West Virginia Weather: May 11th, 2024 (Preston County)

Rating: EF-1
Beginning Location: 65 miles ESE of Bethany, WV (39.721, -79.498)
End Location: 65 miles ESE of Bethany, WV (39.717, -79.494)
County: Preston
Start Time: 7:51 p.m.
End Time: 7:53 p.m.
Estimated Peak Wind: 90 mph
Path Length: 0.35 miles
Path Width Maximum: 200 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0
Property Damage: $300,000

Details from NWS Storm Survey: A warm front pushed a swath of light to moderate showers across the Upper Ohio Valley during the morning and midday hours of May 11th. Behind this boundary, the increase in low-level moisture and partial clearing helped instability to recover fairly rapidly, and allowed for an increase in shear as well. Discrete storms then fired ahead of an advancing cold front during the early afternoon, and then they advanced across southwest Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia through the remainder of the afternoon and early evening. In eastern Ohio, all storm reports were of hail between 0.75 and 1.25 inch diameter, and such reports were also received in West Virginia in a few cases. Storms closer to the PA/WV border were able to take advantage of sufficient low-level instability and surface vorticity to allow for the development of three tornadoes in Pennsylvania, one of which briefly crossed into Preston County, WV. A storm survey performed by the National Weather Service preliminarily confirmed an EF1 tornado, with maximum winds of 90 MPH, occurred in southeast Fayette County and northeast Preston County near Fike Run. After the tornado crossed into West Virginia, the worst damage was located just off of Mason Dixon drive. There were over 200 downed hardwood tress on both sides of the road along nearly the entire length. A roof was blown off a detached garage and a tree fell on a car crushing the roof. A trampoline was places thirty feet on top of a tree. The damage across state route 26 was consistent with straight line wind as the storm bowed out.

Radar Imagery

Base Reflectivity Near Time of Tornado