Severe Weather & Tornadoes - September 16, 2010

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
252 PM EDT MON SEP 20 2010

...MICROBURST /STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE/ CONFIRMED NEAR
BELLEFONTAINE IN LOGAN COUNTY OHIO...

LOCATION...2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BELLEFONTAINE IN LOGAN COUNTY OHIO
DATE...SEPTEMBER 16TH 2010
ESTIMATED TIME...315 PM EDT
ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...70 TO 90 MPH
MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE
PATH LENGTH...APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES
BEGINNING LAT/LON...40.33N 83.40W
ENDING LAT/LON...40.33N 83.82W
* FATALITIES...0
* INJURIES...0

* THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT(S) AND PUBLICATION IN NWS
STORM DATA.

...SUMMARY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON OH HAS CONFIRMED A
MICROBURST /STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE/ NEAR BELLEFONTAINE IN LOGAN
COUNTY OHIO ON SEPTEMBER 16TH 2010.

A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON
CONDUCTED A DAMAGE SURVEY FOR SIGNIFICANT STORM DAMAGE AS A RESULT
OF THE THUNDERSTORMS ON SEPTEMBER 16TH 2010.

THE SURVEY INDICATED DAMAGE ALONG TOWNSHIP ROAD 200...BEGINNING
WEST OF TOWNSHIP ROAD 198 AND CONTINUING ACROSS COUNTY ROAD 32
SOUTH...ENDING NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF TOWNSHIP ROAD 216...COUNTY
ROAD 18...AND TOWNSHIP ROAD 200 JUST SOUTHWEST OF BELLEFONTAINE.

THE DAMAGE CONSISTED OF SEVERAL BARNS AND OUTBUILDINGS COMPLETELY
DESTROYED...SOME BARNS...HOUSES...AND OUTBUILDINGS WITH
SIGNIFICANT ROOF AND SIDING DAMAGED /BUCKLED/...AND SIGNIFICANT WIND-
DRIVEN HAIL DAMAGE TO THE WEST SIDES OF BARNS AND HOUSES...AS WELL
AS CROPS IN THIS AREA. TREE DAMAGE WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANT THROUGH
THIS CORRIDOR WITH NUMEROUS SNAPPED OFF AND/OR UPROOTED TREES.

A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE DAMAGE PATTERN INDICATED A MICROBURST
SIGNATURE IN THIS AREA. WHILE MUCH OF THE DEBRIS ALONG TOWNSHIP
ROAD 200 WAS STREWN FROM WEST TO EAST...THERE WAS DAMAGE TO AN
OUTBUILDING AND TREES ON TOWNSHIP ROAD 198 NORTH OF TOWNSHIP ROAD
200 WHERE DEBRIS WAS STREWN TO THE NORTHEAST. THERE WERE ALSO
SEVERAL EXTREMELY LARGE TREES ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF TOWNSHIP ROAD
200 ON TOWNSHIP ROAD 198 WHICH FELL TO THE SOUTH OR SOUTH-
SOUTHEAST. THIS INDICATES A WEST TO EAST MOVING MICROBURST
CENTERED ALONG TOWNSHIP ROAD 200.

THE MOST CONCENTRATED AND SEVERE DAMAGE WAS CENTERED ALONG AND
JUST NORTH OF THE MICROBURST PATH...WHERE SEVERAL WELL CONSTRUCTED
BARNS WERE FLATTENED...SOME WITH DEBRIS STREWN IN EXCESS OF 100
YARDS. IT IS IN THESE AREAS WHERE WINDS ARE ESTIMATED TO HAVE
POSSIBLY REACHED UP TO 90 MPH. GOLF BALL HAIL COMBINED WITH THE
STRONG WINDS WHICH CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO HOUSE/BARN SIDING
AS WELL AS CROPS IN THE AREA.

FOR REFERENCE...
A MICROBURST IS A CONVECTIVE DOWNDRAFT WITH AN AFFECTED OUTFLOW AREA
OF LESS THAN 2 1/2 MILES WIDE AND PEAK WINDS LASTING LESS THAN
5 MINUTES. MICROBURSTS MAY INDUCE DANGEROUS HORIZONTAL/VERTICAL
WIND SHEARS...WHICH CAN ADVERSELY AFFECT AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE AND
CAUSE PROPERTY DAMAGE. STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS ARE GENERALLY ANY WIND
THAT IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ROTATION...USED MAINLY TO DIFFERENTIATE
THEM FROM TORNADIC WINDS.