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F0 tornado in Owyhee County, Idaho

Tornado April 23, 1998 · Owyhee County, Idaho

F0
Rating
0.5 mi
Path length
50 yd
Path width
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

NOAA recorded where this tornado touched down but not where it lifted, so it appears as a point. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F0 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F0 meant light damage: shingles and siding peeled, gutters torn, branches broken; the scale paired it with winds of 40–72 mph, figures later judged too high, especially toward the top of the scale, and revised downward in the Enhanced Fujita scale. Ratings then, as now, came from the damage.

The wider storm

A long lived severe thunderstorm crossed into Idaho from south east Oregon and cut a path of damage from Owyhee County, through the Boise metropolitan area and into the Boise Mountains. In Owyhee County the storm produced winds which knocked down power poles. As the storm crossed into Ada County numerous reports of large hail up to golf ball size were received along with damaging winds up to 59 mph. Many trees were blown down and a greenhouse sustained heavy damage from large hail. In Canyon County and Gem County golf ball hail was reported. As the storm moved into Boise County golf ball size hail was reported by spotters in Horseshoe Bend and winds damaged a mobile home. Wind blown debris smashed a car window. A wind gust of 74 mph was reported south of Idaho City. In Elmore County, outflow winds from the thunderstorm gusted to 74 mph at Mountain Home Air Force Base. The winds damaged roofs and irrigation equipment in and around Mountain Home. In Owyhee County the gust front spawned a short lived, weak tornado which did no damage.

Began near Bruneau (42.9200, -115.8300).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5636883. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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