New video in as an ambulance had to stop briefly on Route 6 in Harwich as the tornado crossed in front of them.
As of 8 AM, about 32,000 Eversource customers remain without power, down from a little over 50,000.
Continuing coverage throughout the day.
NWS statement: Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
941 PM EDT Tue Jul 23 2019
…Public Information Statement…
Public information for the Barnstable County tornado of July 23rd, 2019.
This is a preliminary statement with a final statement to be issued On Wednesday July 24th.
The damage from the tornado began in Yarmouth and ended in Harwich on Cape Cod. The damage on the Cape was caused by both a tornado and straight line wind damage. The greatest amount of damage appears to have occurred in the town of Harwich. The tornado
itself touched down in Yarmouth and then touched down again in Harwich with pockets of EF1 damage in both locations. There was
extensive tree and powerline damage. Most of the town of Harwich Lost power due to the storm.
The maximum wind spreed for the tornado was 110 mph which equates To a strong EF1 tornado on the enhanced Fujita Sscale.
A final PNS will be issued with exact latitude and longitude of the start of the first touchdown and the last location where the tornado was on the ground. The final PNS will also contain path length and path width.
Gas lines in Harwich Port from Cape Wide News LLC on Vimeo.
1 PM update: Still about 30,000 Eversource customers without power. Dennis, Harwich and Chatham have the greatest numbers. Above, new video by CWN’s Jake O’Callaghan showing long lines at one of the few Harwich Port gas stations with power.
5 PM Update: Yarmouth Division of Natural Resources cameras captured impressive video as an EF-1 Tornado swept through the area.
Pictured is the Englewood mooring field where more than a dozen boats capsized during the powerful weather event.
Here two Hobie Cats are flung easily by winds estimated to be 110mph.
As the clean up continues YDNR staff are checking our waterways for debris and ensuring our navigation markers are in place.
Eversource reported 20,000 customers without power. That is down from the peak of 50,000. Most are still in the Yarmouth to Chatham area hardest hit by the tornadic storm.
10:30 PM update: Harwich Police report Route 124 between Route 6 and Main Street is open.
Power outages are down to under 8,000.
Latest update from National Weather Service:
Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
359PM EDT Wed Jul 24 2019
…NWS damage survey for 07/23/19 tornado events…
…OVERVIEW…
A National Weather Service damage survey concluded that two tornadoes touched down on Cape Cod on Tuesday, July 23.
A long-lived supercell thunderstorm produced waterspouts on both Vineyard Sound and Nantucket Sound. One of these moved onshore as a tornado just west of Kalmus in Barnstable, MA. It had a discontinuous path and lifted in South Yarmouth, MA. The same storm produced a second tornado in Harwich, MA a few minutes later. Straight-line wind damage was observed in Dennis, MA and in Chatham, MA.
.Barnstable and Yarmouth tornado …
Start location…Juse West of Kalmus in Barnstable County MA
End location…South Yarmouth in Barnstable County MA
Date…07/23/2019
Estimated time…11:57 AM EDT to 12:07 PM EDT
Maximum ef-scale rating…EF1
Estimated maximum wind speed…110 mph
Maximum path width…250.0 yards
Path length…5.52 miles discontinuous
Beginning lat/lon…41.6354 / -70.2841
Ending lat/lon…41.6769 / -70.1961
* fatalities…0
* injuries…0
…SUMMARY…
A waterspout moved onshore just west of Kalmus, MA at 1157 AM. Winds gusted to 91 mph at a Mesonet observation site. They had shifted from southeast to west-northwest with the passage of the tornado. The tornado continued moving northeastward at about 35 mph. The damage was discontinuous but where the tornado touched down, the damage was quite significant, with winds estimated as high as 110 mph, which is on the high end of the enhanced Fujita scale EF-1 ranking.
The roof of a motel on the south side of Main Street in West Yarmouth was completely peeled off. Additional significant tornado damage occurred just southwest of the Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School, particularly along Hazelmoor Road from Violet Glen Road to Vine Brook Road. Dozens of large trees were uprooted and a few were snapped off. A house had shingles blown off. Another house had a hole in the roof from a fallen tree.
The tornado then lifted, however severe straight-line wind damage was observed from west dennis eastward to West Harwich. numerous large trees were uprooted, consistent with 90 mph gusts or greater.
No injuries were reported with this storm.
.Harwich tornado…
Start location…1 SSW Harwich in Barnstable County MA
End location…2 ENE Harwich in Barnstable County MA
Date…07/23/2019
Estimated time…12:10 PM EDT to 12:15 PM EDT
Maximum ef-scale rating…EF1
Estimated maximum wind speed…110 mph
Maximum path width…250.0 yards
Path length…2.77 miles
Beginning lat/lon…41.6851 / -70.0789
Ending lat/lon…41.7005 / -70.0299
* fatalities…0
* injuries…0
…SUMMARY…
The same supercell storm that produced the Barnstable-Yarmouth tornado went on to touch down again near the center of Harwich, MA at 1210 PM. The initial touchdown was just east of Harwich Elementary School, just south of parallel street. It moved northeast through Harwich center, passing just south of a golf course, and lifted in East Harwich in the vicinity of Queen Anne Road. At least 150 hardwood trees were either uprooted or snapped. A few homes also had shingles that were ripped off. Wind gusts were estimated as high as 110 mph,
which is on the high end of the enhanced Fujita scale EF-1 ranking.
The tornado then lifted, however severe straight-line wind damage was observed in Chatham. Numerous large trees were uprooted, consistent with 90 mph gusts or greater.
No injuries were reported with this storm.
EF scale: the enhanced Fujita scale classifies tornadoes into the
Following categories:
Ef0…Weak……65 to 85 mph
Ef1…Weak……86 to 110 mph
Ef2…Strong….111 to 135 mph
Ef3…Strong….136 to 165 mph
Ef4…Violent…166 to 200 mph
Ef5…Violent…>200 mph
* The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to change pending final review of the events and publication in NWS storm data.
The National Weather Service would like to extend its appreciation to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, local emergency management, police and fire departments, Skywarn amateur radio and trained spotters, and the general public for help in completing this survey.
