Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Virginia, June 18, 1997

A rapidly developing heavy-precipitation supercell produced several instances of severe weather over portions of the northern Shenandoah Valley and Piedmont regions of Virginia during the late afternoon and evening of the 18th. Four small tornadoes were confirmed: one in northern Shenandoah Co near the town of Wheatfield, one in extreme southeast Frederick Co in the community of Double Tollgate, a third in Clarke Co near the town of Berryville, and a fourth in Loudoun Co between Mountville and Oatlands.Damage in Wheatfield was confined to a heavily wooded rural area, where 20 trees were snapped or uprooted along a narrow but distinctive path. Winds were estimated to be around 80 mph. It was the first tornado ever reported in the county; perhaps partially due to a NWS survey team locating the damage. The twister lifted along the county line, later seen as a funnel near Stephens City (Frederick Co) before dissipating. The second small tornado touched down east of Klines Corner in southeast Frederick Co. Five trees were downed on one farm, and damage was spotty along a 3-mile path to Double Church Road just southwest of Double Tollgate. A spotter had previously reported a touchdown near this area. Most of the damage was to trees, though some minor roof and fence damage was observed along and near Double Church Road.In Clarke Co, a third tornado touched down just south of Berryville. Minor damage was noted to a roof and shingles at a house; an electric garage door was damaged as well. A circular pattern was noted in the tall grass and in branches that had broken off nearby trees. Some tomato stakes and cages were pulled up and tossed. A fourth (small) tornado path was found from Mountville to Oatlands in western Loudoun Co. Large branches were snapped and some trees were uprooted on a narrow path along Lime Kiln Road.Scattered tree damage was noted elsewhere across the six-county area, including the towns of Reliance (Warren Co), Middletown and Stephens City (Frederick Co), Upperville (Fauquier Co), White Post and Berrys (Clarke Co), and from Middleburg to Arcola (Loudoun).Farther east, a steel-framed fire hall, still under construction, collapsed when a near-severe thunderstorm wind gust passed through Sterling (Loudoun Co). Approximately 150 wooden trusses supporting the frame initially fell. A home in the nearby Cascades subdivision had a deck collapse. However, the deck was found to have been improperly anchored to the ground (e.g., not according to specifications). Based on the above evidence, and the fact that only two small trees were reported down near the fire center, wind speeds were estimated to be just under severe criteria.Lightning struck and killed two horses at a farm just north of Unison. Earlier, lightning struck a home in Stephens City, causing $60,000 in structural damage, mainly to the roof.