454
NOUS43 KIWX 122323
PNSFWA

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
620 PM EST TUE NOV 12 2002

...VAN WERT TORNADO DETERMINED TO BE A VIOLENT F4 TORNADO...

A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT EXPERT TEAM HAS 
DETERMINED THAT THE TORNADO WHICH STRUCK VAN WERT OHIO WAS A VIOLENT 
F4 TORNADO.  THE F4 DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED FROM JUST SOUTHWEST OF VAN 
WERT TO JUST NORTH OF THE CITY.  THE WORST DAMAGE WAS AT THE TWIN 
CINEMA TO NORTH OF ROUTE 30.  THE TORNADO WAS A QUARTER TO ONE-HALF 
MILE WIDE AT THIS POINT...AND POSSIBLY HAD MULTIPLE VORTICES.  F4 
TORNADOES HAVE WIND SPEEDS BETWEEN 207-260 MPH.

...PAULDING AND PUTNAM COUNTY TORNADO UPGRADED TO AN F3...

...WEAK F0 TORNADO TRACK IN WELLS COUNTY...

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS THE LATEST INFORMATION FROM GROUND AND 
AERIAL SURVEYS DONE BY METEOROLOGISTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER 
SERVICE ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON'S TORNADOES IN NORTHEAST INDIANA AND 
NORTHWEST OHIO. 

AN F1 TORNADO (WINDS 73-112 MPH) WITH A 5 MILE PATH LENGTH STRUCK 
HARTFORD CITY IN BLACKFORD COUNTY INDIANA. 

AN F3 TORNADO (WINDS 158-206 MPH) DEVELOPED 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF 
BERNE IN ADAMS COUNTY INDIANA.  IT HAD A 5 MILE PATH LENGTH...ENDING 
NEAR THE INDIANA OHIO BORDER. 

A TORNADO OF STRENGTH F4 (WINDS 207-260 MPH) STRUCK VAN WERT OHIO. 
THE TORNADO FIRST TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF WHITE AND 
SCHUMM ROADS IN SOUTHWEST VAN WERT COUNTY.  AS THE TORNADO MOVED 
THROUGH SOUTHEAST PAULDING AND NORTHWEST PUTNAM COUNTIES IT WAS AN 
F3.  IT WEAKENED TO AN F0 AS IT MOVED THROUGH SOUTHEAST DEFIANCE 
COUNTY AND INTO HENRY COUNTY.  THE TORNADO ENDED NEAR THE 
INTERSECTIONS OF COUNTY ROADS 11 AND K IN HENRY COUNTY NEAR MALINTA. 
THE TOTAL PATH LENGTH OF THIS TORNADO WAS 53 MILES.  THE F4 DAMAGE 
WAS EVIDENT FROM JUST SOUTHWEST OF VAN WERT TO JUST NORTH OF THE 
CITY.

A WEAK F0 TORNADO (WINDS 40-72) TRACK WAS SURVEYED IN WELLS COUNTY. 
THIS BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN WAS OBSERVED JUST EAST OF PETROLEUM.