WEST WOODSTOCK — Meteorologists from the National Weather Service have deemed the storm that wreaked havoc in the area of Bridgewater and West Woodstock on Thursday an EF1 tornado.
An EF1 classification on the Enhanced Fujita Scale (named after pioneering Japanese and American meteorologist Ted Fujita) includes three-second wind gusts between 86 and 110 mph that can cause moderate damage to the affected area.
Meteorologists made the EF1 determination after conducting a field survey the morning after the storm. They found that “sturdy hardwood trees had blown over,” which often is caused by winds blowing at speeds of more than 100 mph, Eric Myskowski, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Burlington, said in a Monday phone interview.
Meteorologists also observed that trees had fallen in opposite directions, as opposed to straight lines, indicating that the rotational winds of a tornado were at work.
The tornado lasted 3 minutes in total, between 2:35 and 2:38 p.m. on Thursday with estimated peak winds at 100 mph. Its path length was 1.34 miles with a maximum width of 550 yards.
The tornado left hundreds of toppled trees in its wake, as well as warped solar panels and damaged roofs.
No injuries or deaths were reported.
Vermont typically experiences one tornado a year, Myskowski said, but this year has seen an uptick, with three tornadoes hitting the state so far.
The first was an EF1 tornado that occurred in Williamstown in April, which is an unusually early time to experience a tornado in Vermont, Myskowski said.
Tornados typically occur in Vermont between May and July, when the days are hot and the atmospheric pressure is low. Those factors have been particularly pronounced this year, Myskowski said.
In addition to the tornado that ripped across the area of Bridgewater and West Woodstock last Thursday, another EF1 tornado occurred the same day in Lincoln, about a 90-minute drive from Woodstock.
Another EF1 tornado hit the Upper Valley two years ago in July when it tore through part of Lyme, leaving behind a path of snapped trees and scattered debris.
