The cell itself was only 5 to 7 miles long and the only storm to develop in our region. Although most of us enjoyed a warm and sunny day from Portsmouth to Huntington to Williamson and even in parts of the Kanawha Valley early on, the sky turned dark around 2PM in Gallipolis. By 5PM, the cell had moved through Kanawha City causing hundereds of thousands of dollars in damage to a daycare center before lifting back into the cloud. Residents recall this storm as fast and furious. It came without warning and left as quickly as it came.
Some tornadoes appear as a visible funnel extending only partially to the ground.
Look for signs of debris below the visible funnel. Some tornadoes are clearly visible while others are obscured by rain or nearby low-hanging clouds. While we don't see tornadoes as frequently throughout our region, the warning signs are the same. Tornadoes can happen any time of the year and any time of day. Severe storms may have one or more of these characteristics.