130 
NOUS42 KMHX 270027
PNSMHX
NCZ029-044>047-079>081-090>095-098-103-104-270400-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
826 PM EDT THU APR 21 2011

...TORNADO CONFIRMED NEAR WILLIAMSTON IN MARTIN COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA...

LOCATION...1 MILE SOUTHWEST OF WILLIAMSTON IN MARTIN COUNTY NORTHCAROLINA 
DATE...APRIL 26 2011
ESTIMATED TIME...215 PM EDT
MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF0
ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...70 MPH
MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...UNKOWN
PATH LENGTH...UNKNOWN
FATALITIES...0
INJURIES...0

* THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT(S) AND PUBLICATION IN NWS
STORM DATA.

...SUMMARY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC HAS 
CONFIRMED A TORNADO JUST SOUTHWEST OF WILLIAMSTON IN MARTIN COUNTY NORTH 
CAROLINA ON 4/26/11.

THERE WERE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF A FUNNEL CLOUD IN THE WILLIAMSTON 
AREA.  BASED ON PICTURES SHOWING THE FUNNEL VERY NEAR THE GROUND AND 
A SMALL AMOUNT OF DAMAGE ALONG GARRETT ROAD JUST SOUTHWEST OF 
TOWN...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CAN CONFIRM A VERY BRIEF TORNADO 
TOUCH DOWN AROUND 215 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON.  THE TORNADO PRODUCED 
VERY LOCALIZED DAMAGE WITH A HOUSE SUSTAINING SOME VERY MINOR 
SHINGLE LOSS AND SIDING DAMAGE.  A CARPORT WAS ALSO DESTROYED. THE 
WIDTH OF THE TORNADO WAS LIKELY AROUND 50 YARDS WITH A PATH LENGTH 
ON THE ORDER OF 100 TO 200 YARDS.  ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION AND 
INTERVIEWS WILL BE NEEDED TO CONFIRM THOSE MEASUREMENTS.  

THIS INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE AT
WEATHER.GOV/MHX.

FOR REFERENCE...THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO
THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

EF0...WIND SPEEDS 65 TO 85 MPH.
EF1...WIND SPEEDS 86 TO 110 MPH.
EF2...WIND SPEEDS 111 TO 135 MPH.
EF3...WIND SPEEDS 136 TO 165 MPH.
EF4...WIND SPEEDS 166 TO 200 MPH.
EF5...WIND SPEEDS GREATER THAN 200 MPH.

$$

RSB