Rare October Tornado - Oct 11th, 2013

...OCTOBER 11 TRAVERSE COUNTY MN TORNADO EVENT...


RESULTS FROM EYEWITNESS REPORTS...AND NWS TRAINED...DAMAGE SURVEY
TEAMS INDICATE THAT THERE WAS A BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN THAT
OCCURRED IN FAR EAST-CENTRAL TRAVERSE COUNTY.

THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROXIMATELY 525 PM CDT 10 MILES
NORTHEAST OF DUMONT IN AN UNHARVESTED SOYBEAN FIELD. THE TORNADO
MOVED TO THE NORTHWEST...CROSSING 660TH STREET...MOVING INTO A
TREE GROVE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF A RESIDENCE LOCATED THERE.
WIDESPREAD TREE DAMAGE WAS NOTED WITH TREES BROKEN OFF OR
UPROOTED. AS THE TORNADO MOVED OUT OF THE GROVE AND INTO THE
RESIDENCE YARD...SIDING... INSULATION..GUTTERS AND SHINGLES WERE
TORE FROM THE HOME. A LARGE PINE TREE NEAR THE HOUSE WAS ALSO
UPROOTED AND FELL INTO THE HOUSE DOING MORE DAMAGE. DAMAGE AT THIS
LOCATION IS CONSISTENT WITH AN EF-0 TORNADO WITH ESTIMATED WIND
SPEEDS FROM 70 TO 80 MPH.

AS THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO MOVE NORTHWEST...IT STRUCK A BARN ON
THE PROPERTY. THE BARN SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WITH
TIN SIDING FROM THE SIDES OF THE BARN FOUND OVER 50 YARDS AWAY.
ONE PIECE OF SIDING WAS SPEARED 8 INCHES DEEP INTO THE GROUND AND
WAS STUCK STANDING UPRIGHT ON ITS OWN. IT WAS ALSO AT THIS
LOCATION THAT A POWER POLE WAS SNAPPED OFF AT THE BASE AND FELL
ACROSS TWO VEHICLES. DAMAGE AT THIS LOCATION IS CONSISTENT WITH AN
EF-1 TORNADO WITH ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS FROM 95 TO 105 MPH.

THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO TREK TO THE NORTHWEST...IMPACTING
ANOTHER TREE GROVE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE PROPERTY. SEVERAL MORE
TREES WERE EITHER UPROOTED OR SNAPPED OFF AT THEIR BASE. THE
TORNADO CROSSED 770TH AVE AND MOVED INTO A CORN FIELD. THE DAMAGE
AT THIS LOCATION IS CONSISTENT WITH AN EF-0 TORNADO WITH ESTIMATED
WIND SPEEDS FROM 70 TO 80 MPH.

AT APPROXIMATELY 530 PM CDT...SHORTLY AFTER ENTERING THE CORN
FIELD...THE TORNADO LIFTED BACK INTO THE PARENT STORM WITH NO
FURTHER DAMAGE SEEN ON THE GROUND. THE TORNADO PATH LENGTH WAS
APPROXIMATELY ONE-QUARTER OF A MILE WITH A MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH OF
APPROXIMATELY 70 YARDS.

UNLESS NEW DATA IS RECEIVED...THE ABOVE DAMAGE SURVEY AND RATING
ASSESSMENTS ARE CONSIDERED FINAL.

ALL PICTURES BELOW ARE COURTESY OF...AND PROPERTY OF...NICK ELMS & AMANDA HILL.