Was it a tornado? Decision expected today

Determining if a tornado caused damage is sometimes like putting a puzzle together, especially with a wind event like the one that hit the Lewes area during Hurricane Irene the evening of Aug. 27.

While those who were affected by wind damage have no doubt it was a tornado, the National Weather Service in Mt. Holly, N.J, makes the final determination.

Meteorologist Joe Miketta said he is in the process of reviewing data and will probably release his findings by the end of the day Wednesday, Aug. 31.

That data – including photographs and a map of the path of the reported tornado – has been compiled by county emergency management staff and a volunteer Skywarn spotter.

Miketta said a key to making a determination is a review of radar at the time of the tornado warning to check for wind rotation and then to compare radar maps with where damage was done.

Miketta said making a determination is sometimes difficult because straight-line winds cause the same kind of damage as weak tornadoes, the kind that are typical on the East Coast. “It’s not always about looking at damage,” Miketta said.