193 
NOUS43 KDMX 262047
PNSDMX
IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075-081>086-
092>097-270900-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
347 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008

...PRELIMINARY DAMAGE SURVEY RESULTS FOR BUTLER AND BLACK HAWK
COUNTIES...

THE STORM SURVEY INVESTIGATION IS STILL ONGOING AND WILL CONTINUE
ON TUESDAY. FINAL RESULTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED LATE TUESDAY
AFTERNOON.

......

THE FOLLOWING IS A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT FOR THE DAMAGE THAT
OCCURRED OVER BUTLER AND BLACK HAWK COUNTIES ON MAY 25TH.

* EVENT DATE: MAY 25TH

* ESTIMATED START TIME: 4:48 PM CDT

* EVENT TYPE: POTENTIALLY GREATER THAN EF3 PENDING FURTHER
  ASSESSMENT ON TUESDAY.

* EVENT LOCATION: 2 MILES S APLINGTON TO PARKERSBURG TO NEW
  HARTFORD AND ACROSS NORTHERN BLACK HAWK COUNTY.

* PEAK WIND: POTENTIALLY GREATER THAN 165 MPH PENDING FURTHER
  ASSESSMENT ON TUESDAY.

* AVERAGE PATH WIDTH: PATH WIDTH RANGED FROM 0.6 TO 0.7 MILES NEAR
  PARKERSBURG TO JUST NORTH OF NEW HARTFORD. THE PATH CONSTRICTED
  TO NEAR ONE QUARTER MILE WIDE EAST OF NEW HARTFORD TO NORTH OF
  WATERLOO. PATH INCREASED TO NEAR 1.2 MILES WIDE NORTH OF
  DUNKERTON BEFORE DISSIPATING NEAR THE BLACK HAWK AND BUCHANAN
  COUNTY LINE.

* PATH LENGTH: 43 MILES

* INJURIES: PRELIMINARY 70

* FATALITIES: PRELIMINARY 6

* DISCUSSION/DAMAGE: SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OCCURRED ACROSS
  THE SOUTHERN END OF PARKERSBURG AND ALONG A PATH TO JUST NORTH
  OF NEW HARTFORD. NUMEROUS STRUCTURES COMPLETELY DESTROYED FROM
  PARKERSBURG TO NEAR NEW HARTFORD. THE TORNADO CONTINUED EASTWARD
  TO JUST NORTH OF THE WATERLOO AND CEDAR FALLS AREA. SIGNIFICANT
  DAMAGE ALSO OCCURRED NORTH OF DUNKERTON WHERE THE TORNADO
  INCREASED TO ITS GREATEST PATH WIDTH. THIS STORM ALSO PRODUCED
  SUBSTANTIAL STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE ALONG THE SOUTHERN
  PERIPHERY OF THE STORM JUST SOUTH OF THE TORNADO TRACK.
  PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES THAT STRAIGHT LINE WINDS OF 90 TO 100 MPH
  OCCURRED WITH THIS STORM. AT 537 PM CDT THE WATERLOO AIRPORT
  RECORDED A 93 MPH WIND GUST. INITIAL SURVEY RESULTS SUGGEST THAT
  STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE WAS THE CAUSE OF THE SEVERE DAMAGE AT
  THE RECREATIONAL VEHICLE DEALERSHIP NORTH OF CEDAR FALLS.

  ADDITIONAL DETAIL WILL BE ADDED TO THIS REPORT ON TUESDAY ALONG
  WITH FINAL EF SCALE RATING RESULTS.

  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDING IMAGES WILL BE POSTED AT THE
  NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES WEBSITE LATER TODAY AT:

  WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/DMX


&&

FOR REFERENCE...THE FUJITA TORNADO SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO
THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

EF0...WIND SPEEDS 65 TO 85 MPH.
EF1...WIND SPEEDS 86 TO 110 MPH.
EF2...WIND SPEEDS 111 TO 135 MPH.
EF3...WIND SPEEDS 136 TO 165 MPH.
EF4...WIND SPEEDS 166 TO 200 MPH.
EF5...WIND SPEEDS GREATER THAN 200 MPH.

$$

DONAVON