PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
126 PM EDT WED MAY 1 2019

...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR THE FRIDAY APRIL 19TH SHIPMAN VIRGINIA TORNADO...

START LOCATION...SHIPMAN IN NELSON COUNTY VIRGINIA
END LOCATION...SHIPMAN IN NELSON COUNTY VIRGINIA
DATE...APRIL 19 2019
ESTIMATED TIME...5:31 TO 5:33 PM EDT
MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF1
ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...100 MPH
MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...125 YARDS
PATH LENGTH...1.5 MILES
BEGINNING LAT/LON...37.699/-78.789
ENDING LAT/LON...37.720/-78.781
* FATALITIES...0
* INJURIES...0

...SUMMARY... 

A STORM SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 
BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE IN STERLING, 
VIRGINIA, OF DAMAGE RESULTING FROM A STORM THAT OCCURRED JUST 
AFTER 530 PM EDT ON FRIDAY APRIL 19, 2019, NEAR SHIPMAN, VIRGINIA.

THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN JUST SOUTH OF KEYS CHURCH ROAD/VA 722, 
AND PROCEEDED NORTH-NORTHEAST ACROSS KEYS CHURCH ROAD, TO JAMES 
RIVER ROAD. ALONG THIS INITIAL PHASE OF THE TORNADO, SCATTERED 
TREE DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED IN THE WOODS. MULTIPLE TREES ALONG THIS 
PATH WERE SNAPPED ABOUT A THIRD OF THE WAY UP THE TRUNK. A TREE 
WAS DOWNED TOWARDS THE SOUTHEAST OVER JAMES RIVER ROAD.

AS THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTHEAST OF JAMES RIVER ROAD, IT 
INTENSIFIED AND CREATED ITS MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO TWO FARM 
PROPERTIES AND ADJACENT WOODS. AS THE WIDTH OF THE CIRCULATION 
EXPANDED TO 125 YARDS, MOST OF THE TREES WITHIN THIS PORTION OF 
ITS PATH WERE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. IT IS ESTIMATED 100 TO 200 
TREES WERE DOWNED. A TREE FELL AND KILLED A HORSE. A LARGE TREE 
FELL ON THREE VEHICLES. A RECREATIONAL VEHICLE WAS BLOWN OVER. 
SEVERAL SMALL OUTBUILDINGS AND SHEDS WERE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. 
THE POWER LINES CROSSING THE FIELD WERE REPORTEDLY SEVERED. A 
RESIDENT TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE TORNADO CAPTURED THE FUNNEL IN 
PICTURES.

THE TORNADO CONTINUED SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS NORTHEAST INTO THE 
FOREST BEFORE DISSIPATING, CREATING ADDITIONAL WIDESPREAD TREE 
DAMAGE.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE THANKS NELSON COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF 
EMERGENCY SERVICES, LOVINGSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, WSET-TV, AND THE 
RESIDENTS OF THE IMPACTED AREA, WHO ALL PROVIDED INVALUABLE 
INFORMATION FOR THIS SURVEY.

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

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

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