EF2 Tornado Confirmed In New Hampshire

Public Information Statement National Weather Service Gray Me 600 pm EDT Sat Jul 26 2008 ...EF2 tornado confirmed in New Hampshire... After surveying damage from Thursday's (July 24 2008) storms in New Hampshire, the National Weather Service has determined that damage throughout a large area was caused by a tornado. Tornado damage was observed in 11 New Hampshire communities including (in order of the tornado path) the towns of Deerfield, Epsom and Northwood, Pittsfield, Barnstead, Alton, New Durham, Wolfeboro, Ossipee, Effingham, and Freedom. The tornado cut a discontinuous path of damage of about 40 miles in length with a maximum observed width of about 1/3 of a mile. Based on the storm forward speed during the event, it is estimated that the time between the initial touchdown and final lift off was slightly under an hour. More precise measurements will be determined over the next several weeks based on aerial survey images and radar data. Many thousands of trees were downed by the tornado. Numerous houses and other structures were damaged by falling trees. One fatality occurred in the town of Deerfield in a house collapse. Based on observed damage, the following ratings (based on the Enhanced Fujita Scale) have been assigned for each town. Deerfield - EF2 Epsom - EF2 Northwood - EF1 Pittsfield - EF2 Barnstead - EF2 Alton - EF1 New Durham - EF1 Wolfeboro - EF2 Ossipee - EF2 Effingham - EF1 Freedom - EF1 EF1 ratings indicate winds in the 86 to 110 mph range. EF2 ratings indicate winds in the 111 to 135 mph range. Most of the damage observed in towns with EF2 ratings indicated winds in the lower end of the EF2 range. For more information on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, please visit: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/efscale New Hampshire averages about two tornadoes a year. This is the first confirmed tornado in New Hampshire for 2008.