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Powerful Pacific System Impacting the West; First Significant Snow for Portions of the East

Power Pacific system will continue to bring significant impacts for Pacific Northwest into northern California the remainder of the week. Dangerous coastal affects, heavy rain, flooding, strong winds, and higher elevation mountain snow continues. Meanwhile, a storm across the east is set to bring the first accumulating snow to many higher elevations of the Catskills into the central Appalachians. Read More >

NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 05/12/2023 TORNADO EVENT

A CLOSED LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVED SLOWLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN 
PLAINS MAY 12, 2023. THIS SYSTEM WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MULTIPLE 
TORNADOES ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. THIS STORM 
SURVEY IS PRELIMINARY AND THE ADDITION OF FURTHER TORNADO TRACKS 
IS POSSIBLE. IN TOTAL, 7 TORNADOES WERE DETERMINED TO HAVE 
OCCURRED ACROSS PORTIONS OF CUSTER, GARFIELD, WHEELER, AND HOLT 
COUNTIES. WE WILL EVALUATE THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL SURVEYS FOR 
PORTIONS OF FAR SOUTH CENTRAL CHERRY COUNTY AND FAR NORTHEAST 
LOGAN COUNTY.

.TORNADO 1...

RATING:                 EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    110 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  4.02 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   100 YARDS
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               0

START DATE:             MAY 12, 2023 
START TIME:             12:34 PM CDT
START LOCATION:         ANSELMO

END DATE:               MAY 12, 2023
END TIME:               12:48 PM CDT
END LOCATION:           4 NW OF ANSELMO

THE TORNADO MOVED TO THE NORTHWEST, CAUSING EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE
ON THE WEST SIDE OF ANSELMO. 

.TORNADO 2...

RATING:                 EF-U
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    UNKNOWN MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  UNKNOWN MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   UNKNOWN YARDS
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               0

START DATE:             MAY 12, 2023 
START TIME:             12:42 PM CDT
START LOCATION:         4 N OF ARNOLD


END DATE:               MAY 12, 2023
END TIME:               12:43 PM CDT
END LOCATION:           4 N OF ARNOLD

THIS TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN AN OPEN FIELD. NO DAMAGE WAS
OBSERVED.

.TORNADO 3...

RATING:                 EF-U
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    UNKNOWN MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  UNKNOWN MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   UNKNOWN YARDS
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               0

START DATE:             MAY 12, 2023 
START TIME:             12:47 PM CDT
START LOCATION:         5 NNW OF ARNOLD

END DATE:               MAY 12, 2023
END TIME:               12:48 PM CDT
END LOCATION:           5 NNW OF ARNOLD

THIS TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN AN OPEN FIELD. NO DAMAGE WAS
OBSERVED.

.TORNADO 4...

RATING:                 EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    107 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  3.42 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   50 YARDS
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               0

START DATE:             MAY 12, 2023 
START TIME:             3:11 PM CDT
START LOCATION:         3.75 SSE OF BARTLETT

END DATE:               MAY 12, 2023
END TIME:               3:20 PM CDT
END LOCATION:           1 SSW OF BARTLETT

THIS TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AND MAINLY IMPACTED OPEN AREAS. HOWEVER,
A FEW STANDS OF TREES WERE DAMAGED, WITH TRUNKS SNAPPED AND LARGE
LIMBS LOST. 

.TORNADO 5...

RATING:                 EF-U
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    UNKNOWN MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  UNKNOWN MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   UNKNOWN YARDS
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               0

START DATE:             MAY 12, 2023 
START TIME:             3:25 PM CDT
START LOCATION:         5.25 NW OF ERICSON

END DATE:               MAY 12, 2023
END TIME:               3:33 PM CDT
END LOCATION:           5.25 NW OF ERICSON

THIS TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN OPEN COUNTRY NORTHWEST OF ERICSON. AT
THIS TIME NO DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED. HOWEVER, VIDEO EVIDENCE SUPPORTS
THE OCCURRENCE OF THIS TORNADO. 

.TORNADO 6...

RATING:                 EF-2
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    120 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  7.85 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   75 YARDS
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               0

START DATE:             MAY 12, 2023 
START TIME:             3:55 PM CDT
START LOCATION:         9 SSE OF CHAMBERS

END DATE:               MAY 12, 2023
END TIME:               4:06 PM CDT
END LOCATION:           3.7 SW OF CHAMBERS

THIS TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN FAR NORTHERN WHEELER COUNTY, QUICKLY
STRENGTHENING AND CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO SHELTER BELTS.
DEBARKING WAS OBSERVED IN TREES ALONG THE COUNTY LINE. THE TORNADO
CONTINUED NORTHWESTWARD INTO HOLT COUNTY, DAMAGING ADDITIONAL
TREES, FARM OUTBUILDINGS, AND PIVOT SYSTEMS. 

.TORNADO 7...

RATING:                 EF-U
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    UNKNOWN MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  UNKNOWN MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   UNKNOWN YARDS
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               0

START DATE:             MAY 12, 2023 
START TIME:             4:00 PM CDT
START LOCATION:         6 N OF ARNOLD

END DATE:               MAY 12, 2023
END TIME:               4:01 PM CDT
END LOCATION:           6 N OF ARNOLD

THIS TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN AN OPEN FIELD. NO DAMAGE WAS 
OBSERVED.

EF SCALE: THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES
TORNADOES INTO THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES.

EF0...WEAK......65 TO 85 MPH
EF1...WEAK......86 TO 110 MPH
EF2...STRONG....111 TO 135 MPH
EF3...STRONG....136 TO 165 MPH
EF4...VIOLENT...166 TO 200 MPH
EF5...VIOLENT...>200 MPH*

NOTE:
THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT AND PUBLICATION IN
NWS STORM DATA.