High-end EF2 tornado traveled through varied terrain to damage dozens of homes in West Virginia

FAIRHAVEN, W.Va. — The National Weather Service has confirmed a high-end EF2 tornado hit parts of Jefferson County, Ohio, and Hancock County, West Virginia, only miles away from Beaver County. The tornado had maximum winds of 130 miles per hour.

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It touched down shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday and quickly swept through the Chester, West Virginia area along Veterans Boulevard.

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Approximately two dozen homes were damaged and at least three were destroyed, along with at least a couple of barns. One minor injury was reported.

This was the first confirmed tornado in Hancock County since at least 1950, and the first EF2 tornado in the NWS Pittsburgh area in almost two years.

The tornado went through all kinds of terrain, following a valley along Veterans Boulevard before slicing over a hill near Orchard Road and causing another swath of significant damage.

National Weather Service storm survey teams work like detectives, recreating the path of the storm, then look at the pattern of the damage to determine what caused it.

Using Doppler radar images and eyewitness reports, NWS crews decide whether the damage path is similar to a microburst or a tornado. The key for the team is the pattern of the damage, which would show more of a flattened appearance with straight-line winds, or whether the damage is more chaotic and spread out indicating a tornado. If a tornado is confirmed, survey teams then move to estimate the strength and wind speed of the storm and categorize it according to the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

It’s a good reminder to be prepared for severe weather at any time, even late, and no matter what kind of topography surrounds you.

In addition to having the Severe Weather Team 11 app, make sure you have wireless emergency alerts enabled on your phone and keep your phone OFF do-not-disturb in the event of overnight severe weather.

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