EF1 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN LETART AREA ALONG THE OHIO RIVER

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA HAS CONFIRMED AN EF1 TORNADO IN THE LETART AREA OF THE OHIO RIVER WEDNESDAY EVENING JUNE 27TH. THE DAMAGE PATH WAS ABOUT A MILE LONG AND UP TO 50 YARDS IN WIDTH. ONE GARAGE WAS DESTROYED...WHILE NUMEROUS TREES WERE DOWN ALONG THE PATH AS WELL. THE WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY CONCLUDED THAT A LANDSPOUT WAS SPUN UP AND PRODUCED THE DAMAGE. WIND SPEEDS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE BETWEEN 90 AND 100 MPH.

A LANDSPOUT IS LIKE A TORNADO...BUT IT FORMS IN A DIFFERENT WAY. THEY DEVELOP FROM THE GROUND AND STRETCH THEIR WAY UP TO THE BASE OF THE CLOUD VERY QUICKLY. IN THE CASE LAST NIGHT...TWO OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES COLLIDED...WHICH CREATED THE LANDSPOUT.

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

EF0...WIND SPEEDS 65 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.

THE DAMAGE AT LETART FALLS IN MEIGS COUNTY WAS CAUSED BY A DOWNBURST WHICH PRODUCED ONE OF THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES MENTIONED ABOVE. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO A POLE BARN AND SEVERAL TREES AND LIMBS DOWN.

Map of tornado path

Garage damage from tornado (Courtesy of Corporal Zerkle, WV State Police)

Tree damage from tornado (Courtesy of Corporal Zerkle, WV State Police)

Barn damage from Letart (Courtesy of Corporal Zerkle, WV State Police)