National Weather Service Raw Text Product

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NOUS43 KIND 271544
PNSIND
INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-272345-

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Indianapolis IN
1144 AM EDT Wed Mar 27 2024

...NWS Damage Survey for 03/14/24 Tornado Event Update 3...

.Update...3

.Overview...

The initial 25.03 mile tornado that tracked from Selma through 
Randolph county has been split into two separate tornado tracks. 
The Selma EF-2 track ends west of the Delaware/Randolph county 
line with the Winchester EF-3 tornado beginning south of Farmland.
Areas between the two tracks were a space where the tornado 
temporarily lifted. Relevant portions of previous overview below:

Multiple intense supercells impacted the north-central and 
northeastern portions of central Indiana during the late afternoon
and evening of Thursday, March 14, 2024. The storms produced 
multiple reports of large to very large hail, and two tornadoes 
across eastern Delaware and Randolph counties.

The EF-3 tornado continued beyond the listed end point below at 
the state line into western Ohio (information about the tornado in
western Ohio will be available from NWS Wilmington OH).

The NWS Indianapolis Survey Team greatly appreciates the help of 
Indiana State Police Officer Dave Poynter who escorted our team 
through the damage in Winchester and points east!

.Selma Tornado...

Rating:                 EF2
Estimated Peak Wind:    120 mph
Path Length /statute/:  4.47 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   175 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             03/14/2024
Start Time:             07:34 PM EDT
Start Location:         2 WNW Selma / Delaware County / IN
Start Lat/Lon:          40.203 / -85.3173

End Date:               03/14/2024
End Time:               07:40 PM EDT
End Location:           2 WSW Parker City / Delaware County / IN
End Lat/Lon:            40.1848 / -85.2371

Survey Summary:

The tornado started northwest of Selma northwest of Truitt Rd damaging roofs 
on homes. It then moved east southeast through Selma damaging a 
number of homes, uprooting and snapping trees, and knocking over 
some utility poles. Highest wind intensity in Selma, indicated by 
extensive damage to a couple homes, was estimated at 120 mph, or 
EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Maximum path width through Selma 
was about 125-175 yards.

.Winchester Tornado...

Rating:                 EF3
Estimated Peak Wind:    165 mph
Path Length /statute/:  17.14 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   700 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               38

Start Date:             03/14/2024
Start Time:             07:50 PM EDT
Start Location:         1 SSE Farmland / Randolph County / IN
Start Lat/Lon:          40.1785 / -85.1251

End Date:               03/14/2024
End Time:               08:13 PM EDT
End Location:           2 S Union City / Darke County / OH
End Lat/Lon:            40.1622 / -84.8069

Survey Summary:

The Selma tornado lifted in the open area and fields between 
eastern Delaware county to near Farmland before redevelping. As it
moved through Rural Randolph county it bent or snapped numerous 
utility poles along State Road 32. Also, a large blade on one of 
the wind turbines in the area was badly damaged. 

As the tornado entered Winchester, it severely damaged many homes
and snapped and uprooted trees in a west-to-east path through 
Winchester. There was clear evidence of the tornado's rotational 
circulation, with uprooted trees pointed to the east on the 
immediate south side of the tornado, and to the northwest on the 
immediate north side of the tornado. The damage pattern also 
indicated the possibility of small multiple vortices rotating 
around the main vortex. In the residential core of the town, the 
maximum intensity of the tornado was estimated around 130 mph or 
high-end EF2 strength.

The greatest damage in Winchester occurred on the east side of 
town at the Taco Bell, as the anchored building was destroyed, as 
was a church immediately east of the restaurant. In this 
concentrated area, the NWS Team estimated maximum winds of 155-165
mph, or high- end EF3 damage. Maximum path width in Winchester 
was estimated at up to 0.4 mile or 700 yards.

Farther east across more rural eastern Randolph County, a few 
structures had significant damage, debris was blown in fields, 
many trees were snapped, and a silo was damaged, all indicative of
EF2 maximum damage in the 115-125 mph range.

The tornado continued to the Indiana-Ohio state line, with less 
intense damage primarily to trees before crossing into Ohio. 

&&

EF Scale: The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the
following categories:

EF0.....65 to 85 mph
EF1.....86 to 110 mph
EF2.....111 to 135 mph
EF3.....136 to 165 mph
EF4.....166 to 200 mph
EF5.....>200 mph

NOTE:
The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to
change pending final review of the events and publication in
NWS Storm Data.


$$