PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
504 PM EDT SUN MAY 10 2009

...EF1 TORNADO IN WASHINGTON VERMONT SATURDAY MAY 9 2009...

AN ASSESSMENT TEAM FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
BURLINGTON VERMONT HAS DETERMINED THAT A TORNADO WITH AN
INTENSITY OF EF1 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE MOVED THROUGH THE
VILLAGE OF WASHINGTON VERMONT ON SATURDAY MAY 9 2009. THE TORNADO
OCCURRED AROUND 5 PM...AND FIRST CAUSED DAMAGE WEST OF
WASHINGTON...THEN TRAVELED EAST-SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE VILLAGE
BEFORE DISSIPATING. THE LENGTH OF THE PATH WAS APPROXIMATELY ONE
HALF MILE.

MULTIPLE EYEWITNESSES OBSERVED THE TORNADO...AND THEIR
DESCRIPTIONS ACCURATELY DESCRIBE THE STRUCTURE AND MOVEMENT OF A
TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM. IN ADDITION...THE DEBRIS PATTERNS SUPPORT
THE ROTATING WINDS EXPERIENCED IN A TORNADO. SOME DEBRIS WAS
BLOWN DOWNWIND ALONG THE TORNADO PATH...WHILE OTHER DEBRIS WAS
BLOWN AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE PATH.

ALTHOUGH THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE WAS SPORADIC...TREES WERE SNAPPED
AND UPROOTED AND AN ENTIRE APARTMENT ROOF WAS REMOVED.
ADDITIONALLY... A STEEL AND MEMBRANE BARN WAS DESTROYED. THE
DEGREE OF DAMAGE TO THESE STRUCTURES IS CONSISTENT WITH WINDS
RANGING FROM 90 TO 100 MILES AN HOUR. THE EF1 INTENSITY INCLUDES
WIND SPEEDS FROM 86 TO 110 MILES PER HOUR...MAKING THIS TORNADO
SOLIDLY IN THE EF1 CATEGORY.

TORNADOES ARE RELATIVELY RARE IN VERMONT. ON AVERAGE 1 TORNADO IS
REPORTED EVERY TWO YEARS. IN ADDITION...A TORNADO OCCURRENCE IN
MAY IS EVEN MORE RARE. A QUICK SEARCH OF TORNADO RECORDS FOR
VERMONT REVEALS THAT THIS IS THE 2ND EARLIEST CONFIRMED TORNADO
IN THE STATE SINCE 1950. THE EARLIEST TORNADO ON RECORD OCCURRED
IN BENNINGTON COUNTY ON MARCH 22 1955...AND WAS RATED AN F2 ON
THE OLD FUJITA SCALE.