...WEAK TORNADO NEAR MOUNDSVILLE WEST VIRGINIA EARLY FRIDAY MORNING...

APPROXIMATELY AT 0120 AM EARLY FRIDAY MORNING A WEAK F1 TORNADO RIPPED AN 8
MILE PATH FROM JUST SOUTH OF MOUNDSVILLE WV TO JUST EAST OF MOUNDSVILLE. THE
PATH RAN FROM THE SOUTHWEST TO THE NORTHEAST. THE TORNADO STARTED AROUND  FISH
CREEK NEAR ROUTE 74 (JUST SOUTHEAST OF GRAYSVILLE). IT MOVED NORTHEAST BETWEEN
30 MPH AND 40 MPH ALONG NIXON RIDGE...ACROSS ROUTE 21 THEN TO GRAVE CREEK NEAR
ROUTE 44. IT CONTINUED NORTHEAST CROSSING ROUTE 17...34 AND ENDING NEAR
PLEASANT VALLEY. THE FIRST 4 TO 6 MILES OF THE PATH HAD CONTINUOUS LIGHT TO
OCCASIONALLY MODERATE DAMAGE. THE LAST 2 TO 3 MILES APPEARED TO HAVE
FRAGMENTED DAMAGE.

THE WIDTH OF THE TORNADO PATH WAS APPROXIMATELY 250 YARDS. ABOUT 17 HOMES WERE
AFFECTED (MAINLY ROOF AND CHIMNEY DAMAGE BUT ALSO SOME SIDING DAMAGE). MOST
HOMES WERE WOOD FRAME WITH ABOUT 5 MOBILE HOME DAMAGED. THERE WERE AT LEAST 3
GARAGES THAT SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGED (AT LEAST 2 WERE COMPLETELY DAMAGED).
THESE WERE GENERALLY WOOD AND CINDER-BLOCK CONSTRUCTION. THERE WAS A
FAIR AMOUNT OF TREE DAMAGE ALONG THE PATH. MOST TREES WERE SNAPPED WITH A FEW
TOPPLED. HOWEVER...NEAR GRAVE CREEK THERE WAS SEVERAL ACRES ON THE SIDE OF A
RIDGE WHICH SUSTAINED MAJOR TREE DAMAGE (ENTIRE SWATH).

WINDS WITH THIS TORNADO WERE ESTIMATED TO GENERALLY RANGE FROM 55 TO 75 MPH.
HOWEVER...IN THE GRAVE CREEK AREA ALONG ROUTE 54 (HARDEST HIT AREA), WINDS
WERE ESTIMATED BETWEEN 75 TO 85 MPH. (F0 TORNADO HAS WINDS 40-72 MPH AND F1
TORNADO HAS WINDS 73-112 MPH).

GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL THAT COVERED THE GROUND WAS ALSO REPORTED WITH THIS STORM.

IT WAS VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING AND VERY DARK. NO ONE SAW THE TORNADO...BUT
SEVERAL WITNESSES REPORTED THE LOUD SOUND OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH A TORNADO OR
DOWNBURST EVENT. ONE WITNESS MENTIONED LOOKING OUTSIDE...ONLY TO SEE EVERY
SWIRLING ABOUT. ANOTHER WITNESS HEARD THE LOUD ROAR AND IMMEDIATELY RAN TO THE
KITCHEN WINDOW. IN A MATTER OF SECONDS...HIS GARAGE HAD DISAPPEARED.

TORNADOES ARE RARE...ESPECIALLY IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF JANUARY.
HOWEVER...THEY CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE ANYTIME. WEST VIRGINIA AVERAGES ABOUT 3
TORNADOES PER YEAR...PENNSYLVANIA ABOUT 10 AND OHIO ABOUT 16.
FORTUNATELY...MOST OF THESE TORNADOES ARE WEAK (F0 AND F1).

KANE
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