252
NOUS41 KLWX 242021 CCA
PNSLWX
DCZ001-MDZ003>006-008-011-013-014-016>018-501>510-VAZ025>031-
036>040-050-051-053>057-501>508-526-527-WVZ050>053-055-501>506-
250745-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
421 PM EDT FRI JUL 24 2026
..NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 07/21/26 TORNADO EVENT
OVERVIEW
A COMPLEX OF SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED OVER
THE UPPER OHIO RIVER VALLEY DURING THE AFTERNOON OF TUESDAY, JULY
21ST, 2026. THESE THUNDERSTORMS TRACKED EAST OVER THE APPALACHIAN
MOUNTAINS AND PRODUCED FOUR TORNADOES OVER THE MOUNTAINOUS
REGION OF EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA INTO NORTHWESTERN VIRGINIA.
TWO TORNADOES TOUCHED DOWN IN PENDLETON COUNTY, WEST
VIRGINIA, THE FIRST OBSERVED TORNADOES IN THE COUNTY SINCE 1998
AND ONLY THE THIRD AND FOURTH TORNADOES ON RECORD SINCE 1950.
CORRECTION FOR END POINT LATITUDE FOR TORNADO #2.
TORNADO #1: HIGH VIEW WV TO WILDE ACRES VA TORNADO
RATING: EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 110 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 3.5 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 225 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: JUL 21, 2026
START TIME: 6:20 PM EDT
START LOCATION: HIGH VIEW, HAMPSHIRE COUNTY, WV
START LAT/LON: 39.1756 / -78.4399
END DATE: JUL 21, 2026
END TIME: 6:30 PM EDT
END LOCATION: WILDE ACRES, FREDERICK COUNTY, VA
END LAT/LON: 39.1600 / -78.3820
SURVEY SUMMARY:
A TORNADO DESCENDED ON THE 5100 BLOCK OF BACK CREEK ROAD. HERE
THERE WAS ROOF AND SIDING DAMAGE TO THE HOUSE AND OUTBUILDINGS. ON
THIS FARM PROPERTY AND TO THE EAST THROUGH UNPOPULATED FOREST,
THOUSANDS OF TREES WERE DOWNED (80 TO 90 PERCENT AT ONE POINT JUST
EAST OF PROPERTY), MANY OF WHICH WERE HARDWOODS 1-2 FEET THICK
SNAPPED AT THE TRUNK.
ONCE THE TORNADO CROSSED THE RIDGE INTO VIRGINIA, NOTABLE TREE
DAMAGE OCCURRED ACROSS THE NORTHERNMOST PART OF WILDE ACRES, VA.
DAMAGE WAS FIRST VISIBLE ON OTTER TRAIL AND EXTENDED SOUTHEAST
WITH DAMAGE VISIBLE ON EACH STREET UNTIL STOPPING NEAR FAWN DRIVE.
WHILE TREE DAMAGE WAS VISIBLE THROUGHOUT THIS PATH, THE GREATEST
CONCENTRATION OF DAMAGE WAS ON CARDINAL DRIVE. TREES WERE OBSERVED
UPROOTED, SNAPPED, OR SHEARED OFF AT THE TOP. CONSIDERABLE LEAF
AND SMALL BRANCH DEBRIS WAS OBSERVED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PATH.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE THANKS BOTH HAMPSHIRE COUNTY WV
OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND FREDERICK COUNTY VA EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT DIVISION FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE WITH THIS SURVEY.
TORNADO #2: SENECA ROCKS WV TORNADO
RATING: EF-0
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 80 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 0.2 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 75 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: JUL 21, 2026
START TIME: 7:04 PM EDT
START LOCATION: 2 S SENECA ROCKS, PENDLETON COUNTY, WV
START LAT/LON: 38.7991 / -79.3677
END DATE: JUL 21, 2026
END TIME: 7:06 PM EDT
END LOCATION: 2 S SENECA ROCKS, PENDLETON COUNTY, WV
END LAT/LON: 38.7993 / -79.3641
SURVEY SUMMARY:
A TORNADO BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN NEAR SENECA ROCKS JUST AFTER 7 PM.
DAMAGE WAS LIMITED ALMOST ENTIRELY TO TREES. ABOUT 30 TO 50
PERCENT OF TREES WERE DAMAGED ON PROPERTY IN THE 400 BLOCK OF
THUNDER ROAD, WITH TREES MOSTLY UPROOTED IN A CONVERGENT PATTERN.
THE TORNADO TRACKED EAST-NORTHEAST. NONE OF THE FARM BUILDINGS
SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE, NOR DID THE HOUSE ON THE PROPERTY.
THE TORNADO CROSSED THE ROAD AND TRACKED UP A HILLSIDE ACROSS THE
STREET WITH CONTINUED TREE DAMAGE BEFORE DISSIPATING AFTER ABOUT
TWO MINUTES.
TORNADO #3: KISER GAP WV TO CRIDERS VA TORNADO
RATING: EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 100 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 10.5 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 150 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: JUL 21, 2026
START TIME: 7:25 PM EDT
START LOCATION: KISER GAP, PENDLETON COUNTY, WV
START LAT/LON: 38.6882 / -79.2466
END DATE: JUL 21, 2026
END TIME: 7:45 PM EDT
END LOCATION: 3 SW CRIDERS, ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, VA
END LAT/LON: 38.7282 / -79.0597
SURVEY SUMMARY:
SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS LARGE TREES UPROOTED AND SNAPPED ALONG THE
PATH THAT STARTED ALONG KISER GAP ROAD A HALF MILE NORTH OF THE
INTERSECTION WITH US ROUTE 33. THE TORNADO TRACKED EAST-
NORTHEAST. WHERE IT CROSSED THE 1600 BLOCK OF TROUBLESOME VALLEY
ROAD IT SNAPPED A TREE DOWN OVER THE ROAD ON A VEHICLE. THE DRIVER
WAS EXTRACTED UNINJURED.
SUBSTANTIAL TREE DAMAGE CONTINUED OVER THE 1000 TO 2300 BLOCKS OF
CORNER ROAD, AND 6500 TO 7000 BLOCKS OF SWEEDLIN VALLEY ROAD AND
THE 300 BLOCK OF REDBUD HILL LANE. THE TORNADO THEN TRACKED
THROUGH AN UNPOPULATED, WOODED AREA ACROSS THE RIDGE/STATE LINE. IT
REACHED THE 24300 BLOCK OF GOCHENOUR LANE 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
CRIDERS. THE DAMAGE CONTINUED UP GOBBLE MOUNTAIN BEFORE LIFTING.
IN SUMMARY, THOUSANDS OF TREES WERE DOWNED ALONG THIS RURAL 10.5
MILE PATH. IN PEAK INTENSITY AREAS, MOST OF THE TREES IN THE PATH
WERE UPROOTED OR SNAPPED. STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS MAINLY FROM TREE
FALLS, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS SOME WIND DAMAGE TO SIDING AND
OUTBUILDINGS NOTED.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE THANKS THE PENDLETON COUNTY OFFICE OF
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR THEIR INVALUABLE ASSISTANCE TO THIS
SURVEY.
TORNADO #4: TIMBERVILLE TO NEW MARKET VA TORNADO
RATING: EF-0
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 85 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 4.8 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 100 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: JUL 21, 2026
START TIME: 8:10 PM EDT
START LOCATION: 3.1 N TIMBERVILLE, ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, VA
START LAT/LON: 38.6842 / -78.7826
END DATE: JUL 21, 2026
END TIME: 8:18 PM EDT
END LOCATION: 1.9 NW NEW MARKET, SHENANDOAH COUNTY, VA
END LAT/LON: 38.6659 / -78.6992
SURVEY SUMMARY:
A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ON A FARM IN THE 19300 BLOCK OF
MECHANICSVILLE ROAD. NUMEROUS TREES ON THIS PROPERTY HAD THEIR
TOPS SNAPPED OFF, WITH FARM EQUIPMENT (TRAILERS AND CARTS) TOSSED
ABOUT. IN THE WOODS SURROUNDING THE PROPERTY, A PATH OF TREES WERE
SNAPPED AND UPROOTED IN A CONVERGENT PATTERN. ABOUT 50 TO 60
PERCENT OF THE TREES IN THE PATH WERE BLOWN OVER. THE TORNADO
TRACKED THROUGH UNPOPULATED WOODS AND FIELDS FOR ABOUT A MILE
BEFORE REACHING ANOTHER FARM IN THE 19600 BLOCK OF COLD SPRING
ROAD. HERE, ADDITIONAL TREES WERE UPROOTED OR SNAPPED AT THE TOP.
THE TORNADO CONTINUED EAST AND CROSSED THE 800 AND 900 BLOCKS OF
RIDGE ROAD WHERE APPROXIMATELY 50 TREES WERE DOWNED, ONE ON A
CHICKEN COOP STRUCTURE. FURTHER TREE DAMAGE OCCURRED ALONG THE
1900 AND 2000 BLOCKS OF NEW MARKET DEPOT ROAD WHERE SEVERAL TREES
WERE UPROOTED AND SNAPPED, WITH NUMEROUS LARGE BRANCHES SNAPPED
DOWN. THE FINAL NOTED DAMAGE WAS TO THE 500 BLOCK OF HAYNESWOOD
LANE WHERE ONE LARGE TREE WAS UPROOTED AND SEVERAL LARGE BRANCHES
WERE SNAPPED.
THE NWS THANKS LOCAL BROADCAST MEDIA FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE IN
COLLECTING DAMAGE REPORTS.
EF SCALE: THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO THE
FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:
EF0.........65 TO 85 MPH
EF1.........86 TO 110 MPH
EF2.........111 TO 135 MPH
EF3.........136 TO 165 MPH
EF4.........166 TO 200 MPH
EF5.........>200 MPH
DHOF/STRONG
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page