[Josh Richardson]

NOUS43 KMPX 280159
PNSMPX
MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028-281800-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
900 PM CDT SUN AUG 27 2006

...CONFIRMED F3 TORNADO IN NICOLLET AND LE SUEUR COUNTIES...

AFTER VIEWING SOME OF THE DAMAGE JUST SOUTHWEST OF ST PETER
YESTERDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROUGHT IN A NATIONAL
EXPERT TODAY FOR THE PURPOSE OF VERIFYING THE STRENGTH OF THE
TORNADO.* TODAYS SURVEY CONCLUDED THAT F3 DAMAGE OCCURRED IN BOTH
NICOLLET AND LE SUEUR COUNTIES.

THE LONG TRACK TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND FROM THREE MILES WEST OF
NICOLLET...THROUGH THE CITY OF NICOLLET...THEN TO THE SOUTHERN
OUTSKIRTS OF ST PETER... THEN ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF
KASOTA...THEN TO LAKE EMILY...AND FINALLY DISSIPATING FIVE MILES
NORTHWEST OF WATERVILLE.

THE TRACK WAS 30 MILES LONG.* AT FIRST...THE TORNADO WAS NO MORE
THAN A FEW DOZEN FEET WIDE...THEN EVENTUALLY GREW TO ONE HALF MILE
WIDE.* AS IT NEARED DISSIPATION...IT WAS BACK TO A COUPLE HUNDRED
FEET WIDE.* THE TORNADO WAS DISTINCTLY MULTIPLE VORTEX.* IT
OCCASIONALLY VEERED EAST-NORTHEAST AND EAST-SOUTHEAST.

IT IS STILL UNCERTAIN HOW MANY TORNADOES DEVELOPED ACROSS SOUTHERN
MINNESOTA ON THURSDAY. THERE ARE NUMEROUS CREDIBLE REPORTS OF ONE OR
MAYBE TWO TORNADOES SOUTHWEST OF COURTLAND.* THERE WERE ALSO SOME
REPORTS OF TOUCHDOWNS IN EXTREME EASTERN LE SUEUR COUNTY INTO RICE
COUNTY...IN AREAS OUTSIDE KILKENNY... WATERVILLE AND MORRISTOWN.

THESE AREAS WHERE ADDITIONAL TORNADOES MAYE HAVE TOUCHED DOWN WILL
ALSO BE RESEARCHED....BY VIDEO...SPOTTER REPORTS... 911 LOGS...AND
ON MONDAY...AN AERIAL SURVEY TO BE PERFORMED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.* SOME OF THE TORNADO TRACK DATA MAY NEED TO BE ADJUSTED
DEPENDING ON RESULTS OF THE AERIAL SURVEY.

UPDATED INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.