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Moore, Oklahoma tornado second in its history

This combination of Associated Press photos shows left, a neighborhood in Moore, Okla., in ruins on Tuesday, May 4, 1999, after a tornado flattened many houses and buildings in central Oklahoma, and right, flattened houses in Moore on Monday, May 20, 2013. Monday's powerful tornado in suburban Oklahoma City loosely followed the path of a killer twister that slammed the region in May 1999. AP Photo

Residents of Moore, Oklahoma, are digging out after a devastating F4 tornado struck the small town south of Oklahoma City.

This is the second time that Moore has experienced a tornado of this scale.

On May 3, 1999, 60 tornadoes struck the state of Oklahoma. The tornado that hit Moore was one of 14 that day and was an F5 — the strongest tornado on the Fujita scale which measures tornado strength. The winds were measured at 512 km/h — the highest wind speed ever recorded.

The tornado weakened to F2 or F3 and narrowed, but then widened and regained its strength.

The tornado killed 36 people (which includes 5 in Moore and 31 in surrounding areas). There were 583 people injured, 1800 homes were destroyed and 2500 homes were damaged. It caused $1.5 billion in damages.

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That tornado was the 100th to hit the Oklahoma City area since 1890.

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