ABUS34 KFSD 260125
PNSFSD

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
726 PM CDT WED JUN 25 2003

....MANCHESTER TORNADO RATED F4....

THE LARGE TORNADO THAT DESTROYED THE COMMUNITY OF MANCHESTER IN 
KINGSBURY COUNTY SOUTH DAKOTA IS OFFICIALLY CLASSIFIED AS AN F4 
TORNADO BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.  

THIS TORNADO...FIRST TOUCHING DOWN IN NORTHEAST SANBORN 
COUNTY...MOVED THROUGH MANCHESTER AT APPROXIMATELY 745 PM TUESDAY 
EVENING JUNE 24 2003.  AS THE TORNADO MOVED THROUGH MANCHESTER IT 
WAS ABOUT A 1/2 MILE WIDE.  THE F4 DAMAGE EXTENDED 1 1/2 MILES SOUTH 
OF MANCHESTER...THROUGH THE SMALL COMMUNITY...TO 2 1/4 MILES NORTH 
OF MANCHESTER.  THE TOTAL TORNADO PATH WILL BE DETERMINED BY AN 
AERIAL SURVEY PLANNED FOR THURSDAY...BUT IT IS ESTIMATED TO BE 
AROUND 25 MILES LONG.  F4 TORNADO WINDS RANGE FROM 207 MPH TO 260 
MPH ON THE FUJITA SCALE.

NWS SIOUX FALLS RECEIVED REPORTS OF 40 TO 60 TORNADOES ACROSS 
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA IN AN 8 HOUR PERIOD TUESDAY EVENING.  MOST OF 
THESE STORMS ARE YET TO BE SURVEYED...BUT OTHER STORMS CLASSIFIED 
TODAY INCLUDE:

F3 TORNADO (158-206 MPH) 1 MILE WEST OF WOONSOCKET...IN SANBORN 
COUNTY...AT APPROXIMATELY 630 PM.

F3 TORNADO (158-206 MPH) 1 1/2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CAVOUR...BEADLE 
COUNTY...AROUND 930 PM.

A CLUSTER OF F1 (73-112 MPH) AND F2 (113-157 MPH) TORNADOES IN THE 
VICINITY OF MT VERNON AND MITCHELL IN DAVISON COUNTY...BETWEEN    
530 PM AND 6 PM.

F1 (AROUND 100 MPH) TORNADO IN THE HARTFORD HEIGHTS AREAS WEST OF 
SIOUX FALLS...AROUND 1005 PM.

ADDITIONAL FIELD SURVEYS WILL BE CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER 
SERVICE IN THE DAYS AHEAD.

GREG HARMON
METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE

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