Moore Tornado

Question 1

What was the location of the 2013 Moore Tornado?

Answer 1

City of Moore, Southern Oklahoma City

This tornado occurred in a populated area, impacting many residents.

Question 2

What were the pre-conditions for the 2013 Moore Tornado?

Answer 2

• Wind shear speeds of 40–50 knots
• Unstable air
• Low temperatures of 27–30°C
• High dewpoints of 20–22°C
• Afternoon

Question 3

On what date did the 2013 Moore Tornado touch down?

Answer 3

20 May 2013

The tornado touched down at approximately 3 p.m.

Question 4

What was the EF rating of the 2013 Moore Tornado?

Answer 4

EF5

This rating indicates the tornado was extremely powerful, causing significant damage.

Question 5

How long did the 2013 Moore Tornado last?

Answer 5

39 minutes

Question 6

What was the path characteristics of the 2013 Moore Tornado?

Answer 6

• 14 miles in length
  1.1 miles in width

Question 7

What were the highest winds recorded during the 2013 Moore Tornado?

Answer 7

340 km/h

These winds contributed to the tornado’s destructive capabilities.

Question 8

How much rainfall fell due to the 2013 Moore Tornado?

Answer 8

70 mm

Question 9

What were the casualties resulting from the 2013 Moore Tornado?

Answer 9

• 24 deaths
• 377 injured

The tornado had a devastating impact on the local population.

Question 10

What was the estimated property damage from the 2013 Moore Tornado?

Answer 10

• 12,000 homes destroyed
• $2 billion worth of damages

Question 11

What happened to Plaza Towers Elementary School during the tornado?

Answer 11

Collapsed with 7 fatalities

Question 12

What was the impact on public services due to the tornado?

Answer 12

• Moore Medical Centre heavily damaged (forced relocation of 30 patients to other hospitals)
• No running water
• 61,500 power outages

Question 13

What were some political factors affecting management during the tornado?

Answer 13

• Inadequate building code standards
• Structural deficiencies
• Lack of storm shelters

Walls were not reinforced with concrete. There was a lack of connection between masonry walls and support beams. Anchor bolts were easily pulled from the ground by the tornado.

Only 2 out of 12 public schools in Moore had storm shelters.

Question 14

What psychological factors influenced the response to the tornado?

Answer 14

• Worry for school children
• Parents arriving at schools to pick up children
• Only 75 students and teachers were in Plaza Towers when it struck

Question 15

What did the Storm Prediction Centre issue on the day of the tornado?

Answer 15

• A tornado watch for ⅔ of Oklahoma, northwestern Arkansas, and north-central Texas

Question 16

What was the predicted probability of tornadoes reaching EF2 to EF5 intensity?

Answer 16

20% (low)

This low probability contributed to the underestimation of the tornado’s threat.

Question 17

What action did television news outlets take in response to the tornado threat?

Answer 17

Suspended normal programming for wall-to-wall weather coverage

Outlets like NBC, ABC, and CBS provided continuous updates.

Question 18

What was declared by the Oklahoma Governor in response to the tornado?

Answer 18

State of emergency

This declaration facilitated the mobilisation of resources for recovery efforts.

Question 19

What attemps for search and rescue were made in response to the tornado?

Answer 19

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) deplyed teams
• Oklahoma National Guard deployed