Weather Service Confirms Modest Oregon Tornado

A National Weather Service spokeswoman says a modest tornado did indeed touch down near the tiny Oregon town of Birkenfeld in the North Oregon Coast Range.

The Tuesday afternoon tornado was classified as an EF-0, which means it had wind speeds between 65 and 85 mph. The twister caused a small amount of damage to a home and snapped a tree.

According to The Oregonian, NWS spokeswoman Liana Ramirez says investigators based their determination on photos provided by a resident and a rotational signature on Doppler radar.

Unlike its response to the EF-1 tornado that smashed through several buildings June 13 in McMinnville, the Weather Service decided not to send a storm survey team to Birkenfeld.