Unusual December tornado causes 'catastrophic' damage in Port Orchard, Washington
By Chaffin Mitchell, AccuWeather staff writer
December 20, 2018, 2:18:50 AM EST
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A powerful storm plowed into Washington state on Tuesday afternoon, bringing a tornado, high winds, heavy rain and heavy snow.
A tornado touched down in Port Orchard, Washington, causing a significant amount of damage to houses and a neighborhood. There are no reports of injuries at this time.
"Steady precipitation tapered off over the Seattle Metro area during the afternoon, but scattered thunderstorms formed afterward. One of these thunderstorms tracked over Port Orchard just before 2 p.m. local time," AccuWeather Meteorologist David Samuhel said.
According to the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office, most of the "catastrophic" damage is in the neighborhoods east and south of the Walmart in the 3400 block of Bethel Road Southeast.
KCSO, Port Orchard PD and several fire agencies have responded to a weather event that has caused catastrophic damage in the Port Orchard area. Most of the damage is contained to the area and neighborhoods east and south of WalMart....more
— Kitsap Sheriff (@KitsapCoSheriff) December 18, 2018
"The atmosphere become very unstable as cold air aloft moved overhead. Meanwhile, surface temperatures were rather mild for December, reaching the 50s," Samuhel said.
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Aerial shots of the damage showed homes that had entire roofs ripped off and other houses where trees had fallen on top of them.
Tornado touches down near Port Orchard, Washington, damages homes https://t.co/cuIsCN8SeO pic.twitter.com/A4LBRSFpdq
— KOIN News (@KOINNews) December 18, 2018
“There’s like debris everywhere.” Officials in Port Orchard, Washington, confirm a tornado touched down this afternoon as severe storms pound the Pacific Northwest. There were no immediate reports of any injuries. https://t.co/u0zl3e4gVn pic.twitter.com/JTH6hFI0NP
— Seekandfind (@Seekandfind) December 18, 2018
#BreakingNews Air 4 flying over scene of tornado that struck Port Orchard in Kitsap County. pic.twitter.com/SxhdhVLYOn
— ElisaJaffe (@ElisaJaffe) December 18, 2018
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