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000
NOUS44 KHUN 180225
PNSHUN
ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-181430-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
925 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2013

...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 05/17/13 SEVERE WEATHER EPISODE...

NWS HUNTSVILLE METEOROLOGISTS HAVE COMPLETED A STORM SURVEY OVER
PORTIONS OF LIMESTONE COUNTY...IN NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA. IT HAS BEEN
DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE REPORTED AROUND THE ATHENS AREA AND NEAR
ELKMONT RESULTED FROM TWO WEAK/SHORT-LIVED TORNADOES DURING THE MID
AFTERNOON HOURS ON FRIDAY, MAY 17. PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS.

.TORNADO #1 -- SOUTH ATHENS /LIMESTONE COUNTY/

RATING:                 EF-0
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    75 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  2.04 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   50 YARDS
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               0

START DATE:             MAY 17 2013
START TIME:             2:00 PM CDT
START LOCATION:         3 MILES SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN ATHENS
START LAT/LON:          34.759983 / -86.974814

END DATE:               MAY 17 2013
END TIME:               2:07 PM CDT
END LOCATION:           HWY 72 / ATHENS
END LAT/LON:            34.786681 / -86.959044

SURVEY SUMMARY:
A SHORT-LIVED TORNADO INITIALLY TOUCHED DOWN ALONG ROY LONG ROAD JUST
WEST OF HIGHWAY 31. SEVERAL TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED AROUND A
RESIDENCE PROPERTY. THE RESIDENCE ITSELF SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE AS
NARROW WOODEN FRONT PORCH PILLARS WERE BROKEN AND SHIFTED BY THE
WIND. BASED ON THIS DAMAGE...THE MAXIMUM WINDS WERE DETERMINED TO BE
AROUND 75 MPH...A MID-RANGE EF-0 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE.

THE TORNADO SKIPPED NORTHEAST WITH ADDITIONAL DAMAGE SEEN ALONG
HIGHWAY 72...JUST WEST OF HIGHWAY 31. MULTIPLE SIGNS ATOP A LARGE
METAL POLE WERE BLOWN OUT AND A PORTION OF THE METAL SIDING WAS
RIPPED OFF. NO ADDITIONAL DAMAGE WAS REPORTED JUST NORTHEAST OF THIS
LOCATION...THEREFORE IT IS DETERMINED THE WEAK TORNADO LIFTED AROUND
THIS POINT.

SURVEYED BY: NADLER/SHUMWAY

.TORNADO # 2 -- ELKMONT AREA /LIMESTONE COUNTY/

RATING:                 EF-0
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    70 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  0.15 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   50 YARDS
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               0

START DATE:             MAY 17 2013
START TIME:             2:45 PM CDT
START LOCATION:         ELKMONT /HARDIMAN LANE/
START LAT/LON:          34.954581 / -86.879413

END DATE:               MAY 17 2013
END TIME:               2:46 PM CDT
END LOCATION:           BETWEEN HARDIMAN LANE AND SWEET SPRINGS RD
END LAT/LON:            34.956560 / -86.878222

SURVEY SUMMARY:
THIS VERY SHORT-LIVED TORNADO WAS PART OF THE SAME STORM THAT
PRODUCED THE SOUTH ATHENS TORNADO. DAMAGE WAS SEEN IN A LESS THAN
1/4 MILE SWATH BETWEEN RESIDENCES ALONG EITHER SIDE OF HARDIMAN LANE.
SEVERAL RESIDENCES SUSTAINED MINOR ROOF DAMAGE WITH SHINGLES BLOWN
OFF. ONE RESIDENCE SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AS A PORTION OF THE
BRICKS WERE CRACKED AND BEGINNING TO PULL AWAY FROM THE FOUNDATION.
SEVERAL LARGER TREES AROUND THE RESIDENCES WERE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED.
MAXIMUM WINDS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE 70 MPH AT THIS LOCATION. JUST
NORTH OF HARDIMAN LANE...A BARN SUSTAINED ROOF DAMAGE AS A GOOD
PORTION OF THE METAL ROOF HAD BEEN PULLED OFF. NO ADDITIONAL DAMAGE
WAS SEEN ALONG THE TRACK TO THE NORTHEAST OF THIS LOCATION...TOWARD
THE ALABAMA/TENNESSEE STATE LINE.

SURVEYED BY: NADLER/SHUMWAY

EF SCALE: THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO THE
FOLLOWING CATEGORIES.

EF0...WEAK......65 TO 85 MPH
EF1...WEAK......86 TO 110 MPH
EF2...STRONG....111 TO 135 MPH
EF3...STRONG....136 TO 165 MPH
EF4...VIOLENT...166 TO 200 MPH
EF5...VIOLENT...>200 MPH

NOTE:
THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT AND PUBLICATION IN NWS
STORM DATA.

$$