March 2, 2012 -- Tornado near Piketon

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
454 PM EST MON MAR 5 2012

...TORNADO CONFIRMED 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PIKETON IN PIKE COUNTY
OHIO...

LOCATION...6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PIKETON IN PIKE COUNTY OHIO
DATE...MARCH 2 2012
ESTIMATED TIME...553 PM EST
MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF0
ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...75 MPH
MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...ESTIMATED 100 YARDS
PATH LENGTH...APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES
BEGINNING LAT/LON...39.00N / -83.10W
ENDING LAT/LON...39.01N / -83.05W
* 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
TORNADO 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PIKETON IN PIKE COUNTY OHIO ON MARCH
2 2012.

A DAMAGE SURVEY PERFORMED ON MONDAY MARCH 5TH CONFIRMED ONE AT
LEAST ONE BRIEF...WEAK TORNADO IN PIKE COUNTY. THE TORNADO TOUCHED
DOWN INITIALLY ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF WYNN ROAD...AND FOLLOWED THE
ROAD WHERE IT EVENTUALLY CROSSED THE ROAD AND LIFTED NEAR HIGHWAY
104 SOUTHWEST OF PIKETON.

DAMAGE CONSISTED OF NUMEROUS LARGE TREES SNAPPED
OFF...UPROOTED...AND LYING IN A CONVERGENT PATTERN TOWARD THE
CENTER OF THE MOST ENHANCED CORE OF TREE DAMAGE. ONE LARGE TREE
LANDED ON A MOBILE HOME...DAMAGING IT HEAVILY ALONG THE PATH. AN
EYEWITNESS OBSERVED THE TORNADO WHICH CORROBORATES THE DAMAGE
PATH.

THIS IS A HEAVILY FORESTED REGION WITH LIMITED ROAD ACCESS SO PATH
LENGTH...AND WIDTH ARE APPROXIMATED.  

WIDESPREAD TREE DAMAGE EXISTS ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHWEST PIKE
COUNTY. HUNDREDS OF TREES WERE OBSERVED TO BE DOWN. THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IS IN THE PROCESS OF POTENTIALLY CONFIRMING
ANOTHER BRIEF...WEAK TORNADO TO THE SOUTH OF THIS TRACK ALONG CAMP
CREEK ROAD SOUTHWEST OF PIKETON...PENDING PHOTOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF
MOBILE HOME DAMAGE AND ALIGNMENT OF MORE EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS. THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VERY MUCH APPRECIATES THE HELP OF THE
PIKE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN THIS SURVEY. THAT CONFIRMATION
IS LIKELY TO COME TOMORROW...TUESDAY MARCH 6TH.

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.

$$

BINAU