05/31/2026
The LARGEST Tornado in History!
El Reno, Oklahoma 5/31/2013
It’s been 13 years since that fateful day. What transpired was a tragic day for many, including the chasing community. A volatile atmosphere was in place and strong tornadoes were possible, but no one imagined this monster!
The El Reno tornado started off as dancing, strong vortices before becoming a massive, quickly expanding wedge tornado. The NWS survey revealed a maximum width of 2.6 miles, making it the largest tornado in recorded history.
Sadly this tornado killed several people along its path, including 4 Storm chasers that couldn’t outrun it.
Three of the chasers tragically killed were the Twistex Team. Everyone who knew Tim Samaras would describe him as a genius but also as being safety minded. The Twistex Team being overtaken and killed goes to show how dangerous this, and every tornado, can be.
Mike Bettis of the Weather Channel was also out chasing and his vehicle rolled into the field by the tornado. It’s a miracle he and his team survived.
As a chaser, one can only imagine how much worse this day would likely be if it occurred in 2026, given the large increase in chasers and traffic. While I pray something like this never happens again, I fear that it’s just a matter of time. Escape routes and situational awareness are crucial.
