June 4, 2008 Severe Weather

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NOUS41 KLWX 062052
PNSLWX

DCZ001-MDZ003>007-009>011-013-014-016>018-501-502-VAZ021-025>031-036>
042-050>057-WVZ050>055-501>504-062300-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC  
450 PM EDT FRI JUN 6 2008

...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF JUNE 4 EXTREME 
WEATHER EVENT CONTINUED...

...UPDATE FOR STAFFORD...FAUQUIER AND CULPEPER COUNTIES...

A SURVEY TEAM FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA
CONDUCTED A DAMAGE SURVEY OF PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA THAT 
INCLUDED STAFFORD...FAUQUIER AND CULPEPER COUNTIES ON THUR JUNE 5TH.

IN STAFFORD COUNTY...THE SURVEY CONCLUDED THAT AN EF-1 TORNADO 
TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY AROUND 735 PM EDT THAT LASTED FOR 2 MINUTES IN 
SOUTHERN STAFFORD COUNTY ABOUT 3 MILES SOUTH OF RAMOUTH. MAXIMUM 
WINDS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE 95 MPH. PATH LENGTH WAS 1.5 MILES AND WAS 
50 TO 100 YARDS WIDE. THE STORM IMPACTED THE COMMUNITY OF WOODS OF 
ABEL LAKE LOCATED ON THE SOUTH END OF ABEL RESERVOIR. DAMAGE WAS 
CONFINED MAINLY TO TREE DAMAGE. NO STRUCTURES APPEARED DAMAGED BY 
THIS TORNADO. THE TORNADO INITIALLY TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 400 YARDS 
SOUTHWEST OF THE INTERSECTION OF HULLS CHAPEL RD...RT 653...AND 
MOOREWOOD LANE. NUMEROUS TREES WERE TOPPED OR UPROOTED IN THIS 
AREA...INCLUDING ON LAKEBREEZE WAY. THE TORNADO LIFTED NEAR MOUNTAIN 
VIEW RD AND OAKENWALD LANE...BUT NOT BEFORE KNOCKING DOWN SEVERAL 
LARGE HARDWOOD TREES.

IRONICALLY...THE TORNADO THAT HIT NEAR ABEL RESERVOIR APPEARS TO 
HAVE CROSSED THE PATH OF THE EF-2 TORNADO THAT STRUCK THE ENGLAND 
RUN AREA OF STAFFORD COUNTY THE NIGHT OF 08 MAY 2008.

ANOTHER AREA OF STORM DAMAGE WAS SURVEYED. THIS AREA EXTENDED FROM 
EAST OF THE CITY OF CULPEPER VIRGINIA TO JUST WEST OF THE CITY OF 
FREDERICKSBURG AND ENCOMPASSED THE COUNTIES OF CULPEPER...FAUQUIER 
AND STAFFORD. THE DAMAGE OBSERVED WAS IN THE FORM OF LARGE TREE 
LIMBS STRIPPED OFF TREES...AND SMALL DIAMETER TREES SNAPPED OFF. IT 
WAS CONSISTENT WITH STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS. THESE WINDS WERE PRODUCED 
FROM A BOW ECHO MOVING EAST AT NEARLY 60 MPH AND ESTIMATED TO BE 
PRODUCING SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH. SCATTERED TREE DAMAGE WAS 
NOTED EXTENDING FROM CULPEPER TO JUST WEST OF FREDERICKSBURG.

HOWEVER...EMBEDDED WITHIN THIS MAIN DAMAGE AREA...TWO AREAS OF MORE 
CONCENTRATED TREE DAMAGE WERE FOUND. THE DAMAGE IN BOTH THESE NON- 
CONTINUOUS AREAS WAS CONSISTENT WITH HIGHER WINDS UPWARDS OF 95 MPH. 
THE SURVEY TEAM CONCLUDED AN EF-1 TORNADO OCCURRED TWICE ALONG THE 
LEADING EDGE OF THE BOW ECHO JUST NORTH OF THE APEX OF THE BOW. 
THESE TORNADOES CAUSED THE MORE SIGNIFICANT TREE DAMAGE IN THE FORM 
OF LARGE 2 TO 3 FOOT DIAMETER TREES SNAPPED OFF MID-WAY AND LARGE 2 
TO 4 FT DIAMETER UPROOTED TREES.

THE FIRST TORNADO PATH STARTED AROUND 715 PM EDT AT STEVENSBURG THEN 
TRAVELED A SHORT DISTANCE BEFORE LIFTING NEAR LIGNUM IN EASTERN 
CULPEPER COUNTY AT 721 PM. TOTAL PATH LENGTH WAS ABOUT 4 MILES...AND 
ABOUT 150 YARDS WIDE WITH MAX WINDS OF 95 MPH. EAST OF LIGNMUM TREE 
DAMAGE WAS MUCH LESS SEVERE.

A FEW MILES FURTHER EAST...ANOTHER CONCENTRATED CORRIDOR OF DAMAGE 
WAS FOUND. THIS WAS CAUSED BY AN EF-1 TORNADO THAT FORMED AT 727 PM 
EDT AFTER THE BOW ECHO HAD CROSSED THE RAPIDAN RIVER INTO THE 
SUMMERDUCK AND GOLDVEIN AREAS IN SOUTHERN FAUQUIER COUNTY. IT 
TRAVELED EAST BEFORE LIFTING NEAR HARTWOOD IN NORTHWEST STAFFORD 
COUNTY AROUND 735 PM. TOTAL PATH LENGTH OF THIS SECOND TORNADO WAS 
ABOUT 8 MILES...AND WAS 100 YARDS WIDE WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF 95 MPH.

DURING TRAVELS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE NORTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA AREA... 
SCATTERED TREE DAMAGE WAS NOTED...BUT NOT CONCENTRATED EXCEPT IN THE 
AREAS NOTED ABOVE.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE THANKS THE MEMBERS OF THE EMERGENCY 
MANAGEMENT OF THE COUNTIES SURVEYED FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE. 

$$
SMZ