National Weather Service confirms tornado hit Pierce County
Apr 28, 2014, 4:09 PM | Updated: 5:02 pm
The National Weather Service has confirmed it was a tornado that touched down in Eatonville in Pierce County Sunday evening, tearing the roof off a carport and tossing it about 100 feet from the home.
No one was injured in the brief twister. Meteorologist Ted Buehner says the tornado reached peak wind speeds of 75 miles per hour and touched down for less than one minute.
“We talked to a number of witnesses who noticed not only was the debris flying around but it was going up, not coming down,” he says. “Many witnesses said it was just seconds before it disappeared.”
The tornado traveled just .2 of a mile and was categorized as EF0, the weakest of tornadoes. It is the first reported in the state this year.
Tornadoes are rare, but not unheard of in Washington state. The National Weather Service says the state can see several twisters each year. The strongest recorded in Washington hit the Vancouver area in 1972. The F3 tornado left six people dead and caused upwards of $5 million damage.
