Analysis of the 3 July 2019 Kaiyuan, Liaoning, EF4 Tornado

In the late afternoon of July 3, 2019 between 17:25 and 17:37 LST, a violent tornado ripped through Kaiyuan, located in the plains region of Liaoning Province in northeastern China. Many buildings, structures and automobiles were severely damaged by the tornado. Many trees were broken or uprooted. At least 6 people died and 190 were injured. The damage survey found one building whose degree of damage indicates EF4 intensity. The tornado passed through an area with farm lands, factory buildings, warehouses, mid-rise apartment buildings, rural residential houses, and other types of surfaces. The challenge is to determine EF ratings based on damages to structures that were built to different codes and standards than U.S. buildings. Numerical simulations are on going and will be presented, too.