Tornadoes · United States · Virginia · 2015

EF0 tornado, Ramey Ft to Downings, Virginia, June 18, 2015

From Ramey Ft to Downings, this EF0 tornado ran 3.1 miles across Richmond County on June 18, 2015, touching down at 9:28 PM EDT and reaching 50 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $15,000 of property damage.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. EF065 to 85 mphthis tornado

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mph

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. EF2111 to 135 mph

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. EF3136 to 165 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. EF5over 200 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating
EF0
Date
June 18, 2015
Touchdown
9:28 PM EDT (01:28 UTC)
Lifted
9:38 PM EDT (01:38 UTC)
On the ground
10 minutes
Path length
3.1 miles (4.9 km)
Path width
50 yards (46 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$15,000
County
Richmond County
Touchdown point
37.850, -76.670
Lift-off point
37.830, -76.620
Record number
1506181928-01

What the Weather Service recorded

Scattered severe thunderstorms associated with a trough of low pressure produced damaging winds and three weak tornadoes across portions of central and eastern Virginia.

The tornado began 2 miles west of German's Corner in Richmond County, tracking southeast for about 6 miles passing near Naylors Beach and crossing Highway 360. Peak winds were between 70 and 80 mph. Hardwood trees were uprooted and snapped off. Power lines were downed.

The tornado touched down just north and northeast of Sharps near Ivondale in Richmond County. The tornado tracked along Farnham Creek Road crossing Hales Point Road and Simonson Road. Hardwood trees were uprooted and snapped off. Power lines were downed. Peak winds were between 60 to 70 mph.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Wakefield, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Jun 18, 3:49 PM EDT, 5 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 18, 3:49 PM EDT, 5 hours 39 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
349 PM EDT THU JUN 18 2015

.SYNOPSIS...
A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS POSITIONED OFF THE VIRGINIA ATLANTIC
COAST EXTENDING THROUGH THE CHESAPEAKE BAY. A WEAK COLD FRONT
MOVES THROUGH THE AREA ON FRIDAY.

&&

.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY MORNING/...
CHANCES FOR MORE SHOWERS/STORMS INCREASING THIS AFTN AS SHORTWAVE
ENERGY/MOISTURE STREAMS ACROSS THE REGION IN FLAT WLY FLOW ALOFT.
ABUNDANT INSTABILITY WILL HELP STORM INITIATION BUT STRONGEST
STORMS WILL STAY TO THE NORTH WHERE THE BEST DYNAMICS ARE LOCATED.
THE MAIN IMPACT/THREAT FROM STORMS WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS
AND STRONG THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS. THE HEAVY RAINFALL COULD
PRODUCE MINOR FLOODING OF ROADWAYS IN LOW-LYING AREAS AND AREAS OF
POOR DRAINAGE. SHOWERS/STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH IN
INTENSITY BY THE EARLY OVERNIGHT HOURS...COMING TO AN END ALONG
THE COAST BEFORE DAYBREAK.

UPPER LEVEL CLOUDS LIMITED MAX HEATING POTENTIAL THIS AFTERNOON
WITH HIGHS TOPPING OUT AROUND 90 ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA. EXPECT
ANOTHER WARM NIGHT WITH LOW TEMPS REMAINING ABOVE 70.

&&

.SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/...
AN UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTERN PERSISTS FRI THROUGH SAT NIGHT. A
SERIES OF SHORTWAVES EJECTING FROM THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL
DEPRESSION BILL WILL STREAM INTO THE MID ATLANTIC REGION DUE TO
THE PERSISTENTLY FLAT WLY FLOW ALOFT. OVERALL...AFTN/EVENING
THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE ANTICIPATED EACH DAY WITH BRIEF DRY
PERIODS DURING THE MORNING HOURS. MAIN IMPACTS FROM CONVECTION
CONTINUES TO BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL (WHICH MAY LEAD TO MINOR
FLOODING) AND STRONG THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS. THE THREAT FOR
SEVERE TSTORMS IS LOW...ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE IS A LACK OF
FORCING AND/OR FRONTAL FEATURES TO SUPPORT SUFFICIENT LIFT.

MODELS COMING INTO GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE TIMING AND POSITION OF
THE MOVEMENT OF THE REMNANTS OF TS BILL. EXPECT WIDESPREAD
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SAT NIGHT INTO SUNDAY. HEAVY RAIN WILL
BE THE MAIN CONCERN ON SUNDAY.

WARM AND MUGGY CONDITIONS CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH HIGHS
IN THE UPPER 80S TO LOW 90S. LOWS ALSO REMAIN UNCOMFORTABLE AS
TEMPS RANGE FROM THE LOW TO MID 70S.

&&

.LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
A WEAK UPPER TROUGH SETS UP OVER NEW ENGLAND INTO THE MID ATLANTIC
MONDAY AND THEN SLIP JUST OFFSHORE TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY PLACING
THE REGION IN A GENERAL NW UPPER FLOW IN THE LONG TERM. OCCASIONAL
DISTURBANCES TRACK FROM NW TO SE IN THE UPPER FLOW LATE MONDAY AND
AGAIN LATE TUESDAY. AT THE SURFACE A LEE TROF DEVELOPS OUT AHEAD OF
A WEAK COLD FRONT MONDAY WITH THE LATEST MODELS STALLING THE BOUNDARY
ACROSS THE NC/VA BORDER THROUGH TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL
BRING CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS EACH DAY FROM MONDAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY. EXACT TIMING OF ANY S/W IMPULSES ALONG THE BOUNDARY IS
RATHER PROBLEMATIC ATTM BUT BEST CHANCES FOR PRECIP LOOK TO BE
ACROSS CENTRAL/SOUTH CENTRAL VA...SOUTHEAST VA AND NC. UPSHOT WILL
BE TO CONTINUE CHC OR SLIGHT CHC POPS EACH DAY. THE UPPER RIDGES
BUILDS BACK IN FROM THE SW THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY WHICH WOULD RESULT
IN LESS CHANCES FOR PRECIP AND GRADUALLY BUILDING HEAT.

SUMMER HEAT CONTINUES MONDAY WITH HIGHS 85-90 ALONG THE COAST WITH
90-95 INLAND. LOWS 70-75.

&&

.AVIATION /20Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
THE WARM FRONT THAT HAD BEEN SLIDING NORTH HAS CLEARED THE REGION
THIS AFTERNOON AND CEILINGS HAVE LIFTED TO VFR LEVELS. WITH THE
HEATING OF THE DAY...CU IS EXPECTED TO FORM AND COVERAGE IS
EXPECTED TO BE GREATEST FURTHER NORTH NEAR THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY.
HOWEVER...CONVECTION SHOULD BE LIMITED ACROSS THE REGION WITH THE
MODELS SHOWING THAT ANYTHING THAT WOULD DEVELOP WOULD BE LATER
THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING HOURS. RIGHT NOW THE BEST
CHANCES FOR TSTORMS LOOKS TO BE WEST AND SOUTH OF THE AREA. SO FOR
NOW HAVE JUST SHOWN SOME SCT/BKN CU AT THE TAF SITES.

FOR TONIGHT...OUT SIDE OF THE AREA OF CONVECTION...EXPECT VFR
CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL...WITH SOME HIGH CIRRUS AND SOME MID DECK
CLOUDS FLOATING THROUGH THE REGION. ON FRIDAY...THE FRONT TO THE
NORTH OVER PA AND NORTHERN PARTS OF THE OH VALLEY WILL BEGIN TO
SINK SOUTHWARD AND THIS COULD PROVIDE A BETTER CHANCE FOR
AFTERNOON CONVECTION...BUT RIGHT NOW EXPECT MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS.

OUTLOOK...THE FRONT WILL LIFT BACK NORTH OF THE AREA ON
SATURDAY...PUTTING THE ENTIRE REGION IN THE WARM SECTOR AND VFR
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITH REDUCED CHANCES FOR CONVECTION. ON
SUNDAY...THE REMNANTS OF BILL WILL SLIDE ACROSS THE AREA AND
MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE.

&&

.MARINE...
GENERALLY S TO SW FLOW AROUND 10 KT THIS AFTERNOON WILL BECOME MORE
SOUTHERLY AND INCREASE TO 10 TO 15 KT OVERNIGHT AS WEAK LOW PRESSURE
PASSES TO THE NORTH ACROSS THE DELMARVA. WINDS BECOME VARIABLE AND
MORE NORTH TO NORTHEAST FOR A BRIEF PERIOD FRI BEFORE TURNING TO A
SOUTHERLY FLOW FRI EVENING. THE PRES GRAD TIGHTENS SIGNIFICANTLY
LATE SAT INTO SUN AS THE REMNANT OF BILL TRACK TO THE NORTH. THIS
WILL RESULT IN INCREASING SOUTHERLY FLOW THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND
ESPECIALLY SAT NIGHT INTO SUNDAY AFTER RATHER LIGHT SOUTHERLY FLOW
FRIDAY. SCA CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM LATE SATURDAY NIGHT
THROUGH SUNDAY WITH THE SOUTH WINDS. THE GRADIENT REMAINS IN PLACE
WITH STRONG SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. THE
GRAD WEAKENS SOME MONDAY EXPECT OVER THE SOUTHERN WATERS WHERE SW
WINDS OF 15 KT OR GRATER MAY PERSIST UNTIL TUE MORNING.

WAVES OVER THE COASTAL WATERS WILL REMAIN AROUND 2 FT THROUGH THE
OVERNIGHT AND FRIDAY. OVER THE BAY WAVES OF 1 TO 2 FT ARE EXPECTED.
SEAS START TO BUILD SOME LATE SATURDAY AND MORE ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND
SUNDAY IN RESPONSE TO THE INCREASING SW WINDS. WAVES BUILD TO 2 TO
3 FT OVER THE BAY FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY.

&&

.AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MD...NONE.
NC...NONE.
VA...NONE.
MARINE...NONE.

&&

SYNOPSIS...DAP
NEAR TERM...BMD/DAP
SHORT TERM...BMD/DAP
LONG TERM...JAO
AVIATION...ESS
MARINE...JAO
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 18, 3:17 PM EDT, 6 hours 11 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
317 PM EDT THU JUN 18 2015

ANZ637-MDZ021>025-NCZ017-102-VAZ048-060>062-064-066>069-075>078-
080>086-088>090-095-098>100-509>525-191930-
JAMES RIVER FROM JAMESTOWN TO THE JAMES RIVER BRIDGE-DORCHESTER-
WICOMICO-SOMERSET-INLAND WORCESTER-MARYLAND BEACHES-INLAND CURRITUCK-
OUTER BANKS CURRITUCK-FLUVANNA-PRINCE EDWARD-CUMBERLAND-GOOCHLAND-
CAROLINE-LUNENBURG-NOTTOWAY-AMELIA-POWHATAN-WESTMORELAND-RICHMOND-
NORTHUMBERLAND-LANCASTER-DINWIDDIE-PRINCE GEORGE-CHARLES CITY-
NEW KENT-GLOUCESTER-MIDDLESEX-MATHEWS-SUSSEX-SURRY-JAMES CITY-
NORFOLK/PORTSMOUTH-VIRGINIA BEACH-ACCOMACK-NORTHAMPTON VA-
WESTERN LOUISA-EASTERN LOUISA-WESTERN HANOVER-EASTERN HANOVER-
WESTERN CHESTERFIELD-EASTERN CHESTERFIELD-WESTERN HENRICO-
EASTERN HENRICO-WESTERN KING WILLIAM-EASTERN KING WILLIAM-
WESTERN KING AND QUEEN-EASTERN KING AND QUEEN-WESTERN ESSEX-
EASTERN ESSEX-YORK-NEWPORT NEWS-HAMPTON/POQUOSON-
317 PM EDT THU JUN 18 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EASTERN JAMES RIVER...THE
LOWER EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND...COASTAL NORTHEAST NORTH
CAROLINA...THE NORTHERN OUTER BANKS OF NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL
VIRGINIA...EAST CENTRAL VIRGINIA...INTERIOR SOUTHEAST
VIRGINIA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS
VIRGINIA...THE EASTERN SHORE OF VIRGINIA...THE MIDDLE PENINSULA OF
VIRGINIA...THE NORTHERN NECK OF VIRGINIA...THE PENINSULA OF
SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA AND THE PIEDMONT OF CENTRAL VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL
CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING. SOME STORMS COULD PRODUCE LOCALLY
HEAVY RAINFALL AND STRONG THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

NCZ012>016-030>032-VAZ065-079-087-092-093-096-097-191930-
NORTHAMPTON NC-HERTFORD-GATES-PASQUOTANK-CAMDEN-BERTIE-CHOWAN-
PERQUIMANS-MECKLENBURG-BRUNSWICK-GREENSVILLE-SOUTHAMPTON-
ISLE OF WIGHT-SUFFOLK-CHESAPEAKE-
317 PM EDT THU JUN 18 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR COASTAL NORTHEAST NORTH
CAROLINA...INTERIOR NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...INTERIOR SOUTHEAST
VIRGINIA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
SOME STORMS COULD PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND STRONG
THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 18, 9:04 PM EDT, 24 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
904 PM EDT THU JUN 18 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0807 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ACCOMAC                 37.72N  75.67W
06/18/2015                   ACCOMACK           VA   911 CALL CENTER

            TSEVERAL REES DOWN

&&

EVENT NUMBER AKQ1500897

JO
Local storm report, Jun 18, 9:05 PM EDT, 23 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
905 PM EDT THU JUN 18 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0815 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ONANCOCK                37.71N  75.74W
06/18/2015                   ACCOMACK           VA   911 CALL CENTER

            TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN IN ONANCOCK

&&

EVENT NUMBER AKQ1500898

JO
Special weather statement, Jun 18, 9:07 PM EDT, 21 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
907 PM EDT THU JUN 18 2015

VAZ099-100-190145-
NORTHAMPTON-ACCOMACK-
907 PM EDT THU JUN 18 2015

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN NORTHAMPTON AND
SOUTHWESTERN ACCOMACK COUNTIES...

AT 906 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER THE BAY ABOUT 10
MILES WEST OF EXMORE... MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  EXMORE AND NASSAWADOX AROUND 935 PM EDT.
  WILLIS WHARF AROUND 940 PM EDT.

OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE WARDTOWN...
FRANKTOWN...QUINBY...PAINTER...BIRDSNEST...MACHIPONGO AND JAMESVILLE.

FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE
SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.

THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND
TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 3748 7567 3756 7571 3752 7575 3746 7566
      3737 7572 3749 7572 3748 7581 3740 7573
      3739 7573 3740 7580 3731 7576 3744 7598
      3749 7590 3750 7590 3747 7596 3765 7589
      3754 7562
TIME...MOT...LOC 0106Z 301DEG 22KT 3759 7602

JO
Local storm report, Jun 18, 9:12 PM EDT, 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
912 PM EDT THU JUN 18 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0830 PM     TSTM WND DMG     NEWLAND                 38.05N  76.87W
06/18/2015                   RICHMOND           VA   911 CALL CENTER

            TREES DOWN ALONG NEWLAND ROAD.

&&

EVENT NUMBER AKQ1500899

JO
Local storm report, Jun 18, 9:26 PM EDT, 2 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jun 18, 9:27 PM EDT, 1 minute before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
927 PM EDT THU JUN 18 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0815 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ONANCOCK                37.71N  75.74W
06/18/2015                   ACCOMACK           VA   911 CALL CENTER

            BOATS CAPSIZED AND ROOF OFF A BUILDING.

&&

EVENT NUMBER AKQ1500901

JO

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Wallops Is Stn, VA (KWAL), 00:00Z

1.5 hours before the tornado, 110 km from the path. June 19, 2015.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Wallops Is Stn, VA at 00:00Z on 2015-06-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 419 joules per kilogram, CIN -69, lifted condensation level 1188 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Wallops Is Stn, VA at 00:00Z on 2015-06-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 47 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 24 knots.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
419 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-69 J/kg
Surface CAPE
1731 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1188 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
47 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
73 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
1.4
0-3 km lapse rate
6.1 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Tappahannock (XSA), 22 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
00:00 UTC

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Norfolk radar (KAKQ), 100 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 01:28 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2015 tornado in VirginiaEvery tornado in Virginia since 1950Warnings in force in Virginia nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of June 18, 2015

5 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 185:09 AM CDTEF1De Soto Parish, LA0.6126$50,000
June 186:38 AM CDTEF1De Soto Parish, LA3.5190$75,000
June 187:07 PM EDTEF1Stark, OH8.5100$110,000
June 188:53 PM EDTEF0Richmond, VA5.6100$15,000
June 189:51 PM EDTEF0Lancaster, VA3.850$15,000

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.