Oklahoma Remembers the El Reno Tornado of May 31 2013 the Largest Ever Recorded on Earth at 2.6 Miles Wide With Over 295 MPH Winds That Claimed 8 Lives
EL RENO, Oklahoma — Thirteen years ago on Saturday, May 31, 2013, a tornado touched down near El Reno, Oklahoma that would rewrite the record books forever and leave an unforgettable scar on the state. The El Reno Tornado remains to this day the largest tornado ever recorded anywhere on Earth, reaching a staggering 2.6 miles wide and producing winds measured at over 295 mph very close to the ground. It claimed 8 lives, including some of the most respected storm researchers in the world.
A Tornado Unlike Anything Ever Recorded
The numbers behind the El Reno Tornado of May 31, 2013 are still difficult to comprehend more than a decade later. At 2.6 miles wide, this tornado was not just the largest in Oklahoma history — it was the widest tornado ever documented anywhere on the planet. To put that width in perspective, 2.6 miles is roughly the distance from one end of a mid-size city to the other, all consumed within a single rotating storm.
How 295 MPH Winds Were Measured Inside the Storm
The University of Oklahoma’s RaXPol mobile radar was positioned near the storm and detected winds exceeding 295 mph very close to the surface inside the tornado’s most intense subvortices. Subvortices are smaller, violently rotating columns of wind that spin inside a larger tornado and can briefly produce winds far exceeding the main circulation. The over 295 mph measurement taken by the University of Oklahoma’s RaXPol mobile radar remains one of the most extreme wind speed readings ever recorded in a tornado anywhere on Earth.
The Cities in the Path of the El Reno Tornado
Live radar captured the El Reno Tornado as it moved through central Oklahoma on May 31, 2013, with several communities directly in or near its catastrophic path:
- El Reno, Oklahoma gave this historic tornado its name and sat at the center of the storm’s track on May 31, 2013, with the massive 2.6-mile-wide circulation bearing down on the community and surrounding areas.
- Concho, Oklahoma is visible on the live radar image from May 31, 2013, sitting to the north and within the broader area impacted by this record-breaking storm.
- Yukon, Oklahoma and Bethany, Oklahoma appear on the radar to the east of the storm’s position, with the enormous tornado visible on radar screens from weather stations across the region.
- Union City, Oklahoma is visible to the south on the May 31, 2013 radar image, lying within the sprawling storm environment surrounding the El Reno Tornado that afternoon.
The 8 Lives Lost on May 31 2013
The El Reno Tornado claimed 8 lives on May 31, 2013, and among those lost were three of the most accomplished and beloved figures in the storm research community. Tim Samaras, Paul Samaras and Carl Young were veteran meteorologists and storm researchers who died while working near the El Reno storm that day. Their loss sent shockwaves through the weather community and remains one of the most profound tragedies in the history of tornado science.
Why This Tornado Still Matters 13 Years Later
The El Reno Tornado of May 31, 2013 changed how meteorologists think about tornado size, behavior and unpredictability. It expanded suddenly and erratically, catching even experienced researchers off guard with its violent and rapid shifts in track and width. At 2.6 miles wide with winds over 295 mph, no tornado before or since has matched its sheer physical scale. For the residents of El Reno, Concho, Yukon, Bethany and surrounding Oklahoma communities, this storm will never be forgotten.
WaldronNews.com will continue tracking the history and legacy of the El Reno Tornado of May 31, 2013 across Oklahoma and will provide updates as new research and remembrance events related to this 2.6-mile-wide storm develop.