Preliminary Storm Information for the Woodward Tornado, from the National Weather Service, Norman

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
441 PM CDT MON APR 16 2012…

…PRELIMINARY STORM INFORMATION FOR THE WOODWARD OKLAHOMA TORNADO…

BEGINNING TIME: ~1150 PM
ENDING TIME: ~1227 AM
BEGINNING LOCATION: 2 NE ARNETT (ELLIS COUNTY)
ENDING LOCATION: 4 NORTH OF WOODWARD (WOODWARD COUNTY)
FATALITIES: 6
INJURIES: 29
EF-SCALE RATING: EF-3 ( MAX WIND SPEED 136-165 MPH )

THE TORNADO DEVELOPED APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF ARNETT AND
MOVED NORTHEAST. SIX STRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED AS THE TORNADO MOVED
TOWARD THE WOODWARD COUNTY LINE. ONLY MINOR DAMAGE… DOWNED TREES
AND POWER POLES/LINES… WAS SEEN AS THE TORNADO MOVED OVER MAINLY
RURAL PORTIONS OF WOODWARD COUNTY. AT APPROXIMATELY 1212 AM… THE
TORNADO STRUCK TWO MOBILE HOMES 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WOODWARD. THE
DAMAGE HERE WAS DETERMINED TO BE EF-2 IN INTENSITY… WHICH ALSO
RESULTED IN 3 FATALITIES. THE HEAVIEST DAMAGE… RATED EF-3… WAS
REPORTED AS THE TORNADO ENTERED THE SOUTHWEST SIDES OF WOODWARD
AROUND 1218 AM. SEVERAL HOME AND BUSINESSES WERE HEAVILY DAMAGED AS
THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTHEAST. SEVERAL MORE MOBILE HOMES WERE
DESTROYED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF WOODWARD… WHICH RESULTED IN 3
ADDITIONAL FATALITIES. THE TORNADO FINALLY EXITED THE CITY OF
WOODWARD AT APPROXIMATELY 1223 AM… EVENTUALLY DISSIPATING
APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES NORTH OF WOODWARD AT 1227 AM.

THIS TORNADO INFORMATION SHOULD STILL BE CONSIDERED PRELIMINARY AS
WE CONTINUE TO LOOK OVER INFORMATION.

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