Evidence of Suction Vortices with the Tuscaloosa Tornado

While looking through the just amazing video and heart breaking photos from the Tuscaloosa News online tonight. I saw a lot of evidence of suctions vortices. These are smaller vortices that rotate around the main circulation of a tornado. They are also the cause for areas of enhanced wind damage within the damage path of a tornado. This is often why some structures are completely destroyed while others seemingly right next door have only partial damage. Here’s a great diagram of these vortices.

The Tuscaloosa tornado was clearly a large wedge but even within the large circulation there were likely these suction vortices within the wedge. Probably hidden with in the debris and condensation cloud of the tornado.

Here’s a collection of pictures via the Tuscaloosa News online taken from the air. Notice the pattern in the some of the tree damage images as well as in the neighborhoods of enhanced damage. Also check out the train trestle completely blow away in the slide show.