Tornado West of Wapakoneta, OH - May 27, 2019

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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
755 PM EDT Fri May 31 2019

...UPDATED INFORMATION FOR EF1 TORNADO CONFIRMED WEST OF
WAPAKONETA OHIO...

Location...west of Wapakoneta in Auglaize County, Ohio
Date...........................May 27, 2019
Start Time.....................1033 PM EDT
End Time.......................1035 PM EDT
Maximum EF-Scale Rating........EF1
Estimated Maximum Wind Speed...110 MPH
Maximum Path Width.............150 yards
Path Length....................1.3 miles
Beginning Lat/Lon...40.559663N / 84.259309W
Ending Lat/Lon......40.565905N / 84.235783W
* Fatalities...0
* Injuries.....1

...Summary...
The National Weather Service in Wilmington Ohio has confirmed an EF1
tornado west of Wapakoneta in Auglaize County, Ohio.

The tornado appears to have touched down very close to Kettlersville
Road just south of the intersection with County Road 33A. Extensive
damage occurred here to a barn, grain silo, trees and a 19th century
residence. The north end of the barn was destroyed, and the grain
silo was lifted and rolled approximately 150 yards to the northeast.
A swirl pattern was evident, as well, in vegetation along the shore
of a pond near where the grain silo fragment came to rest. The back
room and associated roof of the 19th century residence was pulled
from the main structure, along with the plumbing fixtures and a
portion of the concrete subfloor. The structure and contents of the
room and barn were scattered to the northeast along a path
approximately 50 yards wide. Several pine trees with trunks
approximately 8-10 inches wide were also snapped near the residence.
This damage and its dispersal pattern is consistent with 100-110 mph
winds of an EF1 tornado.

The tornado next crossed County Road 33A between Kettlersville Road
and Kohler Lane, damaging power poles along 33A. Two barns and
another outbuilding on a property just north of the road were also
destroyed. Only small segments of the barns were still standing,
suggesting 100-110 mph EF1 tornado winds along this portion of the
track. The debris from these structures was scattered over a large
area of the adjoining field to the north, northeast and east near
the intersection of County Road 33A and Woodland Drive. The tornado
likely didn`t track directly over this entire area, but instead
debris was probably lofted and thrown free of the circulation in
many directions, before falling back to the ground nearby.

An absence of damage for approximately 150 yards to the east of the
field suggests the tornado briefly lifted, then descended again to
strike two more barns and the north side of a house. Both barns lost
their roofs and at least half of their exterior walls. Some roof
damage also occurred to the house. Debris from these structures was
lofted then dropped to the east in an adjacent field, and on both
sides of US Route 33.

As the tornado continued east-northeast, it left visible striations
in field vegetation and destroyed an outbuilding just west of the
County Road 33A overpass across US Route 33. A large portion of the
outbuilding was lifted and carried approximately 150 yards to the
area just west of the overpass and dropped on the road, where a semi
truck crashed into it. The semi driver was injured in the crash. The
degree and pattern of damage both here and at the adjacent property
to the west are indicative of 100-110 mph winds of an EF1 tornado.
No further damage was noted on the north side of US Route 33 or east
of the overpass, so dissipation of the tornado likely occurred at
this point.

The National Weather Service would like to thank the Auglaize County
Emergency Management Agency for their assistance with this storm
damage survey. Thanks is also extended to the affected property
owners for sharing their experiences and eyewitness accounts of the
storm.

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

* The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to
change pending final review of the event and publication in NWS
Storm Data.

$$

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