Public Information Statement on the Coleridge, NE Tornado

[weatherwunder]

1005 PM CDT Tue Jun 24 2003

...Preliminary report on the Coleridge Nebraska tornado...

A National Weather Service team conducted a damage
survey of the Coleridge Nebraska tornado. The survey is
incomplete and will be completed on Wednesday. The area
completed on Tuesday was from the town of Coleridge
eastward. In Coleridge...the tornado downed many trees
on the west side of town. A couple large grain storage bins
were also destroyed. A construction business was destroyed
on the north west side of town. The storm moved northeast
and widened to about 1/4 mile wide and destroyed many crops
before hitting a large hog farm about 3 miles east and one
mile north of Coleridge. This is where there was one fatality.
The tornado also picked up cattle and deposited them nearly
a mile away.

Continuing to Widen to around 3/4 of a mile...the tornado
reached its maximum intensity...F4 on the fujita damage scale.
An F4 tornado has winds between 207 to 260 mph. Numerous
vehicles were tossed at this location. The complete Farmstead
was flattened and trees were stripped and debarked.

The tornado then hit a Farmstead near Highway 15 ...6 miles
east of Coleridge. The home was shifted off its foundation
by 6 feet. The tornado then turned direction to the southeast
...Striking another Farmstead and damaging trees and crops
before diminishing.

Brian E. Smith
warning coordination meteorologist
National Weather Service Omaha/valley NE

[Colin]

Thanks for that statement... F4... WOW! :o Didn't know it was that strong! Now they don't need to get hit for a while... they need to get themselves back together!