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Overview
During the afternoon of June 1, 2018, a storm dropped four tornadoes around Gillette, WY.
Based on video evidence, a brief tornado touched down about 11 miles west of Gillette. It was located between Montgomery Road and Echeta Road, south of the Oriva Hills subdivision. It was on the ground for about four minutes, from around 1:34 pm MDT until 1:38 pm MDT. Since there was no visible damage, this tornado was rated as EF-0.
As the first tornado dissipated, a second tornado developed just north of the first one. The second tornado touched down about 10 miles west northwest of Gillette around 1:41 pm MDT. It traveled in an east northeast direction and dissipated around 1:52 pm MDT. It was on the ground for around 11 minutes over the Oriva Hills subdivision. The tornado destroyed and damaged numerous homes and outbuildings, rolled vehicles, and snapped electrical transmission poles and trees. The majority of damage associated with the tornado was consistent with an EF-1 and EF-2 tornado, but the most severe damage was consistent with an EF-3 tornado. Therefore, this tornado has been rated EF-3, with winds estimated around 136 mph.
The third tornado was a short-lived landspout. It developed 3 miles north northeast of Gillette, in the Warrior Hills Subdivision. It was on the ground for one half mile, from around 1:55 pm MDT until 1:56 pm MDT. It damaged a large shed, flipped a camper onto a vehicle, destroyed another camper, and damaged several wooden fences. This tornado has been rated as EF-1, with winds estimated around 90 mph.
The fourth tornado touched down over the west pit of the Eagle Butte Mine at 1:59 pm MDT, about 7 miles north of Gillette. This tornado traveled in an east northeast direction for around 8 minutes before dissipating just east of the Dry Fork Power Plant around 2:07 pm MDT. This tornado snapped and bent over seven power poles, damaged the control room building at the mine, and damaged several vehicles at the Eagle Butte Mine and Dry Fork Power Plant. A dumpster was also thrown a few hundred yards. This damage has been rated EF-1, with winds estimated around 100 mph.
Tornadoes:
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Tornado 1 - Gillette, WY
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Tornado 2 - Gillette, WY
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Tornado 3 - Gillette, WY
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Tornado 4 - Gillette, WY
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The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:
| EF0 Weak 65-85 mph |
EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph |
EF2 Significant 111-135 mph |
EF3 Severe 136-165 mph |
EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph |
EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph |
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Tornado 1: EF-0 Tornado between Montgomery Road and Echeta Road
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| Looking south southwest from Oriva Hills Subdivision (photo courtesy of Cary Morris) |
Tornado 2: Oriva Hills Subdivision EF-3 Tornado
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| Tornado Moving Through Oriva Hills (photo courtesy of Suzanne Hansen) |
Tornado Moving Through Oriva Hills (photo courtesy of Cody Brosa) |
Tornado Moving Through Oriva Hills (photo courtesy of Cody Brosa) |
Tornado Moving Through Oriva Hills (photo courtesy of Cody Brosa) |
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| Site of EF-3 Damage (NWS Storm Survey) |
Site of EF-3 Damage (NWS Storm Survey) |
Modular Home on Concrete Foundation (NWS Storm Survey) |
Modular Home on Concrete Foundation (NWS Storm Survey) |
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| Modular Home on Concrete Foundation (NWS Storm Survey) |
First Damaged Home (NWS Storm Survey) |
Tied Down Modular Home (NWS Storm Survey) |
Dump Truck Thrown Over Ridge 150 yards (NWS Storm Survey) |
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| Tied Down Modular Home (NWS Storm Survey) |
Snapped Electrical Poles (NWS Storm Survey) |
Reflectivity (storm intensity) (NWS WSR-88D Doppler Radar) |
Velocity (wind) (NWS WSR-88D Doppler Radar) |
🌪ï¸NEW VIDEO🌪ï¸
— Live Storm Chasers (@LiveStormChaser) June 1, 2018
Damaging tornado this afternoon across parts of Gillette, WY
Viewer Bailey D shared us these videos!
Date: 06-01-2018
Location: Gillette, WY#WYwx pic.twitter.com/hQxeTYhRKc
Tornado 3: Landspout North of Gillette
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| Damage on Warrior Road (NWS Storm Survey) |
Damage on Warrior Road (NWS Storm Survey) |
Tornado 4: EF-1 Tornado over Eagle Butte Mine and Dry Fork Power Plant
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| Photo of Tornado over Eagle Butte Mine Taken from Warrior Road (photo courtesy of Chad Worden) |
Photo of Tornado over Eagle Butte Mine (photo courtesy of Campbell County Emergency Management) |
Reflectivity (storm intensity) (NWS WSR-88D Doppler Radar) |
Velocity (wind) (NWS WSR-88D Doppler Radar) |
Storm Reports
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD
404 PM MDT SUN JUN 03 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0130 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 12 W DOWNTOWN GILLETTE 44.29N 105.74W
06/01/2018 CAMPBELL WY FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
0130 PM HAIL 15 WNW DOWNTOWN GILLETT 44.36N 105.80W
06/01/2018 E1.00 INCH CAMPBELL WY PUBLIC
0134 PM TORNADO 11 W DOWNTOWN GILLETTE 44.30N 105.73W
06/01/2018 CAMPBELL WY PUBLIC
TORNADO WAS FROM 134 PM TO 138 PM. LOCATION AND TIME
ESTIMATED FROM VIDEO.
0140 PM HAIL 14 WNW DOWNTOWN GILLETT 44.37N 105.76W
06/01/2018 E1.50 INCH CAMPBELL WY PUBLIC
0141 PM TORNADO 10 WNW DOWNTOWN GILLETT 44.35N 105.69W
06/01/2018 CAMPBELL WY NWS STORM SURVEY
*** 2 INJ *** ...CORRECTED EVENT TIME... SEVERAL HOMES
DAMAGED OR DESTROYED, ROLLED VEHICLES, ELECTRICAL
TRANSMISSION LINES AND TREES SNAPPED. TORNADO WAS FROM
141 PM TO 152 PM.
0155 PM TORNADO 3 NNE DOWNTOWN GILLETTE 44.33N 105.48W
06/01/2018 CAMPBELL WY NWS STORM SURVEY
DAMAGED A LARGE SHED, FLIPPED A CAMPER ONTO A VEHICLE,
DESTROYED ANOTHER CAMPER, AND DAMAGED SEVERAL WOODEN
FENCES. SHORT LIVED LANDSPOUT FROM 155 PM TO 156 PM.
0159 PM TORNADO 8 NNW DOWNTOWN GILLETTE 44.40N 105.54W
06/01/2018 CAMPBELL WY NWS STORM SURVEY
7 POWER POLES SNAPPED, DAMAGE TO CONTROL ROOM AT THE
EAGLE BUTTE MINE, DAMAGE TO VEHICLES. TORNADO WAS FROM
159 PM TO 207 PM.
0207 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 10 N DOWNTOWN GILLETTE 44.44N 105.48W
06/01/2018 CAMPBELL WY LAW ENFORCEMENT
0225 PM HAIL 1 SSE DEVILS TOWER 44.58N 104.71W
06/01/2018 E1.50 INCH CROOK WY TRAINED SPOTTER
0225 PM HAIL 5 SW CARLILE 44.43N 104.87W
06/01/2018 E1.00 INCH CROOK WY TRAINED SPOTTER
0230 PM HAIL HULETT 44.68N 104.60W
06/01/2018 E1.00 INCH CROOK WY TRAINED SPOTTER
15-20 MINUTES OF HAIL... ALSO ESTIMATED 50 MPH WIND
GUSTS
0230 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 4 E DEVILS TOWER 44.60N 104.63W
06/01/2018 CROOK WY FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
0235 PM TSTM WND GST 2 SE HULETT 44.66N 104.57W
06/01/2018 M58 MPH CROOK WY AWOS
0315 PM HAIL COLONY 44.87N 104.16W
06/01/2018 E1.00 INCH CROOK WY TRAINED SPOTTER
0330 PM HAIL 5 SW KEYAPAHA 43.05N 100.20W
06/01/2018 E1.00 INCH TODD SD PUBLIC
0346 PM HAIL 2 SW KEYAPAHA 43.08N 100.16W
06/01/2018 E1.00 INCH TRIPP SD PUBLIC
0349 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 N BUFFALO 45.60N 103.55W
06/01/2018 M61 MPH HARDING SD ASOS
0356 PM TSTM WND GST NEWELL 44.72N 103.43W
06/01/2018 M61 MPH BUTTE SD MESONET
0400 PM HAIL 7 NW NEWELL 44.79N 103.52W
06/01/2018 E1.75 INCH BUTTE SD PUBLIC
0400 PM HAIL 2 N NEWELL 44.74N 103.42W
06/01/2018 E1.25 INCH BUTTE SD TRAINED SPOTTER
QUARTER TO HALF DOLLAR SIZED HAIL FROM 400 PM TO 408
PM.
0406 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 E DOWNTOWN SPEARFISH 44.48N 103.79W
06/01/2018 M58 MPH LAWRENCE SD AWOS
0410 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 7 NNE RALPH 45.86N 102.98W
06/01/2018 M63 MPH HARDING SD DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
0430 PM TSTM WND GST 1 ENE MUD BUTTE 45.01N 102.86W
06/01/2018 M75 MPH MEADE SD DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
0440 PM TSTM WND GST 1 ENE MUD BUTTE 45.01N 102.86W
06/01/2018 M59 MPH MEADE SD DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
0445 PM HAIL 2 ESE WINNER 43.36N 99.83W
06/01/2018 E1.00 INCH TRIPP SD TRAINED SPOTTER
0445 PM HEAVY RAIN 2 ESE WINNER 43.36N 99.83W
06/01/2018 M1.13 INCH TRIPP SD TRAINED SPOTTER
0510 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 NW WASTA 44.10N 102.50W
06/01/2018 M63 MPH PENNINGTON SD DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
0510 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 WSW RED ELM 45.05N 101.80W
06/01/2018 M63 MPH ZIEBACH SD DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
0510 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 NNE FAITH 45.04N 102.02W
06/01/2018 M70 MPH MEADE SD ASOS
0542 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 E PHILIP 44.05N 101.60W
06/01/2018 M62 MPH HAAKON SD ASOS
0620 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 8 S WALL 43.88N 102.24W
06/01/2018 M60 MPH PENNINGTON SD MESONET
&&
The storm reports listed below are in descending order and may not
necessarily be the final storm reports.
Hail reports listed by size (inches)
SIZE LOCATION ST COUNTY TIME
------ ----------------------- -- -------------- -------
1.75 7 NW NEWELL SD BUTTE 0400 PM
1.50 1 SSE DEVILS TOWER WY CROOK 0225 PM
1.50 14 WNW DOWNTOWN GILLETT WY CAMPBELL 0140 PM
1.25 2 N NEWELL SD BUTTE 0400 PM
QUARTER TO HALF DOLLAR SIZED HAIL FROM 400 PM
TO 408 PM.
1.00 2 ESE WINNER SD TRIPP 0445 PM
1.00 2 SW KEYAPAHA SD TRIPP 0346 PM
1.00 5 SW KEYAPAHA SD TODD 0330 PM
1.00 COLONY WY CROOK 0315 PM
1.00 HULETT WY CROOK 0230 PM
15-20 MINUTES OF HAIL... ALSO ESTIMATED 50
MPH WIND GUSTS
1.00 5 SW CARLILE WY CROOK 0225 PM
1.00 15 WNW DOWNTOWN GILLETT WY CAMPBELL 0130 PM
Tstm wind reports listed by speed (mph)
SPEED LOCATION ST COUNTY TIME
------ ----------------------- -- -------------- -------
75.00 1 ENE MUD BUTTE SD MEADE 0430 PM
61.00 NEWELL SD BUTTE 0356 PM
59.00 1 ENE MUD BUTTE SD MEADE 0440 PM
58.00 2 SE HULETT WY CROOK 0235 PM
Rain amounts (inches)
AMOUNT LOCATION ST COUNTY TIME
------ ----------------------- -- -------------- -------
1.13 2 ESE WINNER SD TRIPP 0445 PM
Wind gust reports listed by speed (mph)
SPEED LOCATION ST COUNTY TIME
------ ----------------------- -- -------------- -------
70.00 1 NNE FAITH SD MEADE 0510 PM
63.00 1 WSW RED ELM SD ZIEBACH 0510 PM
63.00 3 NW WASTA SD PENNINGTON 0510 PM
63.00 7 NNE RALPH SD HARDING 0410 PM
62.00 3 E PHILIP SD HAAKON 0542 PM
61.00 1 N BUFFALO SD HARDING 0349 PM
60.00 8 S WALL SD PENNINGTON 0620 PM
58.00 4 E DOWNTOWN SPEARFISH SD LAWRENCE 0406 PM
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