El Reno tornado: One year after deadly and record-breaking storm
Digital Reporter
Saturday, May 31, 2014, 7:45 PM -
On May 31, 2013, an EF3 tornado struck El Reno, Okla., which along with subsequent flooding killed at least 19 people, including three storm chasers.
The twister had a width of 4.2 kilometres, making it the widest twister in U.S. history.
WATCH: The birth of the El Reno, Oklahoma tornado
The twister tore open brick houses, ripped off roofs, downed trees, uprooted power lines and flattened entire neighbourhoods.
According to the National Weather Service, more than 150 mm of rain fell in less than three hours time, leading to flooding in Oklahoma City.
Massive hail was reported in El Reno.
ONE YEAR LATER: Storm chasers gather to honour several of their own
Weather Network meteorologists Jaclyn Whittal and Mark Robinson were tracking the twister as it traveled along the I-40 -- which was promptly shut down when the tornado broke out -- west of Oklahoma City.
It "formed quickly," Whittal recalled. "We were trying to get out of the path of the tornado and we got stuck in traffic."
RELATED: Mark and Jaclyn back in Moore, OK one year after devastating tornado ripped through town
One year later, Whittal and Robinson have returned to El Reno, where they say the community is still on the road to recovery.
