At least four tornados ripped through Arkansas and Kentucky last night destroying towns and killing people. Several trains were derailed and more lines are blocked by debris from devastated towns. One of the towns was Mayfield, KY where Progress Rail rebuilds EMD locomotives. Several towns including Mayfield look as badly hit as Joplin, MO was a few years ago.
https://www.courierpress.com/story/news/local/2021/12/11/tornado-derails-train-earlington-ky-1-car-going-house/6475573001/
This site is reporting tank cars swept 75 yards off track and one being thrown into a house in Kentucky, this link also shows a lot of on the ground photos of the carnage and derailment.
someonre into aerodynamics please tell us how much wind force to pick up an empty RR car and move it uphill. Maybe the trucks did not go as well?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VakBHlqXi1g
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
I can't answer the question directly, but there are thoughts that the Mayfield tornado was at least an EF-3, which would contain winds ranging from 158 MPH to 206 MPH.
An EF-5 (a very real possibility) would have winds ranging from 261-318 MPH.
NWS is undoubtedly on scene and will likely have an official determination soon. A description of the Enhanced Fujita scale can be found at Wikipedia, among other sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujita_scale
It was reported that the tank cars were empty, which would make moving them with that much wind quite likely.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
tree68I can't answer the question directly, but there are thoughts that the Mayfield tornado was at least an EF-3, which would contain winds ranging from 158 MPH to 206 MPH. An EF-5 (a very real possibility) would have winds ranging from 261-318 MPH. NWS is undoubtedly on scene and will likely have an official determination soon. A description of the Enhanced Fujita scale can be found at Wikipedia, among other sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujita_scale It was reported that the tank cars were empty, which would make moving them with that much wind quite likely.
The news outet I heard postulated that the tornados were either EF-4 or EF-5. There comment was that the National Weather Service would have boots on the ground to correlate the observed damage on the ground to their knowledge damage and tornado class.
BaltACDThe news outet I heard postulated that the tornados were either EF-4 or EF-5.
I have no doubt.
I'm a spotter, not a rater, so all I have to work with is what I've seen from reports on other storms (Norman, Joplin, etc), and the descriptions in the definitions of each level.
To say that the damage was catastrophic would be an understatement. Barring evidence to the contrary, it appears that it was also one of the longest track tornados on record.
I'm hoping they find more survivors in the candle factory. One report I saw said that one victim knew there were rescuers there because she could feel them walking on the debris above her. It was either her or another victim who asked to have whatever was trapping her moved, only to be told there was five feet of debris above her. She was extricated.
Looking around Mayfield on Google Street View and matching up spots with some of the news photos, I can't imagine what these poor people are going through right now. What once was a beautiful city now looks more like a bombed out German city in 1945.
Was there any surviving historic railroad structures there? Being a railfan, I obviously also followed the tracks and nothing of interest appeared to be extant, pre-tornado.
Any information as to ladings? Tank car contents? Leakage? Hopper contents? Etc?
SAMUEL C WALKER Any information as to ladings? Tank car contents? Leakage? Hopper contents? Etc?
Initial reports were that the tank cars were empty, which might account for them being tossed around as much as they were. There was a report of spillage from a covered hopper.
I haven't looked at the photos to see if the tank cars were placarded, or for what.
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