Three tornadoes occurred on July 4th, 2016 in West Virginia: One originating from Lawrence County, Kentucky that weakened and continued into Wayne County, one in Lincoln County and another in Kanawha County.
Tornado #1: Wayne County, WV
- Rating: EF-0 (was an EF-2 in Louisa, KY before weakening)
- Location: Fort Gay, WV
- County: Wayne
- Start Time: 3:44 p.m.
- End Time: 3:49 p.m.
- Estimated Peak Wind: 120 mph in KY before weakening to 75 mph in WV
- Path Length: 2.5 miles
- Path Width Maximum: 70 yards
- Fatalities: 0
- Injuries: 5 (All in Louisa, KY)
Details from NWS storm survey: The National Weather Service in Charleston, WV has confirmed a tornado near Louisa in Lawrence County, Kentucky on July 4, 2016.
A warm front lifted north from southern West Birginia and northeast Kentucky during the morning hours, into central Ohio and northern West Virginia by early afternoon. By evening, the warm front was in eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. A round of showers from the predawn hours into the mid morning was associated with that warm front. Rain amounts were mostly around a half inch of rain, with a few heavier amounts in Logan County. In the warm and muggy air, and with an increasing wind flow aloft, a new quick round of thunderstorms moved through during the late afternoon, producing wind damage in southern West Virginia. A tornado occurred in Louisa, Kentucky and ended across the Tug Fork in West Virginia. The same parent storm caused a brief tornado in Lincoln County. Further north, a strong downburst occurred in southern Harrison County along the Lewis County border. More convection followed during the evening hours. Local downpours were common. The Louisa tornado crossed the Tug Fork and dissipated on the hillside east of the railroad tracks. Large branches were snapped. Maximum wind speed was around 75 mph in West Virginia.
The National Weather Service survey team found extensive damage at the Louisa Wal-Mart and Brown Food Service warehouse. Cars and shipping containers were overturned and moved up to 30 yards in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Structural damage to both Wal-Mart and the Brown Food Service warehouse occurred. Numerous trees were snapped and uprooted along the path of the tornado. The tornado crossed into Fort Gay, in Wayne County, WV causing relatively minor tree damage along Broadway Street. The tornado was on the ground for an estimated 5 minutes.
All of the injuries occurred at the Wal-Mart location in Louisa, and are all considered minor.
Tornado #2: Yawkey, WV
- Rating: EF-0
- Location: Yawkey, WV
- County: Lincoln
- Start Time: 4:42 p.m.
- Estimated Peak Wind: 85 mph
- Path Length: 0.2 miles
- Path Width Maximum: 50 yards
- Fatalities: 0
- Injuries: 0
Details from NWS storm survey: The National Weather Service in Charleston, WV has confirmed a tornado near Yawkey in Lincoln County, West Virginia on July 4, 2016.
The National Weather Service survey team found damage consistent with an EF-0 tornado in the town of Yawkey, WV in Lincoln County. Maximum estimated winds were determined to be 80 to 85 mph. Five homes received minor damage, including lost shingles and flashing. There were also several trees that were topped and a couple smaller trees with snapped trunks. One large oak tree was uprooted. A small church steeple fell down. All of this damage occurred near the intersection of Routes 3 and 214 and along Detour Road.
Tornado #3: Loudendale, WV
- Rating: EF-0
- Location: Loudendale, WV
- County: Kanawha
- Start Time: 5:06 p.m. (38.291, -81.642)
- End Time: 5:10 p.m. (38.303, -81.611)
- Estimated Peak Wind: 70 mph
- Path Length: 2.25 miles
- Path Width Maximum: 100 yards
- Fatalities: 0
- Injuries: 0
Details from NWS storm survey: The National Weather Service in Charleston, WV has confirmed a tornado near Loudendale in Kanawha County, West Virginia on July 04, 2016.
Sporadic tree damage was found along a path starting Kanawha State Forest Drive, Cane Fork Road and South Park Road. There were several trees uprooted and snapped at the trunk. Additional tree debris was scattered along this path consistent with the location of a Tornadic Debris Signature observed on KRLX RADAR.
Photos of Damage
All photos from this storm event are provided by the National Weather Service in Charleston, WV and are from just across the Wayne County border in Louisa, KY.
Shipping container flipped and thrown in Walmart parking lot.
Light poles snapped in Walmart parking lot.
Flipped vehicles and damaged trees in the Walmart parking lot.
Damage to the Brown Food Service Warehouse to the east of Walmart.
Radar Imagery
4 Panel Loop of All Three Tornadoes within Storm Complex
Tornado #1: Wayne County (Originating Out of Lawrence County, KY)
Base Reflectivity
Base Velocity
Normalized Rotation
Correlation Coefficient
4-Panel of Tornado in Wayne County (Base Reflectivity, Base Velocity, NROT, & CC)
Tornado #2: Yawkey, WV
Base Reflectivity
Base Velocity
Normalized Rotation
4-Panel of Tornado in Yawkey (Base Reflectivity, Base Velocity, NROT, & CC)
Tornado #3: Kanawha County
*Note: Due to how close this tornado was to the Charleston radar, it is hard to see what's going with this particular cell. Normalized Rotation shown below was advanced a few minutes to "see" the rotation emerge as the storm moves farther away from the radar
Base Reflectivity
Base Velocity
Normalized Rotation
Correlation Coefficient
4-Panel of Tornado in Kanawha County (Base Reflectivity, Base Velocity, NROT, & CC)
