Summary of May 3, 2021 Tornado

News Headlines

Overview

A dampening shortwave tracked from the Ohio Valley to the northern Mid-Atlantic on Monday, May 3. Meanwhile, at the surface, a fairly strong area of low pressure tracked NE across the Midwest. Its associated warm front extended ESE into the Mid-Atlantic, and this front quickly surged northward during the day on Tuesday. By early afternoon, the warm front was to the north of the AKQ CWA. Scattered convection moved across a good portion of the area during the morning (except for SE VA/NE NC), and this did not allow temperatures to rise higher than the 70s, despite warm/moist advection and low-level SSW flow. Another round of scattered convection moved across the area during the afternoon and evening. All of this was sub-severe, except for one lone rotating cell that produced an EF-2 tornado in Northumberland County. This was quite an unusual setup for a strong tornado, with only modest instability present where the tornado occurred, the warm front being well to our north, and no discernable boundaries nearby. There was some 0-1 km speed and directional shear across the southern Mid-Atlantic, but a lot less than is typically observed when we have EF-2+ tornadoes in the AKQ CWA. But even then, this will go down as one of the most unusual EF-2+ tornado setups in the AKQ CWA.

Tornado Track/Information
NWS Storm Survey Photos
Radar
Environment

Tornado Track/Information:

Tornado - Northumberland County

Date	5/3/2021
Time (Local)	301-316 PM EDT
EF Rating	EF-2
Est. Peak Winds	115 to 120 mph
Path Length	5 miles
Max Width	250 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: A tornado touched down along Richmond Road (Highway 360) just southwest of Callao around 3 pm. The tornado was EF0 intensity at its beginning as it tracked northeast crossing Lakeside Drive just east of Callao. The tornado then crossed Northumberland Highway (Hwy 360) intensifying as it approached Chambers Lane. The tornado quickly reached EF2 intensity as it crossed Chambers Lane destroying one home and damaging several others. The destroyed home was built in the 1970s and based on builder inspector data was constructed to withstand 100 mph wind. In this same area another home lost its garage causing severe damage to the home. Winds were estimated to be ~120 mph at the strongest point of the tornado's path. The tornado continued northeast crossing Lewisetta Road and Old Farm Lane. Here the tornado weakened to EF1 but continued to damage homes and outbuildings. The tornado continued moving northeast for another three quarters of a mile before lifting in the Coan River. Several eyewitnesses reported the tornado lifting once it moved into the Coan River before the storm reached Lewisetta. The NWS wishes to thank Northumberland County Emergency Services, the County Building Inspector, and local residents who all helped with the storm survey.

Track Map

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0 Weak 65-85 mph	EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph	EF2 Significant 111-135 mph	EF3 Severe 136-165 mph	EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph	EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph

Photos

NWS Storm Survey Photos


Home Destroyed on Chambers Lane (source: NWS Storm Survey)	Home Destroyed on Chambers Lane (source: NWS Storm Survey)	Garage Destroyed on Chambers Lane (source: NWS Storm Survey)	Caption (source)