Columbus Tornado 2024
2024 Columbus tornado
This article is about the record-breaking tornado in 2024. For the EF5 tornado in Ohio.
On the evening of Tuesday, May 14, 2024, a significant and potent tornado formed in the rural regions of Central Oklahoma. This particular tornado was rain-wrapped and featured multiple vortices, which made it the widest tornado on record beating out El Rino's 2013 Tornado. It was part of a larger weather system that generated numerous tornadoes over the previous days.
The tornado first touched down at 6:03 p.m. Central Daylight Time (2203 UTC), approximately 8.6 miles (13.8 km) east-southeast of Columbus, and quickly expanded in size and intensity as it moved through the central areas of Franklin County.
View of Columbus Tornado in Whitehall View of the tornado from the southeast at 6:28 p.m. CDT (2228 UTC) as it was nearing peak strength | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 6:03 p.m. CDT May 14, 2024 |
| Dissipated | 7:59 p.m. CDT May 14, 2024 |
| Duration | 116 minutes |
| EF5 tornado | |
| on the Enhanced Fujita scale | |
| Highest winds |
|
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 8 |
| Injuries | 151 |
| Areas affected | Franklin County, Ohio; especially areas to the south of Columbus |
Part of the tornado outbreak of May 10–24, 2024 | |
the wind speeds of this tornado are among the most formidable ever observed on our planet, just slightly trailing behind the remarkable velocities of the 1999 Bridge Creek-Moore tornado. As it traversed U.S. 33, this colossal force of nature reached a breathtaking width of 3.5 miles (5.6 km), surpassing the previous record-holder set in 2004.
However, the tornado eventually changed its course, turning northeastward and diminishing in strength. The remarkable event concluded around 7:59 p.m. CDT (2359 UTC), after carving a path of 16.2 miles (26.1 km) and mercifully avoiding the densely populated areas within and near the Columbus City metropolitan region. At 6:03 p.m. CDT (2203 UTC), a formidable tornadic wall cloud descended, initially manifesting as several smaller sub-vortices east-southeast of El Reno. The tornado eventually reached a maximum intensity of EF3 during its existence, according to ground surveys.
As the tornado moved south of Columbus, it expanded to an extraordinary width of 3.5 miles (5.6 km) while crossing U.S. 33, making it the widest known tornado ever recorded in the United States. At 6:28 p.m. CDT (2228 UTC), the storm continued into more densely populated areas of Franklin County, maintaining its ferocity.
The National Weather Service office in Columbus promptly issued a tornado emergency for Easton, Franklinton, John Glenn Airport, Whitehall, Licking, and eastern Columbus, as the tornado was expected to track toward western portions of the Columbus City metropolitan area. The tornado soon changed direction and moved over Interstate 40 around 7:58 p.m. CDT (2358 UTC), and eventually lifted off the ground as it approached High Street Road.
In total, the tornado was on the ground for 40 minutes, following a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) path. Furthermore, a powerful anticyclonic multivortex satellite tornado formed southeast of the primary tornado, lasting for 91 minutes before dissipating. Such companion tornadoes are often observed alongside especially large and intense tornadoes, but this was the first documented multiple-vortex anticyclonic tornado of this kind.
the tornado predominantly traveled over open terrain, resulting in relatively light damage compared to its extreme intensity. The National Weather Service surveys confirmed that the structures in its path suffered mostly EF3-level damage, with occasional severe destruction in isolated locations. The EF5 Tornado of Columbus was indeed a powerful and potentially destructive force.
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