May 5th, 2017 Tornadoes

Overview

Upper level low tracked across the Tennessee Valley and pushed a complex frontal system through the region during the morning of May 5th. Despite weak instability, and very little lightning, shear and helicity values were high. Small segmented lines tracking east were producing winds gusts between 30-40 mph. The combination of wind gusts and saturated ground lead to several tree being uprooted. One discrete cell produce an EF1 tornado in Eden NC. This cell merged with a convective line north of Smith Mountain Lake and produced an EF0 Tornado near the Moneta area of Smith Mountain Lake.

Tornado
Photos

Tornadoes:

Tornado - Eden, NC
Rockingham County

Date	May 5th, 2017
Time (Local)	3:12 AM - 3:18 AM
EF Rating	EF-1
Est. Peak Winds	110 MPH
Path Length	3.3 mile
Max Width	375 Yards
Injuries/Deaths	0
Summary: An EF-1 Tornado touched down near the town of Eden and continued on the ground for roughly 8 minutes before lifting just south of the Virginia and North Carolina state line. It caused damage to trees and buildings.

Track Map

Tornado - Moneta, VA
Bedford County

Date	May 5th, 2017
Time (Local)	4:04 AM - 4:06 AM
EF Rating	EF-0
Est. Peak Winds	85 MPH
Path Length	0.3 mile
Max Width	100 Yards
Injuries/Deaths	0
Summary: An EF-0 Tornado touched down after a thunderstorm progressed across portions of Smith Mountain Lake. The tornado was only on the ground briefly, but was able to uproot and snap trees, while also producing minor structural damage to houses.

Track Map

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0 Weak 65-85 mph	EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph	EF2 Significant 111-135 mph	EF3 Severe 136-165 mph	EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph	EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph

Photos

Eden, NC Damage


Damage at YMCA (NWS Survey)	Damage at W Stadium Drive (NWS Survey)	Tire Store Damage in Eden (NWS Survey)	Home damaged at North Kennedy Avenue in Eden (NWS Survey)