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Public Information Statement...Corrected for path length and end time 
National Weather Service Blacksburg VA 
415 PM EDT Wed Apr 25 2018

***UPDATED FOR EXTENSION OF PATH LENGTH AND END TIME IN AMHERST COUNTY***

...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY SUMMARY FOR THE CITY OF LYNCHBURG AND INCLUDING
PARTS OF CAMPBELL AND AMHERST COUNTIES FOR A TORNADO EVENT ON SUNDAY 
APRIL 15 2018...

***Based on additional air and ground surveys from Amherst County Sheriffs
Office and County Schools with access to a drone, as well photos from
a private citizen, and in coordination with the National Weather Service
in Blacksburg, the final path length of the tornado that tracked through
Lynchburg and across the James River into Amherst County has been extended.
This additional data collected was over a period of time extending from the
middle of last week, this past weekend, and even additional photos today.
Finally, we learned of additional damage at Sacajawea Girl Scout Camp on
Fox Hill Road between Lynchburg City and the James River, which is in
a corner of Bedford County.

The resulting data helped the NWS to conclude that the final path length
of nearly continuous tornado damage is now 25.8 miles, ending in the area
of Mt Pleasant and Stonewall Creek Roads, just south of Piney Mountain,
where the tornado appeared to lift. This would have been at 733pm, 
resulting in the tornado being on the ground for a total of 33 minutes.
The statistics below have been updated with this new information.

Furthermore, a separate tornado touched down on the north side of Piney
Mountain near Indian Creek Rd but was only on the ground for a few minutes.
A separate Public Information Statement with those details will be issued
shortly.


Previous update sent on Wednesday April 18...

***Based on additional analysis of damage photos and discussions 
with experts on tornado damage we have increased the maximum winds 
in the Elon community in Amherst County from 130 mph to 150 mph, 
which is in the EF-3 category***

The NWS has completed a survey of damage that impacted northwest Campbell 
County, the City of Lynchburg, and southern Amherst Co, and confirmed a 
tornado with 20.4 mile long path length, with maximum winds speeds 
of 150 mph. This puts at the mid range of the EF3 scale.  Here are 
some specifics:

Start Location...Near Timberlake in Campbell County VA
End Location...8.4 miles northwest of Amherst in Amherst County VA
Date...April 15 2018
Estimated Time...700 to 733 PM EDT Sunday April 15 2018 
Maximum EF-Scale Rating...EF3 Estimated 
Maximum Wind Speed...150 mph 
Maximum Path Width...600 yards 
Path Length...25.8 miles 
Beginning Lat/Lon...37.3264 / -79.241 
Ending Lat/Lon...37.686, -79.138
* Fatalities...None
* Injuries...12 (estimated)

...Summary...

The tornado first touched down in northwest Campbell County, just south of
Waterlink Road and east of Timberlake Road (37.3264, -79.241), doing EF1
damage to trees as well as some roof damage, with an initial path width of 
about 100 yards. It then tracked NNW initially, then NNE and followed along 
the east side of Timberlake Road, damaging a number of businesses, flipping 
some cars and a truck trailer.  Here it reached low-end EF2 wind speeds
of 115 mph.  It then crossed Timberlake Road as it moved into the western
City limits of Lynchburg.

In Lynchburg, the tornado damaged a mobile home park, with minor damage to
roofs of homes and business and snapping dozens of trees as it crossed 
Boonesboro Road. Here it widened to about 600 yards wide doing EF1 damage.  
It then crossed a small corner of Bedford County causing damage to Camp
Sacajawea on Fox Hill Rd, before crossing the James River into Amherst County.

In Amherst County the tornado crossed Highway 130 in the Elon area and
strengthened to its maximum intensity with winds estimated at 150 mph. Here
dozens of homes were badly damaged, some nearly completely, and many large
pine trees were snapped off and left with no branches. A motor home was
carried about 30 feet and tipped over. The hardest hit areas were along
Nottaway Drive and Deerfield Drive. The damage path was about 400 yards wide
in this area, but the strong EF3 damage was about 100 yards wide.  The tornado
then continued moving NNE doing mainly damage to trees and some minor roof
damage to homes. Many hundreds of trees were snapped and uprooted as it
tracked along parts of High Peak Road and appeared to be as wide as 400 yards
at times, doing EF1 damage. It crossed Wares Gap Road, went up and over parts
Shady Mountain Ridge, crossed Highway 60 (Lexington Turnpike), Thrashers Lake
Park, and then finally dissipated soon after crossing parts of Mount Pleasant
Road and Stonewall Creek Road. Most of the damage near the end of the track was 
downed trees, but some damage to roofs of farm buildings and fences was also
observed. Damage near the end of the track appeared to be consistent with 
low-end EF1 and EF0 wind speeds.

The National Weather Service would like to express sincere gratitude to the 
emergency officials from Campbell and Amherst Counties, as well as the City
of Lynchburg, Amherst County Schools, The Lynchburg News and Advance, and
private citizens who all helped piece together the various observations used
to determine this information. 


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 still reliminary and subject to
change pending final review of the event and publication in NWS
Storm Data.

$$

Keighton