984 
ABUS34 KPAH 211825
PNSPAH
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
125 PM CDT TUE AUG 21 2001

ON MONDAY 20 AUGUST 2001...A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE NATIONAL 
WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH KENTUCKY SURVEYED DAMAGE FROM A SUPERCELL 
THUNDERSTORM THAT RAKED SOUTHWESTERN JEFFERSON COUNTY ILLINOIS ON 
THE EVENING OF AUGUST 18. THE REPORT BELOW CONTAINS FINDINGS FROM 
THE STORM DAMAGE ASSESSMENT.

ON THE EVENING OF SATURDAY 18 AUGUST 2001...A SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM 
WITH STRONG DOPPLER-INDICATED ROTATION ENTERED THE SOUTHWESTERN PART 
OF JEFFERSON COUNTY IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. THERE WERE NUMEROUS 
REPORTS OF GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL IN THE WALTONVILLE AND INA AREAS 
BETWEEN 545 AND 630 PM CDT. THE GREATEST CONCENTRATION OF SPORADIC 
WIND DAMAGE WAS ORIENTED IN A 4 MILE SWATH FROM 2 MILES WSW OF 
WALTONVILLE TO 4 MILES SSE OF WALTONVILLE...AND OCCURRED BETWEEN 555 
AND 605 PM.

INCLUDED IN THE DAMAGE REPORTS WERE THE FOLLOWING: SEVERAL LARGE 
TREES AND TREE LIMBS WERE DOWNED TO THE EAST OR SOUTHEAST IN VARIOUS 
LOCATIONS SOUTH OF WALTONVILLE. TWO BARNS AND ONE CAR WERE DAMAGED 
BY FALLING TREE DEBRIS. TRUSSES OF A LOCAL BUSINESS UNDERGOING A 
REROOFING PROJECT WERE BLOWN DOWN. PART OF A TIN ROOF WAS RIPPED OFF 
THE CORNER OF ANOTHER BARN. AN UNINHABITED TRAILER HOME WAS BLOWN 
OFF ITS FOUNDATION AND DEMOLISHED. THE CAUSE FOR ALL BUT ONE REPORT 
OF DAMAGE WAS DETERMINED TO BE FROM THUNDERSTORM OUTFLOW WINDS... 
LIKELY FROM THE REAR FLANK OF THE STORM. PEAK WINDS WERE ESTIMATED 
AT 70 TO 80 MPH.

TOWARD THE END OF THE DAMAGE PATH...AN F0 TORNADO BRIEFLY TOUCHED 
DOWN AROUND 602 PM...AND LASTED FOR ONLY A MATTER OF SECONDS. IN 
DETERMINING THIS...THE ORIENTATION OF DAMAGE TO A CORN FIELD... 
STRONG ROTATION DEPICTED ON KPAH DOPPLER RADAR...AND AN EYEWITNESS 
ACCOUNT WERE ALL TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION. THE TORNADO TOUCHDOWN WAS 
APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES SSE OF WALTONVILLE. PATH LENGTH AND WIDTH WERE 
ESTIMATED AT 100 YARDS AND 30 YARDS RESPECTIVELY. PEAK WINDS IN THE 
WEAK TORNADO WERE ESTIMATED AT 70 MPH.

AS ALWAYS...THESE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT FINDINGS ARE PRELIMINARY. THE 
OFFICIAL REPORT MAY BE FOUND WITHIN LATER ISSUES OF THE STORM DATA 
PUBLICATION. FOR MORE INFORMATION...YOU MAY VISIT THE WEB SITE OF 
THE NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER AT HTTP://WWW.NCDC.NOAA.GOV.

PRESLEY

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