PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE, NM 712 PM MDT WED MAR 13 2019 ...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 3/12/2019 TORNADO EVENT... .OVERVIEW... JUST BEFORE 6 PM MDT ON TUESDAY, MARCH 12TH A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN CHAVES COUNTY, ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF DEXTER. THE TORNADO MOVED NORTH NORTHEAST FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES, AND EVENTUALLY DISSIPATED ABOUT ONE HALF MILE NORTHEAST OF THE COMMUNITY OF DEXTER. SIX PEOPLE SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES, AND SIX HOMES WERE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED OR COMPLETELY DESTROYED. AN ADDITIONAL DOZEN HOMES AND STRUCTURES ALSO SUSTAINED MINOR TO MODERATE DAMAGE. .DEXTER TORNADO... RATING: EF-2 ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 111 - 135 MPH PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 15 MILES PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 150 - 350 YARDS FATALITIES: 0 INJURIES: 6 START DATE: MAR 12 2019 START TIME: 0555 PM MDT START LOCATION: 15 SSE DEXTER / CHAVES COUNTY / NM START LAT/LON: 33.0010 / -104.4402 END DATE: MAR 12 2019 END TIME: 0610 PM MDT END LOCATION: 0.5 NE DEXTER / CHAVES COUNTY / NM END_LAT/LON: 33.2104 / -104.3603 SURVEY_SUMMARY: A DAMAGE SURVEY WAS COMPLETED TODAY IN CHAVES COUNTY. THIS WAS THE FIRST MARCH TORNADO DOCUMENTED IN CHAVES COUNTY SINCE 1959, AND THE EARLIEST KNOWN EF1 OR STRONGER TORNADO IN THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO. THE LAST EF2 TORNADO IN NEW MEXICO OCCURRED ON MAY 23, 2012. EF SCALE: THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES. EF0...WEAK......65 TO 85 MPH EF1...WEAK......86 TO 110 MPH EF2...STRONG....111 TO 135 MPH EF3...STRONG....136 TO 165 MPH EF4...VIOLENT...166 TO 200 MPH EF5...VIOLENT...>200 MPH NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT AND PUBLICATION IN NWS STORM DATA.