PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT…CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
541 PM EDT TUE APR 29 2008
…PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT…
A SMALL BUT INTENSE CLUSTER OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED IN A
WARM…MOIST AIR MASS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT ON MONDAY
APRIL 28…2008. THE STRONGEST STORMS OCCURRED OVER SOUTHEAST
VIRGINIA AND PRODUCED SIX TORNADOES.
THE STRONGEST TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR SUFFOLK, VA AT APPROXIMATELY
405 PM. MONDAY AFTERNOON. THE TORNADO HAD A PATH LENGTH OF ABOUT 10
MILES LONG AND A QUARTER MILE WIDE. THE PRELIMINARY RATING OF THIS
TORNADO IS AN EF-3…PENDING FURTHER ASSESSMENT. THE TORNADO WAS
ON THE GROUND FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES AND CAUSED WIDESPREAD DAMAGE TO
HOMES AND A FEW BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT SUFFOLK, VA.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE IN WAKEFIELD
VIRGINIA IDENTIFIED AND OUTLOOKED THE THREAT FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS AS EARLY AS SATURDAY…APRIL 26. THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN WAKEFIELD ISSUED A WARNING FOR THE SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WHICH PRODUCED THE SUFFOLK, VA TORNADO AT 303
PM…WHILE THE STORM WAS STILL IN NORTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. THE
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CONTINUED TO INTENSIFY AND THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING AT 311 PM FOR PORTIONS OF
SUFFOLK VA…ALMOST AN HOUR PRIOR TO THE STORM AFFECTING DOWNTOWN
SUFFOLK. THE TORNADO WARNING WAS REISSUED AT 350 PM…AND STATED
THAT THE TORNADO WOULD BE NEAR DOWNTOWN SUFFOLK BY 405 PM. AT 404
PM…THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUED A SEVERE WEATHER
STATEMENT…STATING THAT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR
INDICATED A TORNADO NEAR DOWNTOWN SUFFOLK. THE PRELIMINARY LEAD
TIME FOR THE TORNADO WAS 15 MINUTES.
