Track of the Montford Cove Road tornado on 14 October 2014. The top map shows the 
approximate location of the tornado (depicted as a red star) relative to Marion, North 
Carolina.  The bottom map shows the approximate track of the tornado, shown as a thick 
red line.  Click on images to enlarge.

NOUS42 KGSP 161403
PNSGSP
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-
068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-161815-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1003 AM EDT THU OCT 16 2014

...TORNADO CONFIRMED NEAR 10 S-SW OF MARION IN MCDOWELL COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA...

*LOCATION...10 S-SW OF MARION IN MCDOWELL COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA
*DATE...10/14/2014
*ESTIMATED TIME...850 PM EDT
*MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF-0
*ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...75-80 MPH
*MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...350 FEET
*PATH LENGTH...4 TENTHS OF A MILE BEGINNING LAT/LON...35.54/82.06W
 ENDING LAT/LON...35.55/82.06W
* FATALITIES...0
* INJURIES...0

THIS INFORMATION IS PRELIMINARY UNTIL A FINAL REVIEW OF THE
EVENT(S) AND PUBLICATION IN NWS STORM DATA.

...SUMMARY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC HAS
CONFIRMED A TORNADO NEAR 10 S-SW OF MARION IN MCDOWELL COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA ON 10/14/2014.

A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM FROM WFO GREENVILLE-
SPARTANBURG INVESTIGATED STORM DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED DURING THE
EVENING HOURS OF 14 OCTOBER 2014 IN MCDOWELL COUNTY COUNTY NORTH
CAROLINA TO THE SOUTH OF THE CITY OF MARION. THE DAMAGE PATH WAS
CONSISTENT WITH A RELATIVELY SMALL...SHORT LIVED TORNADO.

THE SURVEY DETERMINED THAT THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AROUND 850 PM
IN THE YARD OF A HOME JUST SOUTH OF WILKERSON WAY WHICH RUNS EAST
OFF OF MONTFORD COVE ROAD. THE TORNADO SNAPPED OFF A FEW TREE
LIMBS AND FLATTENED A HEDGE ROW IN THE BACK OF THE YARD. THE
TORNADO PROCEEDED NORTH ACROSS WILKERSON WAY AND AS IT ENTERED A
FARMSTEAD LEVELED PART OF A FIELD OF CORN. THE TORNADO THEN BLEW
OFF A PORTION OF THE NORTH FACING ROOF OF A BARN AND BLEW THE TIN
ROOFING SHEETS INTO THE EAST CORAL AND UPWARDS OF A 100 YARDS TO
THE NORTH. ANOTHER SMALL SHED WAS MOVED OFF ITS FOUNDATION BY
ABOUT 8 FEET AND ITS ROOFING WAS BLOWN OFF. THE TORNADO THEN
CONTINUED NORTHWARD WHERE IT ENCOUNTERED AN EQUIPMENT DEALERSHIP
WITH SEVERAL ADJACENT CARPORT STRUCTURES HOUSING PARTS AND SMALL
EQUIPMENT. THE CARPORT ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE BUSINESS OFFICE
BUILDING WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED. IT WAS PICKED UP AND THE DEBRIS
WAS FLUNG UPWARDS OF 200 YARDS MAINLY IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION.
THE TORNADO ALSO FLUNG HEAVY MOTORS AND PARTS OFF SHELVES IN SOME
OF THE OTHER CARPORTS. A PIECE OF STEEL ESTIMATED AT 70 POUNDS WAS
FLUNG ABOUT 50 FEET OUT OF ONE OF THE CARPORTS. ALSO...A SMALL
ENCLOSED TRAILER WAS MOVED AND DAMAGED BY FLYING DEBRIS. ANOTHER
OPEN BED TRAILER WAS APPARENTLY FLIPPED AND SEVERELY DAMAGED. THE
TORNADO PROCEEDED NORTH FROM THE BUSINESS LOCATION AND WENT
THROUGH THE YARD OF A HOME OWNER TO THE NORTH. NUMEROUS TREES WERE
BLOWN DOWN AND BRANCHES SNAPPED. A BARN UNDER CONSTRUCTION TO THE
EAST OF THE HOUSE HAD SCAFFOLDING WHICH WAS INSIDE THE BARN BLOWN
OUT IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM THE NORTH AND SOUTH FACING DOORS.
THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTHWARD FROM THERE AND BLEW DOWN NUMEROUS
TALL EVERGREENS AND DEPOSITED THE LAST PIECE OF CARPORT ROOFING IN
A PASTURE JUST NORTH OF CROSSINGS DRIVE. THE TORNADO APPARENTLY
LIFTED IN THIS VICINITY.

IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT WIND DAMAGE OCCURRED ABOUT ONE-
QUARTER MILE TO THE EAST OF THE TORNADO PATH ALONG A RIDGE LINE.
NUMEROUS LARGE TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN IN THE VICINITY OF A HOME.
IT IS SURMISED THAT THIS DAMAGE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH DOWNBURST
WINDS.

THIS INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE AT
WEATHER.GOV/GSP.

FOR REFERENCE...THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES
INTO THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

EF0...WIND SPEEDS 65 TO 85 MPH.
EF1...WIND SPEEDS 86 TO 110 MPH.
EF2...WIND SPEEDS 111 TO 135 MPH.
EF3...WIND SPEEDS 136 TO 165 MPH.
EF4...WIND SPEEDS 166 TO 200 MPH.
EF5...WIND SPEEDS GREATER THAN 200 MPH.

$$

LG/CDG