The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 8

Saturday, April 10, 1999 A9 A8 The Cincinnati Enquirer Path of Destruction PATH OF DESTRUCTION of the SYMMES TWP. 3 CD I IBiMBMKHawaiBawaw 'm 1 LIaJL ill 49 i i WAKxm Exill7 SIXTEEN HI! STAND The Shops at Harper's PoHit Gate of WITH LITTLE WARNING, WHILE MOST PEOPLE SLEPT, a killer tornado moved through the Tristate area early Friday. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, issued an alert about a potential outbreak of tornadoes at 1 a.m. Thursday 28 hours before the Cincinnati area was hit. The most severe damage was expected in the Mississippi Valley but it ended up hitting worst in the Ohio Valley.

About 3 a.m. EDT, the National Weather Service began issuing tornado watches, saying conditions were right for a twister in parts of Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. In areas where sirens sounded, residents had just minutes to get to shelter. Those who slept through the sirens awoke to devastation that became starkly apparent in the morning sunshine. The Cincinnati EnquirerSaed Hindash BLUE ASH: A Toyota Corolla is left pockmarked by flying debris at the Blue Ash Industrial Park.

MON Heaven Cemetery MONTGOMERY WeHer Rd. Bethesda North HOSPital aaa riJ INDIAN HILL 6 a.m.: Winds up to 150 mph are reported in northwest part of Clinton County, northwest of Interstate 71. Meteorologists believe the tornado had dissipated by this time, and the storm continued to move eastward OHIO witftWWrther tornadoes reported. The Cincinnati EnquirerErnest Coleman RIPLEY COUNTY: Maureen Sheets cries after finding her pet, Finnegan, alive under the rubble of her garage, right. The twister destroyed Maureen and Terry Sheets' home and two barns, and injured some of their cows and horses.

5:19 a.m.: Warning issued for Warren County. WARREN CLINTON BUTLER 5:41 a.m.: Warning issued for Clinton County. HARDEST HITS As the tornado sliced through the Tristate, it destroyed homes in Ripley County, and killed at least four people in Cincinnati northeastern suburbs. I he twister was deadliest in Montgomery and Blue Ash. The toll late Friday afternoon: Montgomery: Three people dead; 23 homes "uninhabitable" and 68 houses damaged.

Early estimates are $14 million in structural damage alone, not including property damage in homes and businesses. Blue ASh: One person dead; four homes "uninhabitable;" two homes destroyed; 23 homes with moderate damage; sjyen businesses deyed. Ripley County, Three people injured; two houses, nine barns, and three mobile homes destroyed; 10 houses and several grain bins heavily damaged. -l, 1 ww m-m. ZlrL Symmes Township: i aw Six people went to hospital 5:40 a.m.: damage reporte in Loveland and HA Ml LI0J 4:02 a.m.: First warning is issued for Ripley County, after a tornado is spotted.

Authorities have tentatively classified the tornado as an F-1 or F-2, meaning its speeds could have reached 157 mph. for minor injuries; 200 families were displaced, many from a heavily damaged apartment complex; at least a dozen homes were destroyed and at least 100 homes have visible damage. 4:26 a.m.: Dearborn County warning issued 2EEESJ 5:17 Tornado hits BlueAsh-Montgomea, area. Authorities beUle Montgomery Road area. Unconfirmed whether it was caused by a tor nado or heavy winds.

i RIPLEY tornado accelerated 'SB1-. i tmt mjmr. E-3 and F-4 levels with 11 iMii'ait Jri 1 speeTJeBKeopph. Initial esRBjpHadicate the path of oHnis three miles lori half-mile to a ml The storm that eventually spawned up to 100 tornadoes, including the one that struck the Cincinnati area, was born Monday in the Pacific Ocean. The storm moved eastward slowly at first and caused rain Tuesday in California, snow Wednesday in the mountains of Arizona and New Mexico, then began forming tornadoes Thursday morning in Nebraska.

Dozens of suspected tornadoes were reported in Missouri, Iowa and Illinois. At least one person was killed and three were injured when high winds hit the Ashland, 111., another person was killed in Cisco, 111. Most areas the storm traversed were sparsely populated, so few people were injured in the Plains states. The real problems began to happen when the storm hit Indiana and unexpectedly separated into several "super-cell" thunderstorms. These are the most severe type of thunderstorm, and about MONTGOMERY: Rescue person nel remove an injured man from his home on Cornell Road after he was extricat one-third of the time, they produce tornadoes that tend to be strong.

A complex brew of the right ingredients including a moist and unstable atmosphere, a pocket of dry air and very strong winds as high as 40,000 feet above sea level combined to form the killer Ohio Valley tornado. Source: National Weather Service, AccuWeather Inc. ed from the sec ond floor. The Cincinnati Enquirer Glenn Hartong Life cycle Most tornadoes seem to form quickly and then vanish. But tornadoetually go through many stages.

When and where they strike Tornadoes, a product of severe thunderstorms, are most likely to occur between 2 and 10 p.m., although they can hit any time of day. They are often preceded by heavy rain andor large hail. Tornadoes can strike anywhere big cities (including downtowns), small cities, areas near rivers, lakes or mountains. 30-year average number of tornadoes per 10.000 square miles (about the size of Vermont). F-0 BALE 40-72 mph F-6 INCONCEIVABLE 319-379 mph Very unlikely, probably would cause small areas of damage F-4 DEVASTATING 207-260 mph Well-constructed walls leveled F-3 SEVERE 158-205 mph Roofs and walls torn down, trains F-2 SIGNIFICANT 113-157 mph Considerable damage, mobile homes demolished, trees uprooted Shrinking 0 Decaying Chimney damage, tree branches Fewer than 1 every 2 years 1 to 2 a year 3 to 4 a year 5 to 6 a year More than 6 a year ODust whirl First sign of spin broken arrowing 0 Organizing Funnel cloud appears, grows toward ground.

overturned, cars thrown Tall, rope-like funnel dissipates. Mature Maximum size, strength; more than one whirling column of air possible. nnel tilts 'Ward; winds Tornado power The Fujita scale is used to rate the intensity of a tornado by examining the damage caused to man-made structures. The scale, adopted by the National Weather Service in 1973, was named for T. Theodore Fujita, who developed it.

74 of tornadoes are F-0 or F-1 25 are F-2 or F-3 1 are F-5, and cause 67 of all tornado deaths F-6 is not believed to have been achieved. dangerous. 73-112 mpfr Mobile homes pushed off Tornadoalle F-5 incrediblI qF1 foundation or overturned Sources The Associated Press. USA Today and The Tornado Proiect. St.

Johnsbury. Vt. 261-318 mph Homes lifted off foundations, thrown considerable distances I Jan.Feb.March AprilMayJune.