PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
448 PM EDT SAT JULY 18 2009

...TORNADO CONFIRMED EAST OF WASHINGTON NC ON FRIDAY JULY 17...

LOCATION...5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WASHINGTON NC ALONG RIVER ROAD
ESTIMATED TIME...AROUND 812 PM EDT
EF-SCALE RATING...EF-0
ESTIMATED WIND SPEED...70 TO 80 MPH
PATH WIDTH...100 YARDS
PATH LENGTH...1.35 MILES
INJURIES...NONE
FATALITIES...NONE
DAMAGE ESTIMATE...58 THOUSAND DOLLARS TO RESIDENCES...NO ESTIMATE ON
POWER LINES.

...SUMMARY...
BASED ON A REVIEW OF INFORMATION AND STORM PICTURES PROVIDED BY
LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS
CONFIRMED A WEAK TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ALONG THE FAR EASTERN END OF
RIVER ROAD IN BEAUFORT COUNTY...EAST OF WASHINGTON NC.  DAMAGE BEGAN
282 FEET DOWN SWAN POINT ROAD FROM THE INTERSECTION OF RIVER ROAD.
THE TORNADO TRACKED EAST SOUTHEAST FOR ABOUT A MILE BEFORE HITTING
THE RIVER.  SEVERAL WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING A WATERSPOUT THERE
BRIEFLY BEFORE IT LIFTED INTO THE CLOUDS. THE WORST DAMAGE FROM THE
TORNADO WAS TO TREES...WHICH TOOK DOWN LONG SPANS OF ELECTRICAL
WIRES AND SEVERAL POLES. THERE WAS ALSO MINOR DAMAGE TO
APPROXIMATELY 25 HOMES FROM FALLING TREES AND LIMBS. DAMAGE
ESTIMATES ARE ABOUT 58 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN TOTAL TO THE HOUSES.

$$