National Weather Service Raw Text Product

892 
NOUS41 KBOX 101758
PNSBOX
CTZ002>004-MAZ002>024-026-NHZ011-012-015-RIZ001>008-111200-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
158 PM EDT FRI MAY 10 2013

...TORNADO CONFIRMED IN STOUGHTON IN NORFOLK COUNTY MA...

LOCATION...STOUGHTON IN NORFOLK COUNTY MA
DATE...MAY 9 2013
ESTIMATED TIME...431 PM EDT
MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF0
ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...85 MPH
MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...50 YARDS
PATH LENGTH...0.25 MILES
BEGINNING LAT/LON...42.10N / 71.10W
ENDING LAT/LON...42.10N / 71.10W
* 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 TAUNTON MA HAS CONFIRMED A
BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN IN STOUGHTON MA ON MAY 9 2013.

THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AT A CAR DEALERSHIP ON ROUTE 138 WHERE
IT WAS CAPTURED BY A SECURITY CAMERA AND RECORDED ON CELL PHONE
CAMERAS BY SEVERAL OF THE DEALERSHIP EMPLOYEES.

THREE RV TRAILERS...WEIGHING ABOUT 5000 POUNDS EACH...WERE PUSHED
BACK ABOUT 6 FEET AGAINST A CHAIN LINK FENCE. ONE TRAILER WAS
LIFTED ABOUT 15 FEET INTO A LIGHT POLE BUT LANDED ON ITS WHEELS
WITH MINIMAL DAMAGE.

AN ALUMINUM DOOR ABOUT 20 FEET HIGH AND 15 FEET WIDE WAS BLOWN
OUT OF THE SERVICE GARAGE. EYEWITNESSES REPORTED CEILING TILES
BEING LIFTED INSIDE THE DEALERSHIP AS THE TORNADO PASSED OVERHEAD.

THE TORNADO ENTERED A WOODED AREA JUST TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE
DEALERSHIP. ABOUT 0.25 MILES AWAY...TWO LARGE PINE TREES WERE
DOWNED ON ERICA DRIVE AND DEAN ROAD BEFORE IT DISSIPATED.

BASED UPON A SURVEY OF THE DAMAGE...THE TORNADO IS CLASSIFIED AS
EF0 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF 85 MPH. THE
PATH LENGTH WAS 0.25 MILES AND THE MAXIMUM WIDTH WAS ABOUT 50
YARDS.

THIS TORNADO FORMED IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WAS CONDUCIVE TO
PRODUCING WHAT ARE KNOWN AS COLD AIR FUNNELS. THESE ARE COMMON
WHEN THERE IS A COMBINATION OF A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND
UNSEASONABLY COLD AIR ALOFT. THE MAJORITY OF THESE DO NOT TOUCH
DOWN. IN FACT THERE WAS A REPORT OF A FUNNEL CLOUD IN NORTH
SMITHFIELD RHODE ISLAND YESTERDAY AS WELL. A FEW DO TOUCH DOWN AND
TYPICALLY PRODUCE VERY LOCALIZED MINOR DAMAGE.

THIS IS THE FIRST CONFIRMED TORNADO IN NORFOLK COUNTY SINCE THE
WRENTHAM EF1 TORNADO ON AUGUST 21 2004.

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

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.

$$

JWD/GAF

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