Published: June 16, 2008 09:27 pm      

Storm lashes region; tornado reported in Rock

PRINCETON — Authorities with the National Weather Service were awaiting word Monday about local damage before deciding whether to dispatch a storm survey team to determine whether a tornado had touched down in Mercer County.

Mercer County 911 received reports at 5:55 p.m. that a tornado had appeared in the Rock area. Damage had been seen along Rock River Road, trees were down and a tree had struck a house, a dispatcher said. No injuries were reported Monday evening.

Based on radar observations, there were “strong circular motions” in the wind at that area, said meteorologist Phillip Manuel with the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Va. The center had not confirmed that a tornado had touched down.

“We won’t know until we can find out exactly what happened there,” Manuel said. “Right now we’re just getting third-party reports.”

The weather service had called local first responders to get descriptions of the scene. If damage is reported, a storm survey team can be sent to determine if a tornado caused it, he said.

Local authorities were watchful Monday after the weather service issued a tornado warning for southern Mercer County in West Virginia and western Giles and northern Bland counties in Virginia. The storm was capable of producing golf-sized hail and destructive straight-line winds One report the weather service received involved “quarter-sized hail” in the Glenwood area, Manuel said.

“A lady in Glenwood measured it and it was about an inch and an eighth, a little bigger than a quarter, and there were reports of penny sized around Princeton,” he said.

Administrative personnel with the Princeton Police Department said the city experienced heavy rain and “pea-sized” hail.

Several women standing outside the Montcalm Food Store in the center of town reported hail about “dime sized” but they saw no tornado touch down. There was minor debris in Montcalm and on surrounding roads.

No damage was reported in Bland or Giles counties. McDowell County 911 did not recieve reports of storm damage.

— Samantha Perry contributed to this report