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 >
LOCATION...2 MI SW STUARTS DRAFT TO 2 MI N STUARTS DRAFT VIRGINIA DATE...APRIL 16 2011 ESTIMATED START TIME...220 PM EDT ESTIMATED END TIME...223 PM EDT MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF-1 MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...95 MPH MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...200 YARDS LENGTH...4.1 MILES BEGINNING LAT/LON...38.0182N / 79.0703W ENDING LAT/LON...38.0637N / 79.0307W * FATALITIES...NONE * INJURIES...NONE * 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... A GROUND SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE IN STERLING DETERMINED A TORNADO RATED EF-1 TRACKED JUST WEST OF STUARTS DRAFT VIRGINIA. PEAK WIND SPEEDS WERE AROUND 95 MPH. THE TORNADO PRODUCED DAMAGE TO 37 STRUCTURES AND DOWNED NUMEROUS TREES AND POWERLINES. THE PATTERN OF DAMAGE AND EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS ALL CONFIRMED THE OCCURRENCE OF A TORNADO. INITIAL DAMAGE WAS NOTED IN THE CRANBERRY ESTATES NEIGHBORHOOD JUST OFF OFFLITER RD. THE TORNADO TRACKED NORTHEAST FROM THERE AND DESTROYED SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS AND A BARN. NUMEROUS TREES WERE TOPPLED AND WIRES WERE DOWN ALONG OLD WHITE HILL ROAD. A LARGE TREE FELL ON A HOUSE OFF WHITE HILL ROAD. A LARGE STORAGE SHED WAS DESTROYED AND MULTIPLE HARDWOOD TREES WERE TOPPED 10 TO 15 FEET UP NEAR TWIN MILL AND CHURCHMANS MILL ROADS. A FARM COMPLEX OFF TINKLING SPRING ROAD ALONG YODER CIRCLE LOST SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS AND TREES. THE DAMAGE ENDED NEAR GUTHRIE AND TINKLING SPRING ROADS. PRELIMINARY DAMAGE ESTIMATES FROM AUGUSTA COUNTY EMERGENCY OFFICIALS LISTED STORM DAMAGE TO 12 RESIDENCES...3 BUSINESSES...15 GARAGES SHEDS OR OTHER OUTBUILDINGS...2 MOBILE STRUCTURES AND 5 BARNS. PRELIMINARY DAMAGE COST IS ESTIMATED AT OVER 2.2 MILLION DOLLARS. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EXTENDS THANKS TO MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL STUARTS DRAFT FIRE DEPARTMENT AND AUGUSTA COUNTY EMERGENCY OFFICIALS FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE IN CONDUCTING THE GROUND SURVEY.