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000
NOUS43 KFGF 240109 AAA
PNSFGF
MNZ001-014-251145-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
810 PM CDT WED JUL 23 2014

...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 07/21/14 TORNADO EVENT IN POLK AND
RED LAKE COUNTY MN...

A LARGE SCALE BOW-ECHO TYPE SQUALL LINE MOVED ACROSS NORTHEAST
NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA DURING THE EVENING OF 21
JULY 2014. A TORNADO FORMED ON THE APEX OF THIS SQUALL LINE AND
MOVED FROM SOUTHWEST POLK COUNTY MINNESOTA INTO SOUTHWEST RED
LAKE COUNTY. THE TORNADO ITSELF WAS LIKELY WRAPPED IN HEAVY
RAIN AND MORE WIDESPREAD DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS. THE TORNADO
TRACK ITSELF WAS DISTINGUISHABLE BY THE PRESENCE OF MORE
EXTREME DAMAGE AND AN APPARENT LOFTING AND THROWING OF DEBRIS.
IN ADDITION...SEVERAL RURAL RESIDENTS NOTED THE APPARENT ROAR
OF THE STORM ALONG WITH ITS BRIEF AND CATASTROPHIC IMPACTS.

.TORNADO 1...

RATING:                 EF-2
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    120 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  27 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   800 YARDS
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               0

START DATE:             JULY 21 2014
START TIME:             AROUND 850 PM CDT
START LOCATION:         APPROX. 4 MILES WNW OF ELDRED
START LAT/LON:          47.7000N/-96.8600W (EST.)

END DATE:               JULY 21 2014
END TIME:               BY 945 PM CDT
END LOCATION:           APPROX. 9 MILES ESE RED LAKE FALLS
END_LAT/LON:            47.5100N/-96.0500W (EST.)

THIS NARRATIVE IS AMENDED FOR ADDITIONAL TRACK INFORMATION COLLECTED
ON JULY 22

THE TEAM EXAMINED AN AREA STARTING IN ROOME TOWNSHIP...NEAR
ELDRED...AND CONTINUING EAST NORTHEAST THROUGH CROOKSTON AND
GENTILLY...INTO NORTHERN LAKE PLEASANT TOWNSHIP IN SOUTHWEST
RED LAKE COUNTY.  THE TEAM RETURNED ON JULY 22 TO FOLLOW UP ON
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT WAS RECEIVED LATE ON JULY 21ST. THE
ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION COVERED THE TERREBONNE...GERVAIS...
POPLAR RIVER AND EMARDVILLE TOWNSHIPS. THE TORNADO TRACK IS
EXTENDED 10 MILES MAKING THE TOTAL TORNADO TRACK LENGTH
APPROXIMATELY 37 MILES.

IN GENERAL...DAMAGE INCLUDED NUMEROUS SNAPPED OR UPROOTED TREES
AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT ROOF DAMAGE TO RESIDENTIAL AND FARM
STRUCTURES ALONG THE PATH.

AT THE POINT OF INITIAL TOUCHDOWN THE TORNADO CAUSED SIGNIFICANT
DAMAGE TO A LARGE...MODERN EQUIPMENT SHED REMOVING SECTIONS OF
THE ROOF AND IMPLODING ONE OF THE MAIN DOORS. SEVERAL MILES
EAST-NORTHEAST A 1.5 MILE STRING OF DUAL POLE/CROSS-BEAM HIGH
TENSION POWER LINES WERE TOPPLED...CONSISTENT WITH LOW END EF2
TORNADIC WINDS. DAMAGE TO NEARBY FARMSTEADS INCLUDE NUMEROUS
UPROOTED AND PARTIALLY DENUDED TREES.

JUST SOUTH OF CROOKSTON A LINE OF 17 /EMPTY/ TANKER STYLE RAIL
CARS WERE ROLLED ON THEIR SIDE WHILE A COUPLE VERY LARGE STEEL
GRAIN BINS WERE BLOWN OUT LEAVING PILES OF GRAIN ON THE GROUND.

DAMAGE WAS WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE CROOKSTON AREA...WITH THE MOST
EXTREME DAMAGES APPARENT ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CITY.
TO THE EAST OF CROOKSTON SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO SEVERAL SHELTER
BELTS WAS NOTED ALONG AND JUST NORTH OF POLK COUNTY 11 AND WEST
OF THE RED LAKE RIVER. SEVERAL FARM STORAGE BUILDINGS EXPERIENCED
SIGNIFICANT ROOF DAMAGE ALONG THE SAME PATH.

DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED ACROSS THE COMMUNITY OF GENTILLY WITH DAMAGE
TO SEVERAL LARGE SHELTER BELTS UP TO ONE HALF MILE NORTHWEST OF
GENTILLY. THIS DAMAGE PATH CONTINUED INTO THE WESTERN PORTIONS
OF THE LAKE PLEASANT TOWNSHIP OF RED LAKE COUNTY.

THREE FARMSTEADS APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF RED LAKE
FALLS WERE HIT BY THE TORNADO. DAMAGE INCLUDED TOTAL LOSS OF
OUT-BUILDINGS...A LARGE BOXELDER TREE LOFTED INTO THE SIDE OF A
HOUSE AND NUMEROUS HARDWOODS TREES THAT WERE PARTIALLY DENUDED. AN
EYEWITNESS OBSERVED THE START OF THE TORNADO ABOUT 1 MILE WEST OF
HIS FARMSTEAD BEFORE SEEKING SHELTER.

THE TORNADO TRACK CONTINUE ON TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST LEAVING A
NARROW YET DISCERNIBLE TRACK THROUGH SHELTERBELTS. AT ONE POINT
APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF TERREBONNE MN DAMAGE...CONSISTENT
WITH LOW END EF2 TORNADIC WINDS...WAS OBSERVED. AT ONE FARMSTEAD A
WELL BUILT FULLY SECURED GARAGE WAS DESTROYED...WHILE AT A NEARBY
FARMSTEAD 5 EMPTY GRAIN BINS WERE LOFTED OFF THEIR FOUNDATION. THE
FARTHEST WAS OVER 1/2 MILE WHILE A 5TH BIN HAS YET TO BE FOUND.

NEAR THE END OF THE SPORADIC TORNADO TRACK SEVERAL POWER POLES WERE
BENT AT ANGLES GREATER THAN 45 DEGREES. ONE WAS BROKEN OFF NEAR THE
BASE. FROM THIS POINT FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 MORE MILES ISOLATED TREE
DAMAGE...CONSISTENT WITH EF0 WIND SPEEDS WAS NOTED. THE DAMAGE PATH
ENDED ABOUT HALFWAY BETWEEN PLUMMER MN AND BROOKS MN...ONE MILE WEST
OF US HIGHWAY 59.

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.

$$

GUST/EWENS