Weather service confirms deadly tornado that hit Oklahoma was a top-of-the-scale EF-5

MOORE, Okla. – The National Weather Service says the tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma was a top-of-the-scale EF-5 twister with winds of at least 200 mph (322 kph).

Spokeswoman Keli Pirtle said Tuesday the agency upgraded the tornado from an EF-4 on the enhanced Fujita scale to an EF-5 based on what a damage assessment team saw on the ground. The weather service uses the word “incredible” to describe the power of EF-5 storms.

The weather service says the tornado’s path was 17 miles (27 kilometres) long and 1.3 miles (2 kilometres) wide.

Pirtle says Monday’s twister is the first EF-5 tornado of 2013.

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