IN THE UNITED STATES.

.EL RENO TORNADO

RATING: EF5
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 16.2 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 2.6 MILES
FATALITIES: N/A
INJURIES: N/A

START DATE: MAY 31 2013
START TIME: 6:03 PM CDT
START LOCATION: 8.3 WSW OF EL RENO /CANADIAN COUNTY /OK
NEAR COURTNEY ROAD ABOUT 1 MILE NORTH
OF REUTER ROAD
START LAT/LON: 35.495 / -98.095

END DATE: MAY 31 2013
END TIME: 6:43 PM CDT
END LOCATION: 6.2 ESE OF EL RENO /CANADIAN COUNTY /OK
NEAR INTERSTATE 40 AND BANNER ROAD
END LAT/LON: 35.502 / -97.848

- Jennifer Watson

Twitter: @JWatson_Wx

Facebook: Jennifer Watson WHNT
-----------------

Winds in an EF5 tornado can reach 300 MPH. Nobody could have survived that unless they were underground.

RIP and thank you for a lifetime of weather research. I am sure his work saved a lot of lives through the years.

[liberal_at_heart]

1. I have a lot of respect for him and the other storm chasers. I too am sure their work

has saved lives.

[hlthe2b]

2. I was driving back across Kansas that day...

While I experienced nothing more than driving rainstorms, it was disconcerting given the entire four state area was at 6 or higher level of risk for tornadoes. I kept looking at the side of the road to see these "magical ditches" one is supposed to duck into if caught out in the open in a car during a tornado and given one can easily go 50 miles without seeing any kind of services or shelter.

There is no wonder so many die--even as they try to bring warnings faster.

[Whiskeytide]

3. Really sad...

... I also heard that the direction of the tornado - moving Southwest for a while rather than Northeast as they almost always do - probably played a role in catching them off-guard.

[sharp_stick]

4. 2.6 miles wide

that's just astounding.

[Demo_Chris]

6. Yeah it is. Unimaginable really. nt

[PD Turk]

5. They were caught in a traffic jam

A local meterologist on TV told people to get in their vehicles and drive south, which resulted in some roads turning into parking lots

This thing was insidious, it was an unusual structure that visually belied its size early on. A lot of chasers, even the veterans, wound up underneath the tornado not recognizing how far out it extended. Watching some of the numerous videos, it's easy to tell the pros from the amateurs. The pros quickly realized where they were and can be seen hauling ass in GTFO mode past the amateurs parked on the side of the road filming the suction vortices, not realizing they are directly under a tornado

[WillyT]

7. K & R !!!

El Reno tornado, at 2.6 miles across, was widest on record


A tornado near El Reno, Okla., on May 31.

Link: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/04/18751584-el-reno-tornado-at-26-miles-across-was-widest-on-record?lite