Which 2013 Oklahoma tornado is known for killing storm researcher Tim Samaras?

The 2013 Oklahoma tornado associated with the death of storm researcher Tim Samaras was the El Reno tornado. It struck central Oklahoma on May 31, 2013, near the city of El Reno.

The tornado formed during a major late-May severe-weather outbreak and became exceptionally broad, rain-wrapped, and difficult to interpret visually. Its maximum measured width was about 2.6 miles, making it the widest tornado recorded at the time. Although radar and mobile instruments detected extreme winds, the National Weather Service rated the tornado EF3 based on its surveyed damage.

Tim Samaras, his son Paul, and fellow TWISTEX researcher Carl Young were killed when the tornado’s circulation and an intense internal subvortex overtook their vehicle. Their deaths were especially significant because Samaras had spent years deploying instruments near tornadoes to measure pressure and wind conditions.

People commonly confuse this event with the Moore tornado, which struck Oklahoma less than two weeks earlier on May 20, 2013. The Moore tornado caused catastrophic urban damage, but it was the May 31 El Reno tornado that killed Samaras and two members of his research team.