502
NOUS41 KRLX 270311
PNSRLX
OHZ076-WVZ010-011-019-020-040-271515-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
1111 PM EDT SUN JUL 26 2026
..NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR THE 07/21/26 TORNADO EVENT UPDATE #1
UPDATE
THIS UPDATE ADDS INFORMATION ON A TORNADO IN SOUTHEAST
RITCHIE COUNTY. IT ALSO UPDATES THE TRACK WIDTH AND ADDS DETAILS
TO THE TRACK FOR THE THE WASHINGTON COUNTY, OH - PLEASANTS COUNTY,
WV - TYLER COUNTY, WV - RITCHIE COUNTY, WV - DODDRIDGE COUNTY, WV
TORNADO, AND UPDATED THE TRACK WIDTH AND EXTENDS THE PATH LENGTH
OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, OH TO PLEASANTS COUNTY, WV TORNADO #2.
..SE RITCHIE COUNTY TORNADO
RATING: EF2
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 115 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 1.80 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 800 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 07/21/2026
START TIME: 01:38 PM EDT
START LOCATION: 7 N GRANTSVILLE / RITCHIE COUNTY / WV
START LAT/LON: 39.0261 / -81.0744
END DATE: 07/21/2026
END TIME: 01:43 PM EDT
END LOCATION: 8 N GRANTSVILLE / RITCHIE COUNTY / WV
END LAT/LON: 39.0319 / -81.0418
SURVEY SUMMARY:
THE TORNADO TRACKED DOWN A HILLSIDE, ACROSS LEATHERBARK RD AND
THEN UP THE ADJACENT HILLSIDE SNAPPING LARGE MATURE HARDWOOD
TREES AT THE CENTER OF A NEARLY HALF MILE WIDE PATH. A HOUSE NEAR
THE EDGE OF THE TRACK HAD SOME SHINGLE DAMAGE TO THE ROOF.
DUE TO THE REMOTE LOCATION AND LACK OF ACCESSIBILITY, THE TORNADO
BEGINNING POINT AND ENDING POINTS ARE ESTIMATED. THE TORNADO
BEGAN SOMEWHERE BETWEEN RT 16 AND LEATHERBARK RD. THE TORNADO
ENDED SOMEWHERE BETWEEN LOST RIDGE RD AND BEAN RIDGE RD.
THANKS TO THE LANDOWNER FOR ACCESS AND ASSISTANCE WITH THIS
SURVEY.
WASHINGTON COUNTY, OH TO PLEASANTS COUNTY, WV TORNADO #1
RATING: EF2
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 120 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 12.19 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 600 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 07/21/2026
START TIME: 04:15 PM EDT
START LOCATION: 3 NNE MARIETTA / WASHINGTON COUNTY / OH
START LAT/LON: 39.4566 / -81.4084
END DATE: 07/21/2026
END TIME: 04:30 PM EDT
END LOCATION: 2 SSW ST. MARYS / PLEASANTS COUNTY / WV
END LAT/LON: 39.3771 / -81.2115
SURVEY SUMMARY:
THE TORNADO BEGAN BETWEEN HARTLINE RD AND ZIMMER RD IN THE CAYWOOD
COMMUNITY, THEN TRACKED SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE HILLS COMMUNITY,
KNOCKING OVER A SILO AND DAMAGING SEVERAL HOMES. THE MOST INTENSE
DAMAGE AND EF2 RATING OCCURRED ALONG STATE ROUTE 26 NEAR THE
INTERSECTION WITH TOWNSHIP ROAD 635, WHERE A ROUGHLY 600 YARD LONG
BY 400 YARD WIDE PATCH OF PINE TREES WAS COMPLETELY MOWED DOWN
WITH EVERY TRUNK SNAPPED SEVERAL FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE
TORNADO WEAKENED WHILE STILL CAUSING SPORADIC TREE DAMAGE AS IT
CONTINUED TO THE SOUTHEAST, CROSSING THE OHIO RIVER ON THE WEST
SIDE AT NEWELL RUN AND ENTERING WEST VIRGINIA AT BELMONT DAMAGING
AND ROLLING SEVERAL CAMPER TRAILERS AT RIVERVIEW ESTATES. THE
TORNADO THEN CONTINUED SOUTHEAST UP A RIDGE THEN SKIPPED THROUGH
THE GREEN RUN NEIGHBORHOOD BEFORE DISSIPATING.
THANKS TO THE WASHINGTON COUNTY, OH SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, WHO PROVIDED EXCELLENT VIDEO OF THE
TRACK TAKEN BY THEIR DRONE. ALSO, THANKS TO TYLER COUNTY, WV
SEARCH AND RESCUE FOR ALSO PROVIDING DRONE IMAGERY AND AN AERIAL
SURVEY OF THE TRACK IN WEST VIRGINIA.
WASHINGTON COUNTY, OH TO PLEASANTS COUNTY, WV TORNADO #2
RATING: EF2
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 130 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 12.11 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 1000 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 07/21/2026
START TIME: 04:25 PM EDT
START LOCATION: 2 NNW BELMONT / WASHINGTON COUNTY / WV
START LAT/LON: 39.4088 / -81.266
END DATE: 07/21/2026
END TIME: 04:47 PM EDT
END LOCATION: 4 NNW ELLENBORO / PLEASANTS COUNTY / WV
END LAT/LON: 39.3276 / -81.0669
SURVEY SUMMARY:
THE TORNADO BEGAN BETWEEN NEWELLS RUN RD AND KERR RUN RD, WHERE
NUMEROUS TREES WERE UPROOTED AND SNAPPED BEFORE TRACKING
SOUTHEAST THROUGH NEWPORT, WHERE SOME MINOR DAMAGE OCCURRED TO
HOMES AND SOME SPORADIC TREE DAMAGE WAS NOTED. THE TORNADO THEN
STRENGTHENED AS IT CROSSED THE OHIO RIVER AND ENTERED THE WEST
VIRGINIA SIDE AT THE SAINT MARYS BRIDGE. A LARGE SIGN WAS LEFT
BARELY HANGING OFF THE SIDE OF THE BRIDGE STRUCTURE AND A LARGE
PATCH OF TREES AROUND THE BRIDGE SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. FROM
THERE, THE TORNADO TRACKED SOUTHEAST UP THE HILLSIDE REACHING
PEAK INTENSITY AND A HIGH END EF2 RATING NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF
GREENS RUN RD AND RT 16 WHERE SEVERAL HOMES SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT
DAMAGE, A ROUGHLY 600 YARD WIDE BY 300 YARD LONG PATCH OF
HARDWOOD TREES WAS LEVELED, AND A LARGE COMMUNICATIONS TOWER WAS
BUCKLED OVER. THE TORNADO PATH THEN BECAME INTERMITTENT AS IT
SKIPPED BASICALLY ALONG RT 16 TO THE CLOVERDALE COMMUNITY, THEN
ENDED JUST BEFORE THE RITCHIE COUNTY LINE EAST OF ROCK RUN RD.
THANKS TO THE WASHINGTON COUNTY, OH SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, WHO PROVIDED EXCELLENT VIDEO OF THE
TRACK TAKEN BY THEIR DRONE. ALSO, THANKS TO TYLER COUNTY, WV
SEARCH AND RESCUE FOR ALSO PROVIDING DRONE IMAGERY AND AN AERIAL
SURVEY OF THE TRACK IN WEST VIRGINIA.
.WASHINGTON COUNTY, OH - PLEASANTS COUNTY, WV - TYLER COUNTY, WV -
RITCHIE COUNTY, WV - DODDRIDGE COUNTY, WV TORNADO...
RATING: EF1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 110 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 24.19 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 1320 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 07/21/2026
START TIME: 04:31 PM EDT
START LOCATION: 4 N ST. MARYS / WASHINGTON COUNTY / WV
START LAT/LON: 39.4632 / -81.176
END DATE: 07/21/2026
END TIME: 04:59 PM EDT
END LOCATION: 3 SSW WEST UNION / DODDRIDGE COUNTY / WV
END LAT/LON: 39.2636 / -80.8145
SURVEY SUMMARY:
THE TORNADO BEGAN IN THE WAYNE NATIONAL FOREST NEAR ARCHERS FORK
RD, THEN TRACKED SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE LEITH COMMUNITY, CROSSING
THE OHIO RIVER AND ENTERING WEST VIRGINIA NEAR RAVEN ROCK. THE
TORNADO THEN TOOK A NON-CONTINUOUS PATH IN A SOUTHEASTERLY
DIRECTION THROUGH NORTHERN PLEASANTS COUNTY, SOUTHERN TYLER
COUNTY, NORTHERN RITCHIE COUNTY, BEFORE LIFTING FINALLY NEAR
ARNOLDS CREEK RD IN DODDRIDGE COUNTY.
IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THE TORNADO TRACK BECAME
INCREASINGLY WIDE, EXPANDING TO THREE-QUARTERS OF A MILE WIDE AT
THE PLEASANTS/TYLER LINE, ALONG RT 74 NEAR MOUNTAIN, WV, AND ALONG
LONG RUN RD IN DODDRIDGE COUNTY, BUT ONLY EF0 TO EF1 TREE DAMAGE
WAS FOUND IN THESE AREAS. HOWEVER, MOST OF THE TRACK WAS OVER A
VERY RURAL AREA WITH WIDE SPANS OF FOREST BETWEEN THE AVAILABLE
ROAD NETWORK SO IT IS LIKELY THAT HIGHER END DAMAGE WAS MISSED BY
THE GROUND SURVEY.
THANKS TO TYLER COUNTY, WV SEARCH AND RESCUE FOR PROVIDING AN
AERIAL SURVEY OF PARTS OF THE TRACK.
BARBOUR COUNTY, WV TORNADO
RATING: EF0
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 85 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 0.34 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 110 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 07/21/2026
START TIME: 05:38 PM EDT
START LOCATION: 3 N PHILIPPI / BARBOUR COUNTY / WV
START LAT/LON: 39.2001 / -80.0379
END DATE: 07/21/2026
END TIME: 05:39 PM EDT
END LOCATION: 3 N PHILIPPI / BARBOUR COUNTY / WV
END LAT/LON: 39.1965 / -80.0336
SURVEY SUMMARY:
AN EF0 TORNADO WITH MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WINDS OF UP TO 85 MPH BEGAN
AROUND 5:38 PM JUST SOUTH OF TAYLORS DRAIN ROAD ALONG A RAILROAD
TRACK. IT THEN TRAVELED SOUTHEAST ALONG THE RAILROAD TRACK BEFORE
LIFTING AT APPROXIMATELY 5:39 PM. THE LENGTH OF THE TRACK IS
ESTIMATED AT 0.35 MILES, BUT COULD BE LONGER GIVEN LIMITED ROAD
ACCESS IN THE AREA. MULTIPLE HARDWOOD TREES WERE EITHER UPROOTED
OR SNAPPED ALONG THE TRACK OF THE TORNADO. SOME OF THE HARDWOOD
TREES THAT WERE UPROOTED WERE IN EXCESS OF 18 INCHES IN
DIAMETER.BARBOUR COUNTY NOW HAS A TOTAL OF 5 TORNADOES DATING
BACK TO THE LATE 1800S. THE LAST TORNADO THAT OCCURRED IN BARBOUR
COUNTY WAS AN EF-1 ON JUNE 22, 2026 THAT TOUCHED DOWN JUST
NORTHEAST OF MOATSVILLE, OR APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST
OF THE TRACK OF THIS TORNADO.
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE BARBOUR COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT WITH THIS DAMAGE SURVEY.
HISTORICAL ASSESSMENT:
WASHINGTON COUNTY NOW HAS 16 DOCUMENTED TORNADOES. THE LAST
TORNADO TO OCCUR IN THE COUNTY WAS RATED EF0 ON 7/29/2021.
PLEASANTS COUNTY NOW HAS 5 DOCUMENTED TORNADOES. THE LAST TORNADO
TO OCCUR IN THE COUNTY WAS RATED EF1 ON 7/27/2014.
RITCHIE COUNTY NOW HAS 4 DOCUMENTED TORNADOES. THE LAST TORNADO
TO OCCUR IN THE COUNTY WAS RATED EF1 ON 7/27/2014.
TYLER COUNTY NOW HAS 3 DOCUMENTED TORNADOES. THE LAST TORNADO TO
OCCUR IN THE COUNTY WAS RATED EF1 ON 5/23/2000.
DODDRIDGE COUNTY NOW HAS 4 DOCUMENTED TORNADOES. THE LAST TORNADO
TO OCCUR IN THE COUNTY WAS RATED F1 ON 10/4/1986.
BARBOUR COUNTY NOW HAS 5 DOCUMENTED TORNADOES. THE LAST TORNADO
TO OCCUR IN THE COUNTY WAS RATED EF1 ON 6/22/2026. THAT TORNADO
OCCURRED JUST NORTHEAST OF MOATSVILLE, OR APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES
EAST-NORTHEAST OF THE TRACK OF THIS TORNADO.
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
NOTE:
THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENTS AND PUBLICATION IN
NWS STORM DATA.
GW/NW/ABE
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