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| F5 tornado | |
|---|---|
 A copper engraving by Gottlob Burchard Genzmer showing the tornado. | |
| Formed | June 29, 1764 |
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Highest winds |
|
| Max. rating | F5 tornado |
| Largest hail | 15 centimetres (5.9 in) |
| Fatalities | 1 fatality, several injuries |
| Areas affected | around Woldegk, Germany |
| Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale | |
The 1764 Woldegk tornado was one of the strongest tornadoes ever documented in history, receiving the only ever T11 rating on the TORRO scale along with an F5 rating on the Fujita scale and had winds estimated to be >300 miles per hour (480 km/h). The tornado traveled 30 kilometres (19 mi) and reached a maximum width of 900 metres (980 yd). Most of the information known about this tornado came from a 77-paragraph detailed study by German scientist Gottlob Burchard Genzmer, which was published one year after the tornado occurred. The tornado completely destroyed several structures and several tree branches, believed to have been thrown extremely high into the atmosphere, were covered with up to 2 centimetres (0.79 in) of ice. The storm which produced the violent tornado was extremely dry, with almost no rain reported. That said, large hail, reportedly reaching 15 centimetres (5.9 in) in diameter covered the ground, caused significant crop and property damage, killed dozens of animals, and injured multiple people in a large stretch around the tornado and to the northwest of the tornado’s path.
Tornado summary
The tornado touched down at F2 intensity about 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) southwest of Feldberg, where it began snapping oak trees. As the tornado moved northeast, it uprooted multiple oak and beech trees. The tornado intensified into F2-F3 intensity as it threw two children, who survived, into a lake. Several geese were “smashed” by hail around this time as well and the tornado grew to a width of about 100 metres (110 yd). Continuing northeast, the tornado crossed a lake and was spotted by an eye witness, which described the tornado as a “wedge tornado”. The eye witness also described the water levels rose and then retreated around the time of the tornado. After crossing the lake, the tornado destroyed a home, where the roof was “blown away” and the walls were “blown down”. At this structure is where the only fatality from the tornado occurred.
The tornado then shifted east-northeast as it narrowed to a width of 45 metres (49 yd). As the tornado reached its smallest width, still maintaining F3 intensity, a possible twin or satellite waterspout merged with the tornado along the shore of Lake Luzin. Immediately after the merge, the tornado changed direction to almost due north and intensified to F3-F4 intensity as it completely destroyed a beech timber forest. At this time, the tornado began to grow in width, maintaining F3-F4 intensity. After destroying the forest, the tornado snapped and uprooted several solitary oak trees, throwing them 35 metres (38 yd) into the air. “Soil drifting”, known today as ground scouring, occurred at this time, with the scouring reaching up to 10 centimetres (3.9 in) deep. At the time of this ground scouring, the tornado reached a width of 250 metres (270 yd). After scouring the ground, the tornado turned northeast, where it completely destroyed Lichtenberg forest. The European Severe Storms Laboratory noted this damage was worse than the previous forestry damage.
The tornado then rapidly intensified as it debarked oak trees at F4 intensity. Shortly after debarking the trees, the tornado reached its peak intensity of F5/T11, where it completely swept away everything except the ground floor to a mansion. Winds at this location were estimated to be at least 300 miles per hour (480 km/h). Oak tree stubs were ripped out of the ground and cobblestones weighing 75 kilograms (165 lb) were thrown. The European Severe Storms Laboratory stated, the “incredible” damage at the mansion warranted the rating of F5 on the Fujita scale. After destroying the mansion, an eye witness saw the tornado and stated it was “surrounded by birds trapped in the vortex”. After destroying the mansion, the tornado rapidly weakened over a few kilometers to F1 intensity, where it caused a 500 metres (550 yd) wide path of “light damage” in a forest.
The tornado then rapidly intensified as it struck Rothe Kirche. Here, an old oak tree was uprooted, which lifted a skeleton out of a grave at F3 intensity. Around this time, the tornado reaches its maximum width of 900 metres (980 yd) as it causes “severe damage” to an oak and beech tree forest. The tornado then continues northeast, passing just west of Woldegk, where it damaged a mansion, completely destroyed two barns, and overturned seven dung carts at F2-F3 intensity. Further to the northeast, the tornado struck an airborne flock of geese, where it killed some and injured 60-100 others. Isolated tree damage was seen around this time as well. The tornado then struck Helpt at F2 intensity, where a mansion and another structure sustained roof damage as well as the upper flood being removed from a gatehouse. After striking Helpt, the tornado dissipated.
See also
References
- ^ "June 29, 1764 German F5/T11 Tornado". European Severe Weather Database. European Severe Storms Laboratory. Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ Bernold Feuerstein; Thilo Kühne (September 2015). "A violent tornado in mid-18th century Germany: the Genzmer Report". ECSS 2015 - European Conference on Severe Storms At: Wiener Neustadt, Austria. 8. European Severe Storms Laboratory. doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.3733.8085. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
- ^ Gottlob Burchard Genzmer (June 9, 2005). "Beschreibung des Orcans, welcher den 29. Jun. 1764 einen Strich von etlichen Meilen im Stargardischen Kreise des Herzogthums Mecklenburg gewaltig verwüstet hat" (PDF) (in German). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 31, 2005. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
- Strüber, Henning. "Der Jahrtausendtornado von Woldegk vom 29. Juni 1764". Norddeutscher Rundfunk. Retrieved 29 January 2023.