May of 2024 was a large month for this year’s tornado season. It may have included one of the largest tornado outbreaks in the whole year alone. This leaves the year 2024 known as one of the most active tornado seasons that we know of. More than 1,100 tornadoes were reported in May alone. This doesn’t even include the major amount of tornadoes that we may not have seen or documented.
One of the largest tornadoes recorded in this tornado was the Greenfield Iowa Tornado. People all over the internet refer to it as the “Dyson” because of its looks and appearance. There were multiple different vortexes around this tornado’s outside, making it look like a Dyson vacuum. This powerful twister ripped through a field of wind turbines and a few farming buildings. The ranking of this tornado was a whopping EF4, making this one of the most dangerous tornadoes other than the EF5. This Large Tornado produces wind speeds of 185-309 mph. This is very close to the largest wind speed that has ever been recorded from a tornado. This is an insanely strong record of 336 mph.
Two other notable tornadoes that occurred in the year 2024 include the Barnsdall, Oklahoma EF4, and the Mariette, Oklahoma EF4. These two, alongside the Greenfield, Iowa tornado, are a few of the strongest tornadoes that were produced during this year’s Tornado season. On May 6th, 2024, there was a tornado warning issued for Barnsdall, Oklahoma. This is the first tornado that has directly targeted this small town since 2008. This category EF4 tornado had wind speed that ranged from 166-200 mph. Leaving a lot of the small town in piles of rubble. This tornado hit a wax factory in the town in which most of the people who lived in Barnsdall worked at. Most of the people who inhabit Barnsdall say that this is one of the worst storms that has ever hit their area.
The Marietta, Oklahoma EF4, April 27th, 2024. Yet another category EF4 tornado to devastate another town in the same year. According to residents of the small town, they saw 18-wheelers twisted and knotted up as if they were as easy to crush as tin foil. Not only was their only supermarket near their area stuck, but the only hospital they had was in the path of destruction as well.
On the opposite side of I-35, stood a very large Dollar Tree distribution center. The EF4 tornado also ripped through this large center. Leaving an open gash in its walls and roof. The people of Marietta saw the truck drivers that normally passed through as their family. It devastated them to think that one of them died because of this large and powerful tornado that ripped through their town.
The late spring through the summer was one of the most active tornado seasons that the nation has ever seen. These strong tornadoes form far outside of the usual tornado alley and rip through unsuspecting towns and cities. These strong twisters left scars on many people’s minds, likely to stay there for the rest of their lives. As the climate changes due to human activity, the weather patterns are only bound to change, which leaves a large chance for the summer tornado season to only get worse from here on out.
