NWS Sterling, VA - September 17, 2004 tornadoes

...FAUQUIER COUNTY VIRGINIA...

A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN SOUTHERN FAUQUIER COUNTY JUST TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE TOWN OF REMINGTON. THIS TORNADO PRODUCED AN INTERMITTENT DAMAGE PATH OF AT LEAST 20 MILES AS IT MOVED QUICKLY NORTH THROUGH FAUQUIER COUNTY.

THE RESULTS OF THE STORM SURVEY IN THIS COUNTY CONCLUDE THAT THE TORNADO REACHED A MAXIMUM INTENSITY OF F3 ON THE FUJITA SCALE. WIND SPEEDS OF AN F3 RANGE FROM 158 TO 206 MPH. THE HIGHEST END DAMAGE FROM THIS STORM OCCURRED WHEN A PICKUP TRUCK ON SUMMERDUCK RD SOUTHEAST OF REMINGTON WAS LIFTED AND CARRIED AIRBORNE GREATER THAN 75 YARDS OVER TREES AND POWERLINES, LEAVING IT DESTROYED UPSIDE DOWN IN A FIELD. IN THIS AREA THE TORNADO WAS APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS WIDE. THIS DAMAGE IS CONSISTENT WITH WINDS IN THE F3 RANGE ON THE FUJITA SCALE. IN THIS RURAL AREA, STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS MINIMAL.

A FEW MILES TO THE NORTH ALONG THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO, SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS PRODUCED IN THE MEADOWS SUBDIVISION. THE TORNADIC WINDS CAUSED SEVERAL HOMES TO SUSTAIN DAMAGE TO ROOFS WITH A FEW HOMES HAVING THEIR ROOFS COMPLETELY REMOVED, ONE HOME SLID OFF ITS FOUNDATION SLIGHTLY, COMPROMISING THE STRUCTURE. NUMEROUS GARAGES AND OUT BUILDINGS WERE ALSO DESTROYED IN THIS SUBDIVISION BY THE TORNADO. THE DAMAGE IN THIS AREA WAS CONSISTENT WITH TORNADIC WINDS IN THE F2 RANGE ON THE FUJITA SCALE. WINDS IN THE F2 CATEGORY RANGE FROM 113 TO 157 MPH. THE TORNADO WAS APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS WIDE IN THIS AREA.

THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTH THROUGH FAUQUIER COUNTY PRODUCING INTERMITTENT DAMAGE, MOSTLY TO TREES AND POWERLINES. THE TORNADO REACHED A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF APPROXIMATELY ONE QUARTER MILE WIDE AS IT CROSSED BEACH ROAD AND LATER CROSSED ROUTE 15. THE DAMAGE IN THESE AREAS WAS CONSISTENT WITH WINDS IN THE F1 RANGE OF THE FUJITA SCALE. NORTH OF ROUTE 15, BUT SOUTH OF BROAD RUN, THE TORNADO AGAIN GAINED STRENGTH REACHING F2 INTENSITY. LARGE STANDS OF VERY OLD MATURE, HEALTHY TREES WERE SNAPPED OFF AND SMALL MISSILES WERE IMPALED INTO BUILDINGS. THIS TYPE OF DAMAGE WAS COMMON ALONG THE TRACK OF THE STORM AS IT MOVED NORTH THROUGH FAUQUIER COUNTY. THE TORNADO DAMAGED SEVERAL HOMES AND CLEARED LARGE STANDS OF TREES. THE TORNADO LIFTED NORTH OF INTERSTATE 66. THIS WAS A VERY LONG TRACKED TORNADO. THIS GIVES A MOSTLY CONTINUOUS PATH LENGTH OF APPROXIMATELY 22 MILES.

THIS STORM MOVED INTO WESTERN LOUDOUN, EXTREME SOUTHWEST FREDERICK MARYLAND AND EASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTIES.

...WESTERN LOUDOUN COUNTY VIRGINIA...

A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN WESTERN LOUDOUN COUNTY ON FRIDAY EVENING. THIS STORM WAS A CONTINUATION OF THE TRACK OF THE STORM THAT WENT THROUGH FAUQUIER COUNTY VIRGINIA. THE STORM FIRST TOUCHED DOWN IN LOUDOUN COUNTY SOUTH OF HAMILTON. INTERMITTENT DAMAGE FROM THIS STORM WAS NOTED FROM SOUTH OF HAMILTON TO LOVETTSVILLE, WITH MOST OF THE DAMAGE SOUTH OF ROUTE 7. IN HAMILTON, A FARM SUFFERED SEVERE DAMAGE AS A 19TH CENTURY FARMHOUSE HAD ITS TIN ROOF BLOWN OFF AND DEPOSITED 75 YARDS AWAY, WINDOWS SMASHED, AND A BRICK CHIMNEY DEMOLISHED. DAMAGE TO HORSE BARNS AND OUT BUILDINGS WERE ALSO NOTED. MANY HARDWOOD TREES RANGING FROM 1 TO 2 FEET IN DIAMETER WERE EITHER UPROOTED OR SNAPPED AT 20 TO 40 FT OFF THE GROUND IN MULTIPLE AREAS OF WESTERN LOUDOUN COUNTY SOUTH OF ROUTE 7. THE STORM PRODUCED INTERMITTENT DAMAGE ALONG A 10 MILE PATH. BASED ON THE DAMAGE SURVEYED, THE TORNADO WILL BE RATED AS AN F1 ON THE FUJITA SCALE.

THIS THUNDERSTORM THEN CONTINUED NORTH PRODUCING TORNADIC DAMAGE IN EXTREME SOUTHWEST FREDERICK AND EASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTIES.

...EXTREME SOUTHWEST FREDERICK COUNTY MARYLAND...

AFTER MOVING THROUGH FAUQUIER AND WESTERN LOUDOUN COUNTIES, ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED A TORNADO IN FAR SOUTHWEST FREDERICK COUNTY MARYLAND. THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF MILE NORTHWEST OF THE BRUNSWICK TOWN LIMITS. THIS TORNADO PRODUCED EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE, AND SOME STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WITH PORTIONS OF ROOFS BEING RIPPED OFF A FEW BUILDINGS. OUT BUILDINGS WERE ALSO COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE TORNADO DAMAGE CONTINUED TO THE NORTH ALONG ROUTE 17 FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES BEFORE LIFTING JUST SOUTH OF BURKITTSVILLE. THE TORNADO WILL BE RATED AN F1 ON THE FUJITA SCALE WITH A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF 150 YARDS. MUCH OF THIS AREA IS HARVESTED FARMLAND, SO THE EXACT WIDTH IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE EXACTLY.

THIS THUNDERSTORM CROSSED INTO SOUTHEASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY MARYLAND PRODUCING TORNADO DAMAGE NEAR BOONSBORO AS DESCRIBED BELOW.

...WASHINGTON COUNTY MARYLAND...

A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING A TORNADO MOVED NORTH OUT OF NORTHERN LOUDOUN AND SOUTHWEST FREDERICK COUNTIES INTO EASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY. IN BOONSBORO 5 HOMES WERE DAMAGED DUE TO TREES FALLING INTO THEM. PART OF A ROOF WAS DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF THE TORNADIC WINDS. THIS TORNADO WAS ESTIMATED TO BE AN F0 ON THE FUJITA SCALE WITH WINDS ESTIMATED AT 60 TO 70 MPH. THE PATH WAS 1 MILE LONG WITH A WIDTH OF 75 YARDS.

A TORNADO BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN IN WESTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY EAST OF HANCOCK LATER FRIDAY EVENING. THIS TORNADO DOWNED TREES IN REMOTE AREAS AS CONFIRMED BY GROUND SURVEY. THE TORNADO WILL BE RATED AN F0 ON THE FUJITA SCALE. THE PATH LENGTH IS ESTIMATED TO BE 1/2 MILE IN LENGTH WITH A WIDTH OF 100 YARDS.

...STAFFORD COUNTY VIRGINIA...

A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED AN F1 TORNADO IN CENTRAL STAFFORD COUNTY ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON SEPTEMBER 17 2004. TOTAL TRACK LENGTH IN CENTRAL STAFFORD COUNTY WAS ESTIMATED AT 4 MILES. INITIAL TORNADO TOUCHDOWN OCCURRED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF POTOMAC RUN ROAD AND GRAYS ROAD. ABOUT 2 DOZEN TREES IN A SWATH 50 YARDS WIDE HAD THEIR TOPS KNOCKED DOWN BY F0-RATED WINDS. THE TORNADO TRACKED SLIGHTLY WEST OF NORTH AND PRODUCED MORE F0 DAMAGE 50 YARDS WIDE ALONG ESKIMO HILL ROAD ABOUT 300 YARDS WEST OF POTOMAC RUN ROAD. THE TORNADO CROSSED U.S. ROUTE 1 JUST SOUTH OF WHERE ROUTE 1 CROSSES ACCOKEEK CREEK PRODUCING A 50 YARD WIDE PATH OF F0 TREE DAMAGE. THE TORNADO CROSSED INTERSTATE 95 JUST SOUTH OF THE EXIT FOR STAFFORD, EXIT 140, BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 139.5 AND 139.6 PRODUCING EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE IN A 150 YARD WIDE SWATH THAT WAS RATED F1. INTERSTATE 95 WAS TEMPORARILY SHUT DOWN DUE TO THE FALLEN TREES. THE TORNADO CROSSED COURTHOUSE ROAD PRODUCING F0 TREE DAMAGE 100 YARDS WIDE JUST WEST OF I-95 EXIT 140. THE TORNADO RAPIDLY LIFTED AT THIS POINT. A WALL CLOUD WAS OBSERVED BY SPOTTERS WEST OF GARRISONVILLE OVER THE PARK RIDGE SUBDIVISION BUT NO DAMAGE WAS REPORTED. THE THUNDERSTORM THAT PRODUCED THIS TORNADO MOVED INTO PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY.

...CENTRAL AND NORTHERN FREDERICK COUNTY MARYLAND...

THE THUNDERSTORM THAT PRODUCED A TORNADO IN MONTGOMERY, LOUDOUN, FAIRFAX AND PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTIES MOVED TO THE NORTH INTO SOUTHERN FREDERICK COUNTY. A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN JUST EAST OF ADAMSTOWN WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM AND MOVED NORTH. DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED TO STRUCTURES AND TREES. STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO ROOF DAMAGE, BLOWN OUT WINDOWS, OUTBUILDING DAMAGE AND A CHIMNEY COLLAPSE. THE TORNADO SNAPPED MANY SOFTWOOD AND HARDWOOD TREES IN AND AROUND ADAMSTOWN. BASED ON THE STRUCTURAL AND TREE DAMAGE THIS TORNADO IS BEING RATED AN F1 ON THE FUJITA SCALE. THE TORNADO PRODUCED INTERMITTENT DAMAGE TO TREES ALONG A PATH OF 6 MILES ENDING UP IN THE FAR WESTERN EDGES OF FREDERICK CITY. THE TORNADO REACHED A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS. THE MAJORITY OF THE DAMAGE ALONG THE REMAINDER OF THE TRACK WAS F0 ON THE FUJITA SCALE, BUT THERE WERE A FEW LARGER AREAS OF SNAPPED TREES SUGGESTING SOME F1 DAMAGE ON THE FUJITA SCALE. SOME ROOF DAMAGE TO HOMES WAS ALSO NOTED AND A BARN DESTROYED 2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FREDERICK CITY IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO.

THE THUNDERSTORM AGAIN PRODUCED ANOTHER TORNADO, TOUCHING DOWN IN FAR NORTHWEST FREDERICK COUNTY, ON THE NORTHWEST EDGE OF CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN PARK. A LARGE, THICKLY FORESTED STAND OF TREES APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS WIDE WHERE NEARLY ALL OF THE HARDWOOD TREES WERE SNAPPED OFF ABOVE THE BASE. BASED ON THE EXTREME NUMBER OF HEALTHY TREES SNAPPED OFF, THIS TORNADO WILL BE RATED AN F2 ON THE FUJITA SCALE. THE TORNADO PATH LENGTH WILL BE ESTIMATED TO BE APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES, BUT DUE TO THE DIFFICULT TERRAIN AND INACCESSIBILITY, THE FULL LENGTH CANNOT BE DETERMINED AT THIS TIME.

...GREENE COUNTY VIRGINIA...

A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED A TORNADO NEAR THE STANARDSVILLE AREA. THE FIRST DAMAGE FROM THE STORM WAS AT THE LANDFILL SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 33 WHERE A ROOF WAS TORN OFF A BUILDING. THE NEXT AREA OF DAMAGE WAS JUST NORTH OF HIGHWAY 33 ALONG HIGHWAY 230. AT THIS LOCATION, PART OF A ROOF WAS TORN OFF A HOUSE, NUMEROUS TREES WERE TOPPED OFF AND LARGE TREES WERE BROKEN OR UPROOTED.

THE STORM THEN CONTINUED NORTH THROUGH GREENE COUNTY PRODUCING DAMAGE AT SEVERAL OTHER LOCATIONS. TORNADO DAMAGE IN THE AREA OF HIGHWAY 621 WAS EXTENSIVE. ONE HOUSE WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED WITH ONLY 2 ROOMS STANDING AND A MOBILE HOME WAS DESTROYED. DAMAGE TO OTHER HOMES OCCURRED IN THE AREA. MANY TREES WERE UPROOTED OR TOPPED. AT A COUNTRY CLUB JUST NORTH OF THIS AREA, EXTENSIVE DAMAGE ALSO OCCURRED. ONE WALL OF THE COUNTRY CLUB WAS PULLED OUT AND EXTENSIVE ROOF DAMAGE OCCURRED. DAMAGE OCCURRED TO TILES ON THE INTERIOR CEILINGS, DUCTING AND WATER DAMAGE ALSO OCCURRED.

DAMAGE OCCURRED AT THE COUNTRY CLUB ESTATES, ADJACENT TO THE COUNTRY CLUB. APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 6 HOMES WERE DAMAGED. ONE HOUSE HAD THE BRICK FACING TORN FROM THE CORNER AND THE WINDOWS AND FRAMES BLOWN IN. MANY TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN OR TOPPED.

AT THE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS OFF HIGHWAY 230, THE TORNADO BLEW DOWN A CONCRETE BLOCK BUILDING AND TURNED OVER A TRACTOR TRAILER FILLED WITH CATTLE GATES. THE TORNADO MOVED INTO A CORN FIELD ACROSS FROM THE FAIRGROUNDS.

BASED ON THE DAMAGE SURVEYED, THE TORNADO REACHED A MAXIMUM INTENSITY OF F2 ON THE FUJITA SCALE. THE THUNDERSTORM THEN MOVED INTO MADISON COUNTY PRODUCING DAMAGE NEAR HOOD AS DESCRIBED BELOW.

...MADISON COUNTY VIRGINIA...

THE THUNDERSTORM THAT MOVED INTO MADISON COUNTY FROM GREENE COUNTY PRODUCED TORNADO DAMAGE AT AN AREA ALONG STATE ROUTE 613 OFF HIGHWAY 230. A NUMBER OF HOMES HAD DAMAGE. AT LEAST ONE ALUMINUM GARAGE WAS DESTROYED AND A ROCK CHIMNEY WAS TOPPED OFF. TREES WERE ALSO BLOWN DOWN AND TOPPED OFF. THIS DAMAGE INDICATED THAT THE TORNADO WAS AN F1 INTENSITY IN THIS LOCATION.

FURTHER AERIAL INVESTIGATION OF THIS AREA CONCLUDED THAT THE TORNADO REMAINED ON THE GROUND FOR SEVERAL MORE MILES INTO THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF WESTERN MADISON COUNTY. THE TORNADO AGAIN REACHED A STRONG F2 INTENSITY ON THE FUJITA SCALE AS SEVERAL LARGE AREAS OF MATURE MIXED FOREST WERE ALMOST COMPLETELY LEVELED. THE TOTAL PATH LENGTH OF THIS TORNADO FROM GREENE INTO MADISON COUNTIES WAS APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES. THE MAXIMUM WIDTH REACHED NEAR ONE QUARTER MILE WIDE.

...CULPEPER COUNTY VIRGINIA...

THE FIRST TORNADO TOUCHDOWN WAS IN MITCHELLS ALONG ROUTE 615. THE TORNADO MOVED OVER SEVERAL OUT BUILDINGS, A HOME AND THEN CROSSED THE RAILROAD TRACKS AND OVER ANOTHER HOME BEFORE LIFTING. BOTH OWNERS OF THE TWO HOMES WERE HOME WITH NO INJURIES.

NUMEROUS TREES WERE UPROOTED OR DAMAGED. A SHED WAS LIFTED BY THE TORNADOS WINDS. THE SECOND HOUSE SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE BACK OF THE HOUSE AND A GARAGE.

THE LENGTH OF THIS TORNADO WAS ONE HALF MILE, WITH A WIDTH OF AROUND 75 YARDS. THE TORNADO REACHED A MAXIMUM INTENSITY OF F1 ON THE FUJITA SCALE.

A SECOND TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NORTH OF CULPEPER ON ROUTE 685, 2 MILES EAST OF ROUTE 229. THE TORNADO BLEW DOWN OR BROKE OFF BRANCHES FROM SEVERAL TREES ON THE PROPERTY. IT BLEW A GARAGE DOOR IN CAUSING THE ROOF TO BLOW OFF A GARAGE. PART OF THE ROOF OF THE HOUSE WAS ALSO REMOVED. THIS TORNADO WILL BE CLASSIFIED AS AN F1 ON THE FUJITA SCALE. THE TORNADO WAS APPROXIMATELY 75 YARDS WIDE AND WAS ON THE GROUND FOR 200 YARDS.

...ORANGE COUNTY VIRGINIA...

THE FIRST TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN A HEAVILY FORESTED AREA NEAR THE WESTERN END OF LAKE ANNA JUST NORTH OF ROUTE 719. SEVERAL TREES WERE TOPPED, AND THE TORNADO HIT A COUPLE OF HOMES. SEVERAL TREES WERE UPROOTED OR TOPPED AND THE TWO HOMES WERE DAMAGED. THE DAMAGE SURVEYED REVEALED THAT THE TORNADO REACHED A MAXIMUM OF F1 ON THE FUJITA SCALE. THE WIDTH WAS 100 YARDS AND THE TORNADO PRODUCED INTERMITTENT DAMAGE ALONG A 2 TO 3 MILE PATH.

THE THUNDERSTORM CONTINUED NORTH THROUGH EASTERN ORANGE COUNTY AND PRODUCED AN ADDITIONAL TORNADO. THIS TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR ROUTE 20 AND TRAVELED NORTH TOWARD THE RAPIDAN RIVER. DAMAGE WAS SURVEYED TO A FARM AND THE TORNADO DESTROYED A MOBILE HOME. THE DAMAGE NORTH OF THIS AREA WAS SPORADIC. THE TORNADO BRIEFLY REACHED F2 INTENSITY ON THE FUJITA SCALE. THE LENGTH OF THIS PATH WAS APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES AND WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS WIDE.

...KING GEORGE COUNTY VIRGINIA...

A TORNADO RATED F1 ON THE FUJITA SCALE CROSSED CENTRAL KING GEORGE COUNTY FRIDAY EVENING. A CONTINUOUS TOTAL TRACK LENGTH FOR THIS TORNADO THROUGH KING GEORGE COUNTY WAS ESTIMATED AT 7 MILES.

INITIAL TOUCHDOWN WAS SOUTH OF THE INTERSECTION OF ROUTE 3 AND 607 NEAR POPCASTLE. HERE THE TORNADO PRODUCED F0 TREE DAMAGE ABOUT 75 YARDS WIDE. AS IT PASSED ACROSS ROUTE 3, THE PATH WIDTH GREW TO 200 YARDS OF F0 DAMAGE. THE TORNADO PRODUCED F1 DAMAGE IN THE LAKE JEFFERSON SUBDIVISION AND NEARBY IGO ROAD AREAS. FRAME HOMES IN THIS SUBDIVISION WERE SURROUNDED BY LARGE HARDWOOD TREES 80-120 FEET TALL AND 1-2 FEET IN DIAMETER. ABOUT 20 HOMES RECEIVED DAMAGE FROM TOPPED AND UPROOTED TREES. NEARBY ON IGO ROAD WINDY HILL FARM RECEIVED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO ITS BARNS AND OTHER OUT BUILDINGS. A BRICK HOME WITH AN ATTACHED GARAGE LOST THE GARAGE ROOF. A HAM RADIO TOWER WAS TOPPLED ALONG WITH MANY TREES ON WINSTON PLACE ROAD. DAMAGE WIDTH IN THE LAKE JEFFERSON-IGO ROAD-ROUTE 3 AREA WAS INDICATIVE OF A MULTIPLE VORTEX F1 TORNADO WITH A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF 250 YARDS.

AFTER HITTING LAKE JEFFERSON, THE TORNADO JOGGED TO THE RIGHT AND CROSSED COMORN ROAD, ROUTE 609 JUST SOUTH OF OSSO NEAR THE INTERSECTION WITH ROUTE 218 PRODUCING F0 DAMAGE ABOUT 50 YARDS WIDE. THE TORNADO PRODUCED F0 TO F1 DAMAGE AS IT MOVED NORTHEAST ENTERING THE POTOMAC RIVER AT THE END OF ROUTE 641, CHATTERTON LANE. TREES FELL ON A HOUSE AT THE END OF ROUTE 641.

...CHARLES COUNTY MARYLAND...

A TORNADO RATED F0 TOUCHED DOWN IN SOUTHWEST CHARLES COUNTY MARYLAND AROUND 640 PM. THIS TORNADO WAS SPAWNED BY THE SAME THUNDERSTORM THAT EARLIER HAD PRODUCED A TORNADO IN KING GEORGE COUNTY, DESCRIBED ABOVE. AFTER CROSSING THE POTOMAC RIVER THE TORNADO MADE LAND FALL ON THE CHARLES COUNTY SHORE NEAR MARYLAND POINT. THERE IT DOWNED NUMEROUS TREES NEAR THE MERRICK 4-H CAMPGROUND. AFTER IT CROSSED NORTH OF RIVERSIDE ROAD, THE TORNADO DOWNED AND TOPPED TREES ALONG WILLIAMS FARM PLACE AND AMERICAN BEAUTY PLACE. THE TORNADO DISSIPATED SHORTLY AFTER DOWNING TREES NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF MARYLAND POINT AND SMITH POINT ROADS. PATH WIDTH WAS ROUGHLY 100 YARDS WIDE. TOTAL PATH LENGTH WAS 3 MILES.

...FREDERICK COUNTY VIRGINIA...

TWO TORNADOES MOVED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE COUNTY. ONE TORNADO PASSED JUST EAST OF WINCHESTER, THE OTHER PASSED JUST TO THE WEST. BOTH WERE MOVING ALMOST DUE NORTH. BOTH TORNADOES BEGAN AND ENDED IN FREDERICK COUNTY VIRGINIA.

THE EASTERN FREDERICK COUNTY VIRGINIA TORNADO PRODUCED A NEARLY CONTINUOUS PATH OF DAMAGE 5 MILES LONG AND IS RATED F2 WITH MAX WINDS OF 115 MPH. IT FIRST TOUCHED DOWN WEST OF MILLWOOD PIKE, U.S. ROUTE 50-17, ON WEST PARKINS MILL ROAD PRODUCING F0 DAMAGE TO TREES AND ROOF DAMAGE TO A HOUSE AND A FEW OUTBUILDINGS. THE TORNADO INTENSIFIED AS IT MOVE NORTH OVER AIRPORT ROAD. A 1-STORY BRICK HOME LOST NEARLY HALF OF ITS ROOF, A DETACHED 2-CAR GARAGE WAS DESTROYED AND AN OUTDOOR DECK PLATFORM AT THE REAR OF THE HOUSE WAS BLOWN INTACT NEARLY 300 YARDS AWAY. HERE THE TORNADO WAS RATED AS HAVING 115 MPH WINDS, F2 ON THE FUJITA SCALE. ALSO IN THIS AREA WAS EVIDENCE OF A MULTI-VORTEX TORNADO WITH NARROW PATHS OF DAMAGE LESS THAN 50 YARDS WIDE THAT FED INTO THE MAIN TORNADO TRACK. FURTHER NORTH AN ENGINEERING FIRM LOST A SMALL PORTION OF ITS ROOF, HAD GARAGE DOORS BLOWN OUT, AN OFFICE TRAILER OVERTURNED AND HAD A LARGE ROOF-MOUNTED ANTENNA TOPPLED DUE TO HIGH END F0 WINDS OF 70 MPH. THE TORNADO CONTINUED MOVING NORTH NEARLY PARALLEL TO GREENWOOD ROAD PRODUCING F0 DAMAGE (50-60 MPH) TO TREES WITH SOME HOMES AND OUTBUILDINGS SUFFERING SIDING AND ROOFING DAMAGE. THE TORNADO LIFTED SHORTLY AFTER IT PRODUCED F0 TREE DAMAGE ON VALLEY MILL ROAD NEAR CLOVERDALE ROAD. AT ITS MAXIMUM STRENGTH THE TORNADO WAS ABOUT 125 YARDS WIDE, OTHERWISE THE WIDTH RANGED BETWEEN 50 AND 75 YARDS.

THE WESTERN FREDERICK COUNTY VIRGINIA TORNADO PRODUCED A NEARLY CONTINUOUS PATH OF DAMAGE 9 MILES LONG AND IS RATED F1 WITH MAX WINDS OF 110 MPH. INITIAL TOUCHDOWN WAS IN THE RIDINGS MILL AREA ON HUTTLE ROAD ABOUT A MILE EAST OF MIDDLETOWN AND INTERSTATE 81. ALONG ITS PATH, F0 TO F1 TREE DAMAGE WAS COMMON ALONG WITH ROOF DAMAGE TO MANY BARNS AND OUTBUILDINGS. THE TORNADO INTENSIFIED TO STRONG F1 (110 MPH) AND WIDENED TO NEARLY 250 YARDS AS IT APPROACHED AND CROSSED INTERSTATE 81 JUST NORTH OF A TRUCK WEIGH STATION. THE TORNADO PRODUCED F1 DAMAGE AS IT CROSSED VALLEY PIKE, U.S. ROUTE 11, AT SALEM CHURCH ROAD. A LARGE 2-STORY BRICK GARAGE WAS MOSTLY DESTROYED WHEN ITS ROOF WAS BLOWN OFF FROM STRONG F1 TORNADO WINDS OF 110 MPH. THE TORNADO CONTINUED PRODUCING F0 TO F1 DAMAGE AS IT CROSSED THE EXTREME PORTION OF STEPHENS CITY. AS IT MOVED NORTH IT UPROOTED OR TOPPED AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF TREES INCLUDING THOSE IS THIS REGIONS APPLE ORCHARDS. IN THE WESTERN END OF THE STONEBROOK FARM SUBDIVISION, STRONG F1 (110 MPH) DAMAGE TO AN ESTIMATED 100 OAK AND OTHER HARDWOOD TREES RANGING FROM 18 TO 36 INCHES IN DIAMETER TOPPED OR SNAPPED 20-50 FEET UP FROM THE BASE OR UPROOTED IN ROUGHLY A 2-BLOCK AREA. SEVERAL HOMES SUSTAINED DAMAGE IN THIS AREA DUE TO FALLING TREES. THE TORNADO PRODUCED F0 DAMAGE TO SOME TREES OFF SCHOOLMARM LANE IN OPEQUON AND LIFTED SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. OTHER THAN THE LARGE WIDTH OF THE TORNADO AS IT CROSSED NEAR I-81, THE WIDTH OF THIS STORM RANGED FROM 50 TO 100 YARDS.

...JEFFERSON COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA...

A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN WESTERN JEFFERSON COUNTY IN THE VICINITY OF MIDDLEWAY. THE TORNADO PRODUCED INTERMITTENT DAMAGE ON A 2 MILE PATH. THERE WAS SOME MODERATE DAMAGE TO A FEW STRUCTURES AND SEVERAL TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED. THE TORNADO WILL BE RATED AN F1 ON THE FUJITA SCALE. THIS THUNDERSTORM MOVED NORTH, PRODUCING TORNADOES IN BERKELEY, MORGAN AND WESTERN WASHINGTON COUNTIES.

...BERKELEY COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA...

A TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM MOVED NORTH OUT OF JEFFERSON COUNTY AFTER PRODUCING DAMAGE PRODUCING ADDITIONAL TORNADOES AS IT TRAVELED NORTH.

A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR DARKESVILLE IN SOUTHERN BERKELEY COUNTY WITH THIS EVENT. IT PRODUCED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE IN THE VICINITY OF DARKESVILLE TO SEVERAL STRUCTURES AS WELL AS DOWNING AND SNAPPING TREES. THIS TORNADO THEN CONTINUED TO THE NORTH AND TOPPLED TRACTOR TRAILERS AND VEHICLES TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 81. THERE WERE INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE VEHICLE ACCIDENTS. THE TORNADO WILL BE RATED AS AN F2 ON THE FUJITA SCALE OWING TO THE NATURE OF THE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OBSERVED NEAR DARKESVILLE.

THIS STORM CONTINUED TO THE NORTH AND PRODUCED WEAK TORNADOES IN EASTERN MORGAN AND WESTERN WASHINGTON COUNTIES.

...MORGAN COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA...

A BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN THE SLEEPY CREEK AREA OF NORTHEAST MORGAN COUNTY. TREES WERE DOWNED AND A TREE FELL ON A RESIDENCE. THE DAMAGE SURVEYED IN THIS AREA WAS ALSO CONSISTENT WITH WEAK TORNADO DAMAGE. THE TORNADO WAS AN F0 ON THE FUJITA SCALE AND WAS ON THE GROUND FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF MILE. THE MAXIMUM WIDTH OF THE TORNADO WAS AROUND 100 YARDS.

...HARFORD COUNTY MARYLAND...

TWO SEPARATE TORNADOES ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMNANTS OF IVAN STRUCK HARFORD COUNTY DURING THE PRE-DAWN HOURS ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 18TH. THE FIRST HIT NEAR PYLESVILLE OR IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF THE COUNTY AND WAS RATED F2. THE SECOND WAS A BRIEF TOUCHDOWN NEAR JOPPA IN THE SOUTHEAST PORTION OF THE COUNTY. THE SECOND TORNADO WAS RATED F1 AND WAS EMBEDDED IN A LARGER AREA OF DAMAGE ATTRIBUTED TO STRONG THUNDERSTORM STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

PYLESVILLE TORNADO, DAMAGE BEGAN NEAR A RESIDENCE OFF GRIER NURSERY ROAD SOUTH OF PYLESVILLE ROAD (MD 165). MANY LARGE PINE TREES UP TO 3 FEET IN DIAMETER WERE UPROOTED OR SNAPPED. SLATES WERE PULLED OFF THE ROOF. DAMAGE HERE WAS RATED F1. FURTHER NORTH ON MD 165 THE TORNADO DAMAGED A HOME AND OUT BUILDING BOTH UNDER CONSTRUCTION. IT BLEW OUT THE SIDE OF A BARN JUST NORTH OF THIS HOME. MORE F0 TREE DAMAGE WAS NOTED ALONG ST MARYS ROAD.

AS IT MOVED NORTH THE TORNADO DESTROYED A MOBILE HOME LOCATED OFF WHEELER SCHOOL ROAD. A 1X3 PIECE OF LUMBER WAS HURLED INTO THE SIDE OF A STORAGE SHED. FURTHER UP ON WHEELER SCHOOL ROAD IT DEMOLISHED A STORAGE BUILDING AND DID DAMAGE TO THE PATIO AND BACK ROOM OF A RESIDENCE AND TOOK OUT A LARGE NUMBER OF TREES INCLUDING HARDWOODS. THE TORNADO WAS RATED LOW END F2 AT THIS TIME. FURTHER DAMAGE WAS NOTED ALONG WHITEFORD ROAD (MD 136) IN THE VICINITY OF THE FIORE WINERY. LARGE HARDWOOD TREES WERE UPROOTED OR SNAPPED OFF. A TRAILER THAT WAS TIED DOWN WAS COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED WITH 4 PEOPLE INSIDE. NEARBY THERE WAS ROOF DAMAGE TO ANOTHER HOME AND PORTIONS OF AN ABOVE GROUND POOL WERE CRUSHED. THIS AREA IS ON A RIDGE TOP. THE TORNADO WAS RATED LOW END F2 AT THIS TIME. THE LAST AREA OF DAMAGE IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTY WAS MAINLY TO TREES SURROUNDING A HOME ALONG ARCHER ROAD LESS THAN 1/4 MILE FROM THE PA BORDER. THE ROOF OF A STORAGE BUILDING WAS ALSO BLOWN OFF HERE.

TORNADO WIDTH VARIED FROM 50 TO 125 YARDS. PATH LENGTH WAS 2 MILES.

JOPPA STORM, INITIAL DAMAGE FOUND IN THE GREENSPRING HILLS SUBDIVISION SOUTH OF MOUNTAIN ROAD (MD 152) WAS DUE TO STRONG STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. MANY TREES WERE UPROOTED AND A TRAVEL TRAILER WAS OVERTURNED, WITH WINDS ESTIMATED BETWEEN 80 AND 90 MPH.

AS THE STORM EXITED THE SUBDIVISION, THERE WAS STRONG EVIDENCE OF A TORNADO. IN THE 1900 BLOCK OF MOUNTAIN ROAD TREES WERE FELLED AND A SINGLE STORY HOUSE SUFFERED EXTENSIVE ROOF DAMAGE. WINDOWS WERE BLOWN OUT AT THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR.

THE TORNADO KNOCKED DOWN OR TOPPED TREES ADJACENT TO THE MOUNTAIN BRANCH GOLF COURSE CAUSING F0 DAMAGE. A HOME ON STOCKTON ROAD SUFFERED DAMAGE DUE TO TREES FALLING AROUND IT. THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTH FOR A SHORT DISTANCE WHERE IT PEELED SOME SIDING OFF A FEW HOMES AND BLEW DOWN MORE TREES BEFORE IT LIFTED.

THE TORNADO PATH LENGTH WAS ABOUT 1 MILE LONG WITH A MAX WIDTH OF 100 YARDS.

...IN SUMMARY...

THE PRELIMINARY INFORMATION PROVIDED ABOVE IS STILL IN THE EARLY STAGES OF COMPLETION. THE FINAL OFFICIAL INFORMATION WILL BE CONTAINED IN NOAA'S STORM DATA PUBLICATION.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EXTENDS ITS GRATITUDE TO THE LOCAL MEDIA, EMERGENCY SERVICES AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS AND SKYWARN SPOTTERS FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE BOTH DURING, AND NOW AFTER THIS EXTREME WEATHER EVENT.