As the Sulphur tornado neared Highway 177, its circulation became more rain-wrapped, roaring loudly while an intense rear-flank downdraft slammed across the scene. These winds just outside the tornado contained a blend of heavy rain, small hail, and assorted tree debris, from leaves to small twigs, flying past at highway speeds. It was hard to tell what of this debris was caused by the non-tornadic but severe RFD flow I was in, or by the tornado itself originally before being centrifuged into the RFD. This is a wide-angle view; the south rim of the tornadic vortex was about to pass roughly 1/2 mile to the north. It was decidedly unsafe to be any closer. [Reminder: Click the image to enlarge, and even more detail in small debris will be visible.]
4 N Sulphur OK (9 May 16) Looking N
34.5590, -96.9677