SEATTLE — In the hours after a tornado touched ground in the small Mason County community of Shelton, National Weather Service (NWS) crews were out to asses the damage.
“A tornado did reach the surface, because we’re seeing damage on the ground like this,” said NWS lead Meteorologist Carly Kovacik.
The damage was caused by an EF1 tornado, meaning it brought wind speeds upwards of 90 miles per hour.
A northwest tornado is hardly a “Midwest twister," but they can be extremely dangerous.
Last December, a tornado rolled over Port Orchard, damaging more than 50 homes.
“Port Orchard was a stronger tornado and it did produce more damage than this tornado,” Kovacik said.
Washington state climatologist Nick Bond pointed to the effects of global warming when it comes to severe weather systems. Bond said climate change has increased the severity of thunder and lightning storms and brings with it the potential of more tornadoes.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there have been 124 tornadoes recorded in Washington state since 1950. This includes the Port Orchard tornado.
Kovacik said a tuned-in public may account for a slight increase in tornado reports.
“With social media and having an outlet to receive more information these days, it definitely helps us in terms of tornadoes actually being detected and for us to actually know about them,” Kovacik said.
Don’t let a mild storm like that in Shelton fool you. All tornadoes bring the potential for destruction and the NWS urges Washingtonians to heed their warnings when the next one strikes.