Today is the two-year anniversary of the largest tornado ever recorded. The tornado, a multiple-vortex EF-3 (by damage, EF-5 by radar measurements) grew to an astonishing width of 2.6 miles at its widest. The storm killed eight people, including three highly experienced storm chasers caught by the tornado’s explosive growth and erratic movement of the smaller vortices within the larger circulation.

In the span of just six hours on Wednesday evening, the Oklahoma City metro area saw numerous damaging tornadoes, large hail, destructive wind gusts, enough rain to trigger a rare “flash flood emergency,” tigers getting loose, and a 2.9 earthquake. Tonight was not a good night on the plains.