2018 Port Orchard tornado

The 2018 Port Orchard tornado was a rare strong tornado that struck the city of Port Orchard, Washington on December 18, 2018.[1] The National Weather Service office in Seattle rated the tornado as an EF2 following an on-site survey of the storm damage the day after the event.[5] There were no fatalities or major injuries reported.[2][4] This was the first tornado to have touched down in Western Washington since an EF0 tornado in 2017 near Monroe.[6] Damage was most pronounced near the South Kitsap Regional Park.[1]

2018 Port Orchard tornado
EF2 tornado
EF-2 damage to a dry storage facility in Port Orchard, Washington following the tornado.
FormedDecember 18, 2018, 2 p.m. PST (UTC−08:00)
Kitsap County, Washington[1]
Max. rating1EF2 tornado
Highest winds
  • 120–130 miles per hour (190–210 km/h)[2]
Damage$1.81 million (2018 USD)[3]
Casualties0 fatalities,
0 injuries[4]
Areas affectedKitsap County, Washington
1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale

The tornado was the largest recorded in Kitsap County, and the 12th recorded F2/EF2 tornado to touch down in Washington since 1950. Washington state averages 2.5 tornadoes annually, but only 0.1 tornadoes in the month of December; the majority of these are rated EF0.[1][7]

Meteorological Synopsis

The tornado was part of an atmospheric river event pointed straight at the Pacific Northwest causing $18 billion (2018 USD) of damage between December 10 and December 25. This system caused flooding, severe erosion, and widespread power outages. Washington Governor Jay Inslee sought funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for damages caused during the prolonged stormy period, including for the Port Orchard tornado.[3]

There was not a tornado warning issued for the storm that produced the tornado.[8] The Storm Prediction Center placed the Kitsap Peninsula and nearby Olympic Peninsula under a risk for general thunderstorms for the day, but did not note a chance of severe thunderstorms for the region.[9]

The storm was a product of the Olympic Mountain velocity shear zone, a meteorological phenomenon that occurs when an incoming onshore flow in usually in the wake of a cold front from the Pacific Ocean is forced around the Olympic Mountains and adds the needed low-level wind shear that can enhance rotating storms moving through the area. Velocity scans show that this storm had mesoscale rotation to about 10,000 and rotation could be seen by the Langley Radar on Camano Island Doppler weather radar imagery.[8]

Damage and Response

Most of the damage from the tornado occurred near Salmonberry and Bethel Roads to the north of SR 160. There were approximately 250 homes damaged during the storm, including a few that had their roofs partially or completely ripped off. This number was lowered from earlier estimates of around 450 structures. Many large trees were snapped and uprooted, and several homes were also severely damaged when trees fell into them. Some of the most intense damage was inflicted to a dry storage facility, which sustained roof loss and collapse of numerous walls. A strip mall sustained considerable damage as well.[2] About twenty homes were initially evacuated because of fears of a gas leak.[1]

Several roads were closed after the event, both because of debris on the roads and to limit access to damaged neighborhoods.[10] Shelters were also opened to help victims affected by the storm.[11]

See also

References
  1. Clarridge, Christine (2018-12-18). "Tornado touches down near Port Orchard, rips roofs off homes". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  2. Sundell, Allison; Bernhard, Jimmy; Robertson, Kipp (2018-12-19). "Around 250 homes damaged during tornado in Kitsap County". KING 5. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  3. "Gov. Inslee asks FEMA for Major Disaster Declaration for December storms". Washington Emergency Management Division. Washington Military Department. 2019-02-21. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  4. Breslin, Sean (2018-12-18). "Port Orchard, Washington, Homes Damaged by EF2 Tornado". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  5. "SPC Storm Reports for 12/18/18". Storm Prediction Center. 2018-12-18. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  6. "Strength of Port Orchard tornado confirmed an EF2". KIRO 7. 2018-12-19. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  7. "NWS Seattle on Twitter". National Weather Service office in Seattle, Washington. Twitter. 2018-12-18. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  8. "How did a tornado form in Kitsap County?". KING 5. 2018-12-19. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  9. "Dec 18, 2018 2000 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. 2018-12-18. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  10. "What you need to know about the tornado in Port Orchard". Kitsap Sun. 2018-02-18. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  11. Russell, Angela (2018-12-19). "How to help after Port Orchard tornado". KING 5. Retrieved 2019-03-05.

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