McMinnville Tornado Confirmed By National Weather Service
In Oregon, a McMinnville tornado swept through Thursday afternoon with 90 MPH winds and a trail of damage left in its wake.
The McMinnville tornado caused no injuries nor any deaths, but local news station KGW in Portland notes that several buildings were in the path of the twister and sustained damage.
According to the station, the McMinnville tornado was confirmed by a two-person team from the National Weather Service Friday after the storm’s damage was assessed.
KGW reports:
“The tornado’s estimated top winds in the most damaged area ranged from 86 to 90 miles per hour, Weather Service meteorologist Treena Hartley said late Thursday night. That puts it in the EF1 storm category… Elsewhere it was defined by the damage found as an EF0. That class of storm has winds from 65-85 mph, Hartley said.”
McMinnville tornado witness Kelly McDonald recounts what happened as the twister swept in, saying that residents and locals dove for cover as it hit:
“I was just across the way and I saw the whole roof roll up off of the building… I wish I’d had the presence of mind to take a picture. I was just trying to get everyone inside.”
Joe Knox was getting ready to leave Chemeketa Community College in McMinnville when the McMinnville tornado stormed in. Knox says:
“The clouds opened up, they started parting, there was this huge hole. A plastic shopping bag was blowing about. It shot straight up into the hole… I was thinking this isn’t suppose to be happening, this is Oregon,” Knox said. “That’s when I realized we had to get out of there.”
Bruce Logsdon spotted the McMinnville tornado funnel cloud while out with his son, and observed:
“I could feel the pressure… It smelled really electrical.”
No watches or warnings were issued for yesterday’s EF-1 tornado in McMinnville. There is a good reason why. http://t.co/cGQ3Q5gLu4
— Pat Rosborough (@pmrwx) June 14, 2013
While the McMinnville tornado came as a shock to residents, meteorologists say that Oregon tornadoes are very rare.
