TornadoVideos.net

Posted At: July 14, 2008 @ 12:41 PM

Posted By: Reed Timmer

Check out this incredible home video of the Wilmar, MN tornado that touched down last Friday.   Sorry for the lack of updates since our chase in Canada, but we just returned to the States late last night.


For those that have not heard, this tornado was rated an EF3 by the NWS, as it caused damage to a turkey barn as well as a few homes.  Thankfully no fatalities were reported from this tornado.  I really wish we were in position to chase this event, but we were stuck in western Manitoba at the time of the tornado!

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NOUS43 KMPX 130120 AAA
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MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028-
140000-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
820 PM CDT SAT JUL 12 2008

...WILLMAR AREA TORNADO RATED EF-3...

A DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM HAS COMPLETED ITS INSPECTION OF THE TORNADO
DAMAGE FROM FRIDAYS STORM SOUTH OF WILLMAR...AND THE TORNADO WILL BE
RATED AS A LOW END EF-3. AN EF-3 TORNADO CORRELATES WITH WINDS OF
136 TO 165 MPH...AND THIS PARTICULAR TORNADO IS MOST LIKELY IN THE
RANGE OF 136 TO 150 MPH. THE EF SCALE REFERS TO THE ENHANCED FUJITA
SCALE.

THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT FIVE TO SIX MILES SOUTHWEST OF
DOWNTOWN WILLMAR. MORE SPECIFICALLY...ONE HALF MILE NORTH OF
PRIAM...ALONG COUNTY ROAD 116...HITTING A TURKEY BARN. THE TORNADO
TRAVELED EAST...CROSSING HIGHWAY 71 NEAR 45TH AVENUE OR COUNTY ROAD
19...OR ABOUT TWO AND ONE HALF MILES SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN WILLMAR. IT
CONTINUED MOVING EASTWARD...ALONG AND JUST NORTH OF COUNTY ROAD 19.
THE MOST SEVERE DAMAGE TOOK PLACE ONE AND ONE HALF MILES EAST OF
HIGHWAY 71 AND ONE THIRD MILE NORTH OF COUNTY ROAD 19.

THE TORNADO DISSIPATED FOUR MILES SOUTHEAST OF WILLMAR....TWO AND
ONE HALF MILES EAST OF HIGHWAY 71 AND ONE HALF MILE NORTH OF COUNTY
ROAD 19.

TOTAL PATH LENGTH WAS EIGHT MILES...AND THE MAXIMUM WIDTH WAS 200
YARDS.

TWO MINOR INJURIES OCCURRED AT A TURKEY BARN ALONG COUNTY ROAD 19
AND JUST EAST OF HIGHWAY 71. THERE WERE NO FATALITIES ASSOCIATED
WITH THE TORNADO.

THERE HAVE BEEN SOME EYEWITNESSES DESCRIBING A SECONDARY TORNADO
ROTATING AROUND THE MAIN TORNADO. WHETHER THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED
CAN BE DETERMINED ONLY BY PHOTOS OR VIDEO...AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE WILL BE EXAMINING THE NUMEROUS PHOTOS AND VIDEOS THAT EXIST.
IF YOU WISH TO SEND PHOTOS OR VIDEO LINKS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE...PLEASE GO TO OUR WEB SITE WWW.WEATHER.GOV/TWINCITIES AND
SEND AN E-MAIL TO THE WEBMASTER. THIS WEB SITE ALSO HAS A REVIEW OF
THE STORM.

THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN REPORTS OF OTHER TORNADOES IN THE COSMOS OR
ATWATER AREAS...AFTER THE DISSIPATION OF THE WILLMAR TORNADO.
AGAIN... PHOTOS OR VIDEO WILL BE REQUIRED TO VERIFY THIS...SINCE
NOTHING HAS BEEN HEARD IN THE WAY OF DAMAGE IN THESE AREAS. THE
DAMAGE THREE MILES NORTHWEST OF BROWNTON WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE BEEN
CAUSED BY OUTFLOW FROM THE STORM...AND THEREFORE NOT TORNADIC.

MANY THANKS ARE TO BE GIVEN TO THE MANY STORM SPOTTERS...STORM
CHASERS...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL...LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICIALS...AND OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS WHO PROVIDED SUCH
VALUABLE REPORTS BEFORE...DURING AND AFTER THE TORNADO. THOSE
REPORTS UNDOUBTEDLY HELPED SAVE LIVES.