PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 
1005 PM CDT SAT MAY 17 2003 

...PRELIMINARY SURVEY INFORMATION FOR SATURDAY'S STORMS IN           
   LAUDERDALE AND LIMESTONE COUNTY...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF STORM 
DAMAGE WHICH OCCURRED OVER LAUDERADALE AND LIMESTONE COUNTIES 
EARLIER TODAY (SATURDAY).  BASED ON THIS PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT...IT 
APPEARS TWO TORNADOES TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY AS A LINE OF SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORMS TRAVERSED THESE TWO COUNTIES.

THE FIRST TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN EXTREME SOUTHEAST LAUDERDALE 
COUNTY ALONG THE ELK RIVER...IN THE POPLAR SPRINGS BRANCH AREA.  THE 
TORNADO TRACKED NORTHEASTWARD INTO WESTERN LIMESTONE COUNTY... 
PRIMARILY AFFECTING THE ELK RIVER ESTATES AREA NEAR 
LENTZVILLE...BEFORE DISSIPATING.  THE TORNADO TRACK WAS 
APPROXIMATELY 9 MILES LONG...AND AVERAGED 400 YARDS IN WIDTH.  AT 
LEAST 18 HOMES WERE DAMAGED IN LAUDERDALE COUNTY...AND 85 HOMES AND 
BUILDINGS RECEIVED AT LEAST MINOR DAMAGE IN LIMESTONE COUNTY.  
SEVERAL HUNDRED TREES WERE DAMAGED ALONG THE TORNADO PATH AS WELL.  

BASED ON DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS BY THE NWS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT 
OFFICIALS...THIS TORNADO APPEARED TO REACH WEAK F1 INTENSITY ON 
THE FUJITA SCALE...PRIMARILY IN THE POPLAR SPRINGS AND ELK RIVER 
ESTATES AREAS.  WIND SPEEDS OF AROUND 90 MILES PER HOUR WERE 
ESTIMATED WITH THIS TORNADO.

THE SECOND TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY OVER EXTREME SOUTHWEST 
LIMESTONE COUNTY...NEAR THE BAY HILL MARINA NEAR THE ELK RIVER AND 
TENNESSEE RIVER CONFLUENCE.  THIS TORNADO HAD A PATH LENGTH OF 
APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF MILE...AND A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF 200 YARDS.  
DAMAGE AT THE MARINA PRIMARILY CONSISTED OF AN OVERTURNED BOAT 
DOCK...AND SOME STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE MARINA RESTAURANT CAUSED BY 
A FALLEN TREE.  TREES ALSO FELL ON AT LEAST ONE CAR AT THE 
MARINA...AS WELL AS SEVERAL ADJACENT RIVERFRONT HOMES.  THIS TORNADO 
APPEARED TO REACH F0 INTENSITY ON THE FUJITA SCALE...WITH MAXIMUM 
WIND SPEEDS OF 70 MILES PER HOUR.  

ADDITIONAL WIND DAMAGE...PRIMARILY IN THE FORM OF DOWNED 
TREES...OCCURRED ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTHERN LIMESTONE COUNTY DURING 
THIS EVENT...BUT WAS LIKELY PRODUCED BY STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.  

ASSESSMENT OF THIS EVENT WILL CONTINUE IN SUBSEQUENT DAYS...AND WILL 
BE RELEASED AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE.

JTB