...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONFIRMS EF1 TORNADO ON JULY 23 IN
WARREN RHODE ISLAND AND SWANSEA MASSACHUSETTS...

A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TEAM HAS CONCLUDED A DAMAGE SURVEY TODAY IN A PORTION OF EASTERN RHODE ISLAND AND SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS.WE HAVE DETERMINED THAT A WATERSPOUT OCCURRED JUST OFF OF RUMSTICK POINT IN BARRINGTON RHODE ISLAND. THIS WATERSPOUT THEN MOVED ONTO LAND OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF WARREN NEAR THE BRISTOL LINE AT HANLEY FARM ROAD. IT THEN CONTINUED EASTWARD ACROSS THE KICKEMUIT
RIVER IN THE TOUISSET HIGHLANDS SECTION OF WARREN. IT THEN CROSSED THE COLE RIVER AND CONTINUED TO CAUSE DAMAGE IN THE OCEAN GROVE SECTION OF SWANSEA.

MOST OF THE DAMAGE HAD A RATING OF EF0 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE WITH WIND SPEEDS OF 65 TO 75 MPH. HOWEVER THERE WAS ONE SMALL SECTION OF WARREN...NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF ROUTE 136 AND HARRIS AVENUE INCLUDING OVERHILL ROAD IN THE LAUREL PARK AREA...THAT DEMONSTRATED EF1 DAMAGE. WIND SPEEDS IN THAT AREA WERE ESTIMATED AT 90 MPH.

THE TORNADO PATH LENGTH WAS 4.2 MILES AND FOR THE MOST PART WAS CONTINUOUS. IT WAS VERY NARROW WITH A PATH WIDTH OF ONLY 40 YARDS. THE WATERSPOUT OFF OF BARRINGTON WAS FIRST OBSERVED AT 4 PM. THE TORNADO HIT WARREN AT 405 PM AND SWANSEA AT 410 PM.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAD ISSUED A SPECIAL MARINE WARNING FOR NARRAGANSETT BAY AT 335 PM AND MENTIONED THE POSSIBILITY OF A WATERSPOUT DEVELOPING. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING WAS ISSUED AT 350 PM AND IT WAS UPGRADED TO A TORNADO WARNING AT 404 PM. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE MAJORITY OF THE DAMAGE WAS TO TREES...SOME OF WHICH FELL ONTO POWER LINES AND HOUSES. THERE WERE NUMEROUS EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS OF DARK FUNNELS... SWIRLING DEBRIS...INTENSE ROARING...AND A GARAGE DOOR BOWED OUT TOWARD THE PATH OF THE TORNADO. A LARGE TREE NEAR HARRIS AVENUE WAS LIFTED UP
AND THROWN 40 FEET ONTO ROUTE 136. AT THAT LOCATION...SMALL TRAILERS ALSO HAD BEEN BLOWN ONTO ROUTE 136.

MANY THANKS TO THE EYEWITNESSES...AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS...POLICE AND FIRE OFFICIALS...AND LOCAL MEDIA WHO PROVIDED VITAL INFORMATION FOR THIS SURVEY.