Oklahoma tornado eight times more powerful than Hiroshima A-bomb

The power of Oklahoma tornado that ripped through the state causing massive damage to property and killing dozens in its way has received a top-of-the-scale rating of EF-5 on the Fujita scale. The energy released by the twister was eight times greater than that of the Hiroshima A-bomb, experts say.

The wind speed was estimated at about 320 km/h, while the width of the vortex stood at 25m. During its lifespan of 25 minutes the Oklahoma tornado left behind a 27m-long trail of debris.

The town of Moore in the Oklahoma City suburb was hit the strongest, with the power of the twister evaluated to be eight times the power of a nuclear bomb.

President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in the state. According to preliminary estimates, the hurricane will cost over a billion dollars in damages.

On May 20, Obama ordered to allocate federal budget money to help the tornado-hit region.