EF0 tornado in Orange County, Virginia

The National Weather Service in Baltimore MD/Washington DC has

confirmed a tornado near Unionville in Orange County Virginia

on April 6, 2017.

The tornado caused extensive convergent tree damage intermittently

along its path, along with some minor structural damage. The first

instances of uprooted and snapped trees occurred near the

intersection of Everona Road and Deertrail Lane. The tornado

continued north-northeast, causing additional tree damage on

Signal Hill Lane.

The most extensive impacts occurred along US Route 522 near Ida Mae

Lane, where many of the trees in the concentrated path of the

tornado were either snapped or uprooted in differing directions. At

least two trees fell on structures. Metal roofing and siding were

removed from a business on the sides of the building opposing storm

motion. Some of this material was lofted and landed in a yard 0.4

miles away. The wall of an outbuilding was displaced several

inches off its foundation. Several homes received minor damage to

shingles, gutters, and siding. Two residents in this area witnessed

the tornado and observed debris being lofted and swirling in the

air. The survey concluded that this concentrated tornadic damage was

embedded within a larger area of very strong straight-line winds, as

numerous trees were downed in unidirectional fashion along a 0.7 mile

stretch of US 522.

The next observable damage occurred on Pine Stake Road near Clover

Hill Farm Lane. Trees were downed in a convergent pattern along a

narrow path, and a wooden fence sustained damage. The tornado lifted

after this point, as no further damage was observed to the north-

northeast.

The National Weather Service would like to thank the Orange County

Emergency Management Agency and the residents interviewed for their

assistance in this survey.

Cutoff low pressure was over the Ohio Valley. Another area of low pressure strengthened overhead on the occluded boundary. Warm and moist air from the south lead to an unstable atmosphere. Strong shear profiles were in place due to the cutoff low to the west. Strong lift associated with the developing low combined with strong shear and enough instability to produce severe thunderstorms and isolated tornadoes.