The National Weather Service confirmed that an EF1 tornado passed through Longview, Washington State, Thursday afternoon, sending debris flying, downing power lines, uprooting trees and causing street closures.
The NWS Portland's survey team reported the damage was more than a mile long and 200 feet wide. Damage consisted of roof and automobile damage, downed or snapped trees and felled power poles. They estimated the tornado's winds to be between 86 and 110 mph.
KGW-TV reported that an active funnel cloud was spotted near the Cowlitz Way Bridge. Emergency officials alerted people in the Longview and Kelso areas of southwestern Washington.
According to Q13 Fox, the funnel cloud touched down around 1 p.m. PDT. KGW-TV reports that wind blew the roof off of Kessler Elementary School's gym and a nearby appliance store.
According to Dr. Greg Forbes, severe weather expert at The Weather Channel, three weak tornadoes have been reported in Cowlitz County since 1950, the most recent in 2004.
The last time the NWS Portland office issued a tornado warning was in 2010. Two weeks ago, the Seattle office issued its first tornado warning since 1997. There was no tornado warning issued for this event – a common occurrence for quick spin-ups in the Northwest, because the terrain can block the path of radar beams, keeping a twister from being detected.
Link: http://www.wunderground.com/news/longview-washington-tornado-20141024
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