NOUS41 KBUF 021540 CCA PNSBUF NYZ001>008-010>014-019>021-085-022100- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT CORRECTED DAMAGE SURVEY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY 1130 AM EDT TUE AUG 2 2005 ...TORNADO CONFIRMED IN LEWIS COUNTY ON MONDAY AUGUST 1ST... CORRECTED FOR TIME OF OCCURRENCE. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BUFFALO, NEW YORK HAS CONFIRMED THAT A TORNADO OCCURRED IN WESTERN LEWIS COUNTY IN THE TOWN OF MONTAGUE BETWEEN 450 PM AND 455 PM EDT ON MONDAY, AUGUST 1ST, 2005. THE CONFIRMATION WAS BASED ON A DAMAGE SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE LEWIS COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE. THE LOCATION OF THE TORNADO WAS IN A HEAVILY FORESTED...NON POPULATED AREA ALONG SALMON RIVER ROAD AT THE JUNCTION OF THE MAD RIVER. FROM A GROUND BASED SURVEY THE EXACT LENGTH OF THE DAMAGE PATH WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED. HOWEVER OFFICIALS WERE ABLE TO ESTIMATE THAT THE TORNADO CUT A 1/4 MILE WIDE SWATH WHERE MANY TREES WERE EITHER DOWN IN SEVERAL DIRECTIONS...BROKEN OFF OR TWISTED. THE ROAD WAS BLOCKED COMPLETELY TO TRAFFIC. BASED ON THE INFORMATION GATHERED FROM THE SURVEY...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICIALS HAVE ESTIMATED THE STRENGTH OF THE TORNADO AS AN F1 ON THE FUJITA SCALE. THIS EQUATES TO A RANGE OF WIND SPEEDS BETWEEN 73 AND 112 MPH. $$ NIZIOL