NWS Statement on Thursday's Severe Weather

This is the NWS Public Information Statement regarding Thursday 20 June 2008's severe weather. Although an EF1 Tornado occured, most of the damage came from strong downbursts.

Mac


PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
833 PM EDT FRI JUN 20 2008

...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONFIRMS EF-1 TORNADO IN CHATHAM COUNTY GEORGIA THURSDAY AFTERNOON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS COMPLETED A DAMAGE SURVEY OF CHATHAM COUNTY GEORGIA AREA AND HAS DETERMINED THAT AN EF-1 TORNADO OCCURRED. THE TORNADO DEVELOPED AROUND 3:37 PM JUST NORTH OF THE INTERSECTION OF MONTGOMERY CROSS ROAD THE HARRY TRUMAN PARKWAY AND TRAVELED SOUTH-SOUTHWEST JUST WEST OF THE HARRY TRUMAN PARKWAY FOR ABOUT 3/4 OF MILE BEFORE LIFTING. THE MAXIMUM WIDTH OF THE TORNADO WAS ABOUT 100 YARDS. THIS TORNADO DAMAGED A FIRE STATION AND UPROOTED AND SNAPPED OFF NUMEROUS TREES.

STRENGTH...... EF-1
PEAK WINDS.... 90-100 MPH
MAX WIDTH..... 100 YARDS
TRACK LENGTH.. 3/4 MILE

THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY AT LEAST 5 STRONG DOWNBURSTS. IN GENERAL FAIRLY WIDESPREAD DAMAGE OCCURRED FROM THE BACON PARK GOLF COURSE STARTING AROUND 3:32 PM AND ENDED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF FERGUSON AVENUE AND ROUTE 204 AROUND 3:45 PM. SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST OF THIS INTERSECTION AND NORTH OF THE BACON PARK GOLF COURSE DAMAGE WAS MUCH MORE SPORADIC. IN THIS CONCENTRATED DAMAGE AREA...DAMAGE WAS UP TO 2.5 MILES WIDE. DOWNBURST WINDS KNOCKED THE STEEPLE OFF A CHURCH AND KNOCKED DOWN OR SNAPPED OFF THOUSANDS OF TREES. TREE LIMBS AND LARGE BRANCHES DAMAGED 40 TO 50 HOMES...WITH ABOUT A DOZEN OR SO OF THE HOMES SUSTAINING MAJOR DAMAGE. TREES OR LARGE LIMBS FELL ON AND DESTROYED ABOUT A DOZEN VEHICLES. THE WINDS KNOCKED DOWN POWER POLES AND POWER LINES RESULTING IN THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITHOUT POWER. IN ADDITION...SHINGLE AND SIDING DAMAGE WAS ALSO OBSERVED ON SOME OF THE HOMES.

ONE OF THE AREAS OF MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OCCURRED IN THE LAKE VIEW SUBDIVISION JUST WEST OF FERGUSON AVENUE. IN THIS AREA... DOWNBURST WINDS SNAPPED OFF OR UPROOTED NUMEROUS TREES. TREES OR LARGE BRANCHES FELL ON AT LEAST A DOZEN HOMES...SEVERAL HOMES SUSTAINED SHINGLE OR MINOR ROOF DAMAGE. ONE OF THE HOMES WAS DEEMED UNINHABITABLE AFTER A TREE FELL THROUGH IT. WIND SPEEDS IN THIS AREA WERE ESTIMATED TO BE 80 TO 90 MPH.

ANOTHER AREA OF SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OCCURRED AT A GUN CLUB BETWEEN FERGUSON AVENUE AND THE HARRY TRUMAN PARKWAY. IN THIS AREA...STRONG WINDS DESTROYED A BUILDING AND TOSSED AN OUTBUILDING ABOUT 30 YARDS. IN ADDITION...NUMEROUS LARGE TREES WERE SNAPPED OFF OR UPROOTED...WITH ONE TREE LANDING ON AND DAMAGING ANOTHER BUILDING. WIND SPEEDS IN THIS AREA WERE ESTIMATED TO BE 90 TO 100 MPH.