PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
328 PM EDT FRI JUL 17 2009

...EF-0 TORNADO CONFIRMED NEAR WILLIAMSTOWN/CHELSEA TOWN LINE IN ORANGE COUNTY
VERMONT...

LOCATION...WILLIAMSTOWN/CHELSEA IN ORANGE COUNTY VERMONT
DATE...JULY 16 2009
ESTIMATED TIME...705 PM EDT
MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF-0
ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...55 TO 75 MPH
MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...0.25 MILE
PATH LENGTH...2.6 MILES
BEGINNING LAT/LON...44.07N 72.53W
ENDING LAT/LON...44.06N 72.48W
* FATALITIES...0
* INJURIES...0

* THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT
  TOCHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT(S) AND PUBLICATION IN
  NWS STORM DATA.

...SUMMARY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BURLINGTON VT HAS CONFIRMED A
TORNADO NEAR WILLIAMSTOWN/CHELSEA TOWN LINE IN ORANGE COUNTY
VERMONT ON JULY 16 2009.

THE TORNADO PRODUCED A BROKEN PATH OF DAMAGE ALONG THE TRACK.
MOST SIGNIFICANT WAS A BARN ROOF BLOWN OFF ALONG SOUTH HILL RD
NEAR LIGHTHOUSE RD IN WILLIAMSTOWN NEAR THE BEGINNING OF THE
TORNADO TRACK. THE TORNADO MOVED SOUTHEAST AND LIFTED NEAR THE
INTERSECTION OF STELLAR AND WILLIAMSTOWN ROADS IN CHELSEA.

THE MAJORITY OF THE DAMAGE WAS DOWNED TREES ALONG THE
CHELSEA/WILLIAMSTOWN RD. THE SURVEY TEAM CONCLUDED THAT THE NORTH
SIDE OF THE PATH HAD OVER A HUNDRED TREES BLOWN DOWN IN A EAST TO
WEST DIRECTION...WHILE ON THE SOUTH SIDE ONE TO TWO DOZEN TREES
WERE BLOWN DOWN IN A WEST TO EAST DIRECTION. MOST OF THE TREES
DOWNED WERE SOFTWOODS. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH WINDS IN THE 55 TO
75 MPH RANGE.

FOR REFERENCE...THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES
INTO THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

EF0...WIND SPEEDS TO 85 MPH.
EF1...WIND SPEEDS 86 TO 110 MPH.
EF2...WIND SPEEDS 111 TO 135 MPH.
EF3...WIND SPEEDS 136 TO 165 MPH.
EF4...WIND SPEEDS 166 TO 200 MPH.
EF5...WIND SPEEDS GREATER THAN 200 MPH.