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Officials confirm tornado struck in Wood County last week

This photo provided by the National Weather Service shows a mobile home and barn flipped over by a tornado confirmed east of Parkersburg Thursday. (Photo Provided)

WOOD COUNTY — The National Weather Service in Charleston has confirmed a tornado touched down east of Parkersburg Thursday lasting three minutes between 8:19 and 8:21 p.m.

A release from the weather service said the tornado traveled 3.4 miles from North Hills to Belmont, had a maximum width of 250 yards and had a peak wind strength of 90 mph.

It said a survey team found initial concentrated tree damage north of Rising Sun Ridge Road where hardwood trees were uprooted with additional large branches down in a converging pattern caused by the brief EF1 tornado. According to the Enhanced Fujita Scale, an EF1 reaches wind speeds of 86 to 110 mph.

The release said damage then continued southeast to a small section of Jericho Road where a narrow swath of large mixed hardwood and softwood trees were observed either uprooted or snapped close to their bases. It said a mobile home and barn were also flipped over with one minor injury, as a person was inside the mobile home at the time it flipped over. It was reported there was a clear converging damage pattern noted here.

The release said tree damage continued southeast to the end of Whitlatch Lane where large mixed hardwood and softwood trees were uprooted or snapped in a converging pattern. It said the highest rated damage occurred at these locations and served as the basis for the EF1 rating.

The tornado then continued southeast to Ralston Hill Road and weakened, as only a few trees were uprooted or snapped with primarily large branches down, it said. The tornado lifted along the southern end of State Route 31, just north of St. Rt. 50 where a few trees were observed uprooted with large branches down along with an RV that was rolled over.

The National Weather Service said this information is preliminary and subject to change pending final review of the event.

Wood County 911 Director Mike Shook said they received around 14 calls with reports of multiple trees and one powerline being blown down with most of those coming from the St. Rt. 50 area.

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