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.
EF065 to 85 mphthis tornado
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
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.
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.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
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.
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
JOLocal 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
JOSpecial 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
JOLocal 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
JOLocal storm report, Jun 18, 9:26 PM EDT, 2 minutes before
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</html>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
JOThe 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.
- 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
The surface observations
Tappahannock (XSA), 22 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (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.
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.