“Results Inconclusive Whether It Was Tornado”
When asked about today’s weather event which resulted in property damage in the Shelly Bay area, Dr Mark Guishard, Director of the Bermuda Weather Service, said that after a “quick preliminary damage assessment” the results are still “inconclusive as to whether or not it was a bonafide tornado, or a severe straight-line winds event.”
Dr Guishard’s full statement follows below:
Following today’s Severe Weather event, and associated impacts in the Radnor Road area of Hamilton Parish, we did a very quick preliminary damage assessment and the results are still inconclusive as to whether or not it was a bonafide tornado, or a severe straight-line winds event.
Regardless of the classification of the system, damage of a discontinuous nature was evident, indicating that the phenomenon was unable to maintain itself long enough to establish a wide path of damage. The impacts we have seen is on the order of roof damage and windows being blown out – thankfully we have not heard any reports of injury.
We have seen this type of phenomenon before, where the pattern is such that one property sustains damage, the next several are spared any effects, then perhaps as many as ten properties downstream, there is evidence of more damage. It might then ‘bounce’ over the next set of properties before touching down again, until it fizzles out or reaches the water.
We will conclude our damage assessment and data analysis by the end of the week, with a view towards compiling a report, which we will make available on our website. I am pleased to say that we were able to issue a warning prior to the event thanks to our diligent team, using the technology and expertise we have here at the Bermuda Weather Service and BAS-Serco Ltd. We will continue to give as much advanced notice as possible to public, whenever Severe Weather Warnings are warranted.
help me out here – if the good doctor concludes that it was a tornado, what does it matter? These people still experienced real property damage.