ROCKAWAY BEACH, Ore. — The National Weather Service (NWS) has confirmed that an EF-0 tornado hit Rockaway Beach along the Oregon Coast Monday night, with windspeeds of about 85 mph. The tornado briefly touched down around 9:24 p.m. and lasted about one or two minutes, the agency told KGW Tuesday afternoon. One minor injury was reported.
EF-0 is the lowest of six ratings on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale for evaluating the severity of tornadoes. EF-0 tornadoes range from 65 mph to 85 mph in windspeed, while the most destructive EF-5 tornadoes at the top of the scale have windspeeds of over 200 mph.
The tornado likely began as a waterspout before making landfall, the agency said Tuesday afternoon. Security footage from the Neah-Kah-Nie School District showed the distinct rotation of a tornado as the twister made its way through a parking lot.
The tornado's estimated maximum width was 150 yards, and its path length was about 0.25 miles, based on damage reports, the agency said, although the path was not continuous.
KGW viewers Deb and Michael Weissenfluh shared video and photos of damage in their yard after the tornado. The images show a fence on the ground. Deb Weissenfluh said that while she was watching football, she looked out her window and saw the backyard fence get lifted, then knocked down.
She said it’s not going to be cheap to repair it.
“I’ve already gotten bids on how much it’ll cost, somewhere around $6,000 to $8,000 to fix,” Weissenfluh said.
A deputy with the Tillamook County Sheriff's Office patrolled the area and took photos of the damage. One of the photos shared on social media show a small building that toppled over next to a house. Another photo shows broken windows on a different building.
NWS said there have been multiple reports of damage to fences, roof shingles and a window, as well as dirt and debris tossed around. It also picked up or moved portions of a baseball dugout, littering the parking lot with its pieces, as well as a porta-potty and several dumpsters near the school district property; one garage on the premises had its roof blown off and doors blown in.
A spokesperson for the district said the damage from the storm was nearly $200,000.
"I have not heard of any significant injuries, but there's plenty of property damage," said Deputy Sean Ahlers said in a post on the sheriff's office Facebook page early Tuesday. "The Neahkanie School District buildings were hit hard, though does not sound like there is any impact to school operations."
The sheriff's office wants anyone with video of the possible tornado to contact Tillamook County Emergency Manager Randy Thorpe at 503-842-3412. The NWS also asked people to share any photos and videos they may have, along with reporting any encounters they may have had with the storm.