STORM2K

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
730 PM CST THU JAN 13 2005

...TORNADO IN UNION COUNTY ARKANSAS RATED AS AN F3 STORM...

THURSDAY...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PERSONNEL FROM THE SHREVEPORT
WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE CONDUCTED A STORM SURVEY OF THE TORNADO
THAT MOVED THROUGH UNION COUNTY ARKANSAS WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

A NEARLY CONTINUOUS PATH OF DAMAGE WAS NOTED FROM WHERE THE TORNADO
ENTERED THE COUNTY IN THE TOWN OF JUNCTION CITY ON THE STATE LINE
WITH LOUISIANA UNTIL IT ENDED 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE COMMUNITY OF
LAWSON IN THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE COUNTY. THE STORM LEFT A TRAIL
OF THOUSANDS OF DOWNED AND BROKEN TREES ALONG WITH NUMEROUS HOMES
AND OTHER STRUCTURES HEAVILY DAMAGED OR COMPLETELY DESTROYED ALONG
ITS 24 MILE TRACK ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE COUNTY.

THE STORM ALSO RESULTED IN TWO FATALITIES AND 13 PERSONS INJURED...
REQUIRING HOSPITALIZATION OR MEDICAL ATTENTION. THERE WERE SEVERAL
OTHERS WITH MINOR SCRAPES...CUTS...AND BRUISES.

AFTER ENTERING THE COUNTY AT JUNCTION CITY...THE STORM GAINED
STRENGTH AS IT MOVED TOWARDS THE NORTHEAST...REACHING ITS
GREATEST INTENSITY IN RURAL AREAS SOME 8 MILES SOUTH OF EL DORADO.
AS IT MOVED THROUGH HOMES AND FARMS IN THE VICINITY OF TATUM ROAD
AND RUSHWOOD ROAD...THE PATH HAD SPREAD TO A WIDTH OF HALF MILE AND
REACHED AN INTENSITY OF F3...158 TO 206 MILES PER HOUR...ON THE
FUJITA INTENSITY SCALE. THIS IS WHERE THE TWO FATALITIES OCCURRED
ALONG WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE INJURIES.

OTHER DAMAGE NOTED THROUGH THIS AREA OF GREATEST DESTRUCTION WERE
SEVERAL VEHICLES THROWN AND TOSSED AROUND...A SCHOOL BUS
OVERTURNED...AND AN AREA OF TREES THAT WERE LEVELED AS IF CLEAR CUT.

THE LAST TOWN IN THE PATH OF THE STORM WAS THE COMMUNITY OF LAWSON
WHERE A NUMBER OF HOMES WERE DAMAGED AND THE FIRE STATION HEAVILY
DAMAGED BY THE STORM.

Another vivid example that intense tornadoes can form in areas NOT under a valid tornado watch. There was a severe t-storm watch by SPC....but the tornado watch wasn't issued farther east until AFTER this tornado struck.

Also, apparently the tornado which took two lives in southwest Georgia was weak....WSFO Tallahassee has preliminary rated the tornado as F0 (which seems very unlikely...a 70 mph tornado won't destroy mobile homes). Based on my own analysis, it appeared to be a F1 tornado....around 100 mph IMO.

Already 4 tornado fatalities....and only two weeks into 2005. I was afraid this would be a wild year....those killed were the first U.S. tornado fatalities in January since 1999.

PW

Starting off a little busier than the past couple of years, that's for sure.