...SURVEY OF TORNADO THAT STRUCK BENTON AND HOUSTON COUNTIES IN
NORTHWEST MIDDLE TENNESSEE...


OFFICIALS OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONDUCTED A GROUND SURVEY
OF A TORNADO THAT OCCURRED IN BENTON AND HOUSTON COUNTIES DURING THE
EVENING OF FEBRUARY 5TH, 2008.

BASED ON THE OBSERVED DAMAGE, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS
DETERMINED THAT THE TORNADO WAS RATED ON THE HIGH END OF AN EF-1 ON
THE ENHANCED FUJITA INTENSITY SCALE, HAVING WINDS NEAR 110 MPH. THE
ENHANCED FUJITA INTENSITY SCALE RANGES FROM EF-0, WITH WINDS AS LOW
AS 65 MPH TO EF-5, WITH WINDS OVER 200 MPH.

THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ALONG DANVILLE ROAD ABOUT 4.3 MILES EAST
NORTHEAST OF BIG SANDY IN THE NORTHERN PART OF BENTON COUNTY. THE
TORNADO WAS ABOUT 50 YARDS WIDE WHERE IT FIRST TOUCHED DOWN.

THE TORNADO THEN INCREASED TO ONE QUARTER MILE WIDE AS IT MOVED
RAPIDLY NORTHEAST ALONG OR CLOSE TO DANVILLE ROAD, DAMAGING HOMES
AND SNAPPING AND UPROOTING MANY TREES.

IT THEN CROSSED THE TENNESSEE RIVER AND INTO WESTERN HOUSTON COUNTY
ALONG COUNTY HIGHWAY 147, WHERE IT DAMAGED HOMES AND UPROOTED AND
SNAPPED MORE TREES. THE TORNADO THEN LIFTED ABOUT ONE HALF MILE WEST
NORTHWEST OF MCKINNON.

THE TORNADO TRAVELLED 4.6 MILES IN BENTON COUNTY AND 2.6 MILES IN
HOUSTON COUNTY, FOR A TOTAL PATH LENGTH OF 7.2 MILES.

THE SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM THAT GENERATED THE TORNADO CONTINUED
MOVING RAPIDLY NORTHEAST AND INTO MONTGOMERY COUNTY. DAMAGE CAUSED
FROM STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS ESTIMATED AT 80 TO 100 MPH, OCCURRED FOR
NEARLY A MILE ALONG INDIAN MOUND ROAD, AND AT A FEW LOCATIONS NEARBY
ALONG U.S. HIGHWAY 79 BETWEEN OAKWOOD AND WOODLAWN.

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STEIGERWALDT