Results of the Lennox, SD, Tornado Damage Survey - July 27, 2001

A DAMAGE ASSESSMENT WAS CONDUCTED LAST EVENING...JULY 27TH...IN 
LENNOX BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT 
OFFICIALS.  FROM THE RESULTS OF THIS ASSESSMENT...IT HAS BEEN 
CONCLUDED THAT A WEAK TORNADO OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 705 PM
IN THE TOWN OF LENNOX.

FROM PERSONAL ACCOUNTS AND NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOTTER REPORTS 
THE TORNADO FIRST SET DOWN NEAR THE LENKOTA GOLF COURSE NEAR THE 
SOUTHWEST SIDE OF LENNOX.  AS THE TORNADO WAS MOVING NORTHEAST 
THROUGH LENNOX...THE TORNADO BEGAN TO LIFT.  HOWEVER...DAMAGE STILL 
OCCURRED AS THE TORNADO WAS LIFTING.  NUMEROUS TREES WERE DOWNED 
ALONG WITH DAMAGE TO STORAGE SHEDS AND TO BUILDINGS ALONG MAIN 
STREET...INCLUDING THE VFW BUILDING.  THE DAMAGE PATH WAS ABOUT ONE 
MILE LONG AND 250 FEET WIDE.  BASED UPON THE DAMAGE...THE NWS SURVEY 
TEAM CONCLUDED THAT WINDS OF AROUND 100 MPH OCCURRED...CLASSIFYING 
THIS TORNADO AS A F1 TORNADO ON THE FUJITA SCALE.  A F1 TORNADO HAS 
WINDS OF 73 TO 112 MPH.

THE F-SCALE IS A SCALE OF WIND INTENSITY DEVELOPED BY THE LATE 
THEODORE FULJITA.  THIS F-SCALE RATING IS INFERRED FROM AN ANALYSIS 
OF WIND DAMAGE.  THE SCALE RANGES FROM F0...THE WEAKEST...TO F5...
THE MOST DAMAGING.  F0 WIND SPEEDS RANGE FROM 40 TO 72 MPH WHILE THE 
F5 WIND SPEEDS ARE ESTIMATED IN EXCESS OF 260 MPH.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS TORNADO OR THE DAMAGE SURVEY...PLEASE 
CONTACT GREG HARMON...METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE OF THE NWS OFFICE IN 
SIOUX FALLS.

TODD HEITKAMP
WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST

Originally distributed as a Public Information Statement: July 28, 2001 at 1125 am CDT.

Pictures from Severe Storms on July 27, 2001

1-1/2 miles west of Sioux Falls	1-1/2 miles west of Sioux Falls
1-1/2 miles west of Sioux Falls	1-1/2 miles west of Sioux Falls
1-1/2 miles west of Sioux Falls
Northwest of Tea, SD	Northwest of Tea, SD
Near Worthing, SD	Near Worthing, SD

Damage in Lennox, SD
(Click on image to enlarge)

Car lifted onto another car
Downed Trees	Damage to Outbuildings