Galveston Island Tornado - Storm Survey Statement

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
236 PM CDT MON AUG 31 2009

...NWS STORM SURVEY RESULTS FOR GALVESTON TORNADO...

AT AROUND 948 PM ON SUNDAY...AUGUST 30TH...A WATERSPOUT MOVED
ONSHORE ON GALVESTON ISLAND NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF 29TH STREET AND
SEAWALL BLVD. THE TORNADO THEN PRODUCED AN INTERMITTENT DAMAGE PATH
FOR ABOUT ONE THIRD OF A MILE TO THE NORTHWEST...ENDING NEAR THE
INTERSECTION OF 31ST STREET AND AVENUE R. SEVERAL STRUCTURES WERE
DAMAGED INCLUDING THE DOLPHIN WORLD SOUVENIR SHOP...WHERE WINDOWS
WERE SHATTERED AND MOST OF THE METAL ROOF WAS PEELED OFF. A
GALVESTON POLICE DEPARTMENT PATROL CAR HAD ITS WINDOWS BLOWN OUT IN
THE SAME AREA. HEADING FURTHER INLAND...THE TORNADO PUSHED OVER A
HOME ON STILTS AND REMOVED MOST OF THE ROOF OF A MOBILE HOME.
ANOTHER HOME AT THE INTERSECTION OF 31ST STREET AND AVENUE Q 1/2 HAD
ITS ROOF COMPLETELY REMOVED. BEYOND THIS LOCATION DAMAGE WAS LIMITED
TO SMALL TREE LIMBS AND SOME SHINGLES REMOVED FROM ROOFS.

THE OBSERVED DAMAGE SUGGESTS WIND SPEEDS IN THE 80 TO 90 MPH
RANGE...WITH MAXIMUM WINDS LEADING TO AN EF-1 RATING ON THE ENHANCED
FUJITA SCALE. DAMAGE PATH LENGTH WAS AROUND ONE THIRD OF A
MILE...WITH A WIDTH OF AROUND 100 FEET. THERE WERE THREE INJURIES
REPORTED. TWO POLICE OFFICERS...WHO WERE IN THE PATROL CAR WHEN ITS
WINDOWS SHATTERED...WERE TREATED AND RELEASED. ANOTHER MAN...WHO WAS
THROWN AGAINST A WALL...REMAINS HOSPITALIZED AT UTMB.

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