Tornado packing winds up to 90 mph briefly touches down near Neilton Saturday

October 12, 2020 1:30 am
COURTESY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE Downed trees after a tornado packing peak winds of 90 mph touched down about five miles southwest of Neilton Saturday morning.
COURTESY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE Downed trees after a tornado packing peak winds of 90 mph touched down about five miles southwest of Neilton Saturday morning.

A tornado packing peak winds of 90 mph briefly touched down about five miles southwest of Neilton, which is near Lake Quinault, early Saturday morning, bringing down trees but not causing any further damage or injuries.

The National Weather Service in Seattle got a radar indication of “rotation capable of producing a tornado” in the area about 4:40 a.m. Saturday. A Weather Service update Monday said, “In addition, a single radar scan indicated the potential for lofted debris.” A tornado warning was issued for 4:40 a.m. to 5 a.m.

“A Quinault Indian Nation fire official reported that at approximately 5:20 a.m. he came upon 10 downed trees (1.25 feet in diameter) across Moclips Highway (State Route 26) at approximately mile marker 18,” read the Weather Service statement. Additional reports and imagery from a “trained spotter” identified additional damage about a half mile northeast on a Forest Service road.

“An evaluation of the photographic evidence from local officials and the trained spotter combined with radar signatures from the event are consistent with a brief tornado,” said the Weather Service. “Based on the location and path length the tornado most likely touched down at 4:40 a.m. and lasted for less than two minutes, traveling .5 miles with a maximum width of 30 yards.”

The Weather Service said the tree damage is consistent with peak winds of about 90 mph, which rates the tornado an EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale — the scale used to estimate tornado wind speeds. A rating of EF-0 to EF-1 is the lowest level of six on the rating scale, with winds of 65-110 mph.

COURTESY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE An aerial view of tree damage along the Moclips Highway from a tornado that touched down early Saturday morning.

COURTESY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE An aerial view of tree damage along the Moclips Highway from a tornado that touched down early Saturday morning.

COURTESY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE Downed trees after a tornado packing peak winds of 90 mph touched down about five miles southwest of Neilton Saturday morning.

COURTESY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE Downed trees after a tornado packing peak winds of 90 mph touched down about five miles southwest of Neilton Saturday morning.

COURTESY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE A map of the tornado that touched down on the Moclips Highway early Saturday morning with details on the event.

COURTESY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE A map of the tornado that touched down on the Moclips Highway early Saturday morning with details on the event.