NWS Confirms EF-1 Tornado Touched Down In Shelton Friday

SHELTON, WA — An EF-1 tornado touched down near Shelton Friday evening, moving over land for five minutes before dissipating as a waterspout. The National Weather Service sent a survey crew to the area on Saturday afternoon, mapping the trail .68 miles before it disappeared into the Pickering Passage. A video posted to social media Friday night prompted the crew's visit.

A preliminary evaluation published Saturday night estimates winds between 90 to 100 mph and a damage path almost 90 yards wide. According to NWS, no injuries were reported, and most damage came from uprooted fir and cedar trees, which fell on at least two homes. A tornado warning was not in effect at the time, due to the limited ability of radar systems to detect weak tornadoes. Earlier this month, another small tornado briefly touched down near Grand Mound.