NOUS42 KRAH 141901
PNSRAH

NCZ024-150100-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
154 PM EST FRI JAN 14 2005

...STORM SURVEY CONFIRMS TORNADO IN ORANGE COUNTY...

A STORM SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHOWED THAT
A WEAK TORNADO...RATED F0 ON THE FUJITA SCALE...AFFECTED A SMALL AREA
NORTHEAST OF HILLSBOROUGH ALONG SAINT MARYS ROAD.  THE TORNADO HAD A
PATH LENGTH OF APPROXIMATELY A QUARTER MILE LONG AND AN ESTIMATED
WIDTH OF 50 YARDS. WINDS WITH THE TORNADO WERE LIKELY AROUND 70 MPH. 

PRIMARILY AFFECTED WERE TWO PROPERTIES ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF SAINT
MARYS ROAD.  MUCH OF THE DAMAGE WAS STRAIGHT LINE IN NATURE...
INCLUDING SEVERE WINDS THAT BLEW OPEN THE FRONT DOOR OF A HOME AND
THEN BLEW MUCH OF THE EAST WALL COMPLETELY OUT OF THE HOME.  ON AN
ADJACENT PROPERTY...A METAL SHED WAS DESTROYED WITH SOME OF THE
DEBRIS CARRIED INTO NEARBY TREES TO A HEIGHT OF OVER 20 FEET. 
HOWEVER...THERE WAS DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH ROTATION ALONG THE LINE OF
STORMS...INCLUDING TREE DAMAGE FACING DUE SOUTH...AND A SMALL
OUTBUILDING THAT WAS PUSHED A SHORT DISTANCE DUE SOUTH OFF OF ITS
FOUNDATION.

EYEWITNESS REPORTS INDICATED THE TORNADO OCCURRED AROUND 445 AM...AND
WHEN THE STORM STRUCK...THERE WERE SOUNDS LIKE A TRAIN.  SMALL HAIL
ALSO WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDED THE STORM.  THERE WERE
NO INJURIES.

$$

DJF