EF-0 St. Helens Tornado

By Rod Hill on 2020-11-10

A strong rain cell at 12:20 Tuesday afternoon produced strong winds, leading to roof damage to a home and damage to other homes from large limbs.  Initial reports indicate this was a tornado.  The isolated cell in a northwesterly flow is not our typical or most high chance scenario to produce weak tornadoes.

Here is the NWS report:  

1220 PM     TORNADO          2 W SAINT HELENS        45.86N 122.85W
11/10/2020                   COLUMBIA           OR   NWS STORM SURVEY

            UPDATED PREVIOUS TORNADO REPORT FROM 2 W
            SAINT HELENS. TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN
            NORTHWEST ST HELENS, NEAR INTERSECTION OF
            PITTSBURG AND ROBINETTE RD. THE TORNADO
            MOVED TO THE SOUTHEAST, WITH LIGHT DAMAGE.
            MOST DAMAGES WAS NEAR BARR AVE AND PITTSBURG
            ROAD, WITH DAMAGE TO SOME TREES, A CAMPER,
            AND SNAPPED POWER LINES. THE TORNADO ENDED
            JUST EAST OF THE MCBRIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
            IN ST HELENS. TORNADO PATH LENGTH WAS ABOUT
            1.7 MILES, WITH A DAMAGE PATH WIDTH OF ABOUT
            200 YARDS. ESTIMATED PEAK WINDS 60 TO 65 MPH
            MAKING THE TORNADO AN EF-0. THE START TIME
            WAS AROUND 12:20 PM AND ENDED AROUND 12:26
            PM.

Rod Hill