100 mph wind measured by D2 in Canton, OK tornado!
Wind data collected by the RM Young anemometer atop D2 showed a cross-wind of 100 mph from the south in the east side of the Canton, OK EF3 tornado on May 24, 2011 as we were launching parachute probes into the circulation. The plot at left shows wind speed (blue) and direction (red) as we were deployed on EF0590 WNW of Longdale, OK with the spikes in the pavement, just east of where pavement appeared to be scoured from large debris. Note how the abrupt wind direction change occurred well after the peak wind gust was observed, which shows that we were displaced to the east of the center of the tornado with the wind shift occurring as the RFD gust front blasted through just south of the circulation. We walked 6 miles of the damage path yesterday searching for parachute probes after their batteries had died, and were lucky enough to find one in the field to the north of our intercept point. Data from this probe will be extracted in the next few days, and could have been carried inside the tornado and thrown out on the backside...or more likely was one of the probes shot straight into the ground too early. I'll post this data as soon as it is available.
http://www.tornadovideos.net/component/content/article/1-latest-news/1365-100-mph-wind-measured-by-d2-in-canton-ok-tornado
