April 28th, 2002

The Weather Network was on top of things early, giving updates of
the storm system's progression :

Tornados in the south caused destruction and numerous fatalities.  One particular tornado in
Maryland has been officially classified as F5 (small capture of it below left) :


 

 BUFLSRBUF Issued at: 330 PM EDT MON APR 29 2002 Issued by: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO, NY ...WEAK TORNADO CONFIRMED IN ERIE COUNTY... A TEAM OF METEOROLOGISTS SURVEYING STORM DAMAGE WHICH OCCURRED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON HAS DETERMINED THAT A WEAK TORNADO DID BRIEFLY TOUCH DOWN IN ERIE COUNTY AROUND 250 PM IN THE TOWN OF CONCORD. DAMAGE CONSISTED OF A PORTION OF THE BACK AND ROOF OF AN OUTBUILDING BLOWN AWAY, A PIER TOSSED ACROSS A POND AND TREE DAMAGE. THE DAMAGE PATH LENGTH WAS LESS THAN A MILE AND THE WIDTH WAS ESTIMATED AT 25 YARDS. IT WAS RANKED AN F0 ON THE FUJITA SCALE WITH WINDS ESTIMATED BETWEEN 70 AND 75 MPH. ...TORNADO CONFIRMED IN ALLEGANY COUNTY... A TEAM OF METEOROLOGISTS SURVEYING STORM DAMAGE WHICH OCCURRED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON HAS DETERMINED THAT A TORNADO DID INDEED TOUCH DOWN IN ALLEGANY COUNTY BETWEEN 350 AND 400 PM. THE TEAM NOTED THAT THE TORNADO FIRST TOUCHED DOWN NEAR TIBBITS HILL ROAD IN THE TOWN OF BELFAST. THE PATH LENGTH EXTENDED ABOUT 6.5 MILES INTO THE TOWN OF ANGELICA AT WHICH POINT THE STORM WEAKENED. THE PATH WIDTH WAS ABOUT 300 YARDS. THE GREATEST STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OCCURRED NEAR WHITE CREEK ROAD IN BELFAST WHERE A TWO STORY HOME, GARAGE, AND BARN WERE DESTROYED. OTHER DAMAGE NOTED BY THE SURVEY TEAM ALONG THE PATH INCLUDED A SILO, A SECOND BARN, AND MINOR DAMAGE TO A SECOND HOME WHERE THE WIND RIPPED THE SIDING FROM THE OUTER WALL. THE TEAM DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS CONSISTENT WITH THAT OF AN F2 TORNADO ON THE FUJITA SCALE. ESTIMATED WIND VELOCITIES RANGED FROM 113 TO 157 MILES AN HOUR. ...LIVINGSTON COUNTY STORM DAMAGE... DAMAGE SURVEYED IN LIVONIA WAS DETERMINED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH A THUNDERSTORM DOWNBURST WIND. ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM DOWNBURST OCCURRED NEAR DANSVILLE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. IN THAT STORM A GRAIN STORAGE CONTAINER 15 FEET HIGH AND 25 FEET IN DIAMETER WAS RIPPED FROM ITS ANCHOR BOLTS AND THROWN ABOUT 100 FEET. LEVAN 

WWCN13 CWTO 281649
SEVERE WEATHER BULLETIN
ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA
AT 12:49 PM EDT SUNDAY 28 APRIL 2002.
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WATCHES/WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN ONTARIO...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR:
=NEW= ELGIN
=NEW= LONDON-MIDDLESEX-OXFORD
=NEW= BRANT-HALDIMAND-NORFOLK
=NEW= NIAGARA
=NEW= HAMILTON
=NEW= WATERLOO-WELLINGTON-DUFFERIN
=NEW= HALTON-PEEL.

      ..INTENSE HAIL OVER THE AREAS ADJACENT TO EASTERN LAKE
      ONTARIO.. ..STRONG WINDS OVER LAKE ERIE AND ADJACENT AREAS..

      THIS IS AN ALERT TO THE POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE
      THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

      MONITOR WEATHER CONDITIONS..LISTEN FOR UPDATED STATEMENTS.
      IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES TAKE IMMEDIATE SAFETY
      PRECAUTIONS.

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==DISCUSSION=
A LOW APPROACHING FROM LOWER MICHIGAN WILL MOVE EASTWARD THROUGH
SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO.  SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE REPORTED ALONG THE
WARM FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE
OVER THE AREAS ADJACENT TO EASTERN LAKE ONTARIO AND PRODUCE LARGE
HAIL.  MOTHBALL SIZE HAIL HAS ALREADY BEEN REPORTED SOUTH OF LONDON.

COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OVER SOUTHWESTERN SECTIONS THIS AFTERNOON
PRODUCING A LINE OF INTENSE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.  WINDS ARE
LIKELY TO GUST 90 KM/H WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST PUBLIC FORECASTS FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

END/ER

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