Tornado confirmed

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Weston County Homeland Security and the National Weather Service have confirmed that an F-2 tornado with considerable damage touched down and caused damage in Weston County on July 17 around 6:50 p.m.
“We got reports of a tornado off of Fowler Road near Four Corners,” said Gilbert Nelson, homeland security coordinator for Weston County. “We were sent videos and contacted the National Weather Service. Between the video and what was reported, we were able to confirm that a tornado did in fact touch down.” 
He said that after the report was received, a Weston County Sheriff’s Office deputy was dispatched to the scene to check for damage and take photos. 
After confirmation of the touchdown was made, an assessment of the scene and damage was scheduled for July 18 with the National Weather Service. Weston County Fire Warden Daniel Tysdal and landowner Ryan Lorenz, who with his wife, Jessie, originally reported the incident, assisted with the assessment of damage. 
“We found a lot of uprooted and snapped trees,” Nelson said. “We assessed 1.4 miles of path with more damage reported near Skull Creek Road the next day.” 
Nelson said that some of the trees with damage were “pretty big.” After surveying the damage, the National Weather Service released a report stating that the tornado was rated EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with estimated peak winds of 115 miles per hour and a maximum width of 100 yards. The tornado was estimated to be on the ground for roughly 13 minutes. 
“The survey conducted by the National Weather Service found tornado damage from 3 miles west of Four Corners, to 2 miles west of Four Corners. It snapped and uprooted numerous large pine trees, but caused no structural damage. The track will be adjusted as additional damage information is received,” the report states. 
The same storm system, according to both the National Weather Service and Nelson, produced tennis-ball-to-baseball-size hail around Gillette and in the northern Black Hills. High concentrations of cloud-to-ground lightning flashes were also seen during the storms. 
Nelson noted that large hail was reported near Skull Creek, as well landowners in the area reporting large amounts of hail damage to property. 
“These storms don’t seem to be too common but also seem to be becoming more common this year,” Nelson said. “We have had other reports of tornados in the area this year. I am not sure why, but it feels like it has been a weird year for weather.”
Nelson said that anyone experiencing damage from storms is encouraged to contact him at the Weston County Homeland Security office in the Weston County Courthouse. Damage from any significant storms or flooding should be reported. 
“If it is an emergency, please contact dispatch and not my office,” Nelson said, noting that dispatch can help during the situation and his office can assess damage and help with claims later.