PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
734 AM CST MON FEB 24 2014

...EF1 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN COFFEE COUNTY FROM 2/20 SEVERE STORMS...

RATING:                 EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    90 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  1.2 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   250 YARDS
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               0

START DATE:             FEB 20 2014 
START TIME:             1029 PM CST
START LOCATION:         3.1 MILES NW OF PELHAM
START LAT/LON:          35.3303/-85.9324

END DATE:               FEB 20 2014
END TIME:               1030 PM CST
END LOCATION:           2.7 MILES NW OF PELHAM
END_LAT/LON:            35.3386/-85.9135

BASED ON SOCIAL MEDIA REPORTS FROM THE PUBLIC...A NWS STORM
SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED IN EXTREME SOUTHEAST COFFEE COUNTY TO
INVESTIGATE DAMAGE FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ON THURSDAY EVENING
FEBRUARY 20 2014. ONE EF1 TORNADO WAS CONFIRMED TO HAVE TOUCHED
DOWN ALONG INTERSTATE 24 NORTHWEST OF PELHAM...WHERE A TREE WAS
SNAPPED AND TWO BILLBOARDS DAMAGED ALONG I-24. SEVERAL MORE TREES
WERE UPROOTED ALONG BETSY WILLIS ROAD. A FARM SUFFERED
SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE JUST NORTH OF BETSY WILLIS ROAD ON THE WEST
SIDE OF HIGHWAY 41...WITH 3 GRAIN SILOS WERE BLOWN OFF THEIR BASE
AND DESTROYED AND A BARN LOSING PART OF ITS ROOF. AN OUTBUILDING
AT THE FARM WAS DESTROYED WITH DEBRIS BLOWN SOUTHEAST ACROSS
HIGHWAY 41. ANOTHER BARN ON THE EAST SIDE OF HIGHWAY 41 SUFFERED
MINOR ROOF DAMAGE. MORE TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN EAST OF HIGHWAY 41
WITH ANOTHER OUTBUILDING DESTROYED AND DEBRIS BLOWN ACROSS
ADJACENT FIELDS. THE TORNADO THEN MOVED INTO INACCESSIBLE FORESTED
AREAS BEFORE LIFTING.

TO THE SOUTH OF THE TORNADO TRACK...WIND DAMAGE FROM INFLOW INTO
THE TORNADO SNAPPED OR UPROOTED SEVERAL TREES ALONG RUTLEDGE HILL
ROAD AND HIGHWAY 41.

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.