Brad and John,
We any damage photographs taken beyond the road? Here is a link to the damage survey from the Dunoon multivortex tornadic event we suggested high end EF-1 possibly low end EF-2.
Hi Jimmy, we found little significant damage away from the main path (side roads were investigated) which amazingly followed the general direction of the road and rail line for the distances John noted. The nature of the damage path is such that there is a bitumin road adjacent to a dual rail line with in turn is abutted by a dirt road - all running parallel to each other with farmland on both sides. Therefore the width of the road/rail is quite wide and the damage was often observed across the whole width, accounting for the estimates of width of the damage path being consistently 100m (or more at times).
Having looked at your links provided I would have to say we observed significant widespread tree damage and scattered tree debris very similar in nature to the Dunoon pics but no structural damage of any real note.
For those interested in the damage survey and the area in question, here is a map link showing the towns mentioned. The damage path/s follow the direction of the railway line (north east from Avenel) which has a bitumin road alongside on the south eastern side and a dirt road alongside on the north western side.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=avenel+victoria&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Avenel+Victoria,+Australia&ei=acV4S8ewE4ugkQX8vOz5Cg&ved=0CAkQ8gEwAA&ll=-36.843087,145.352211&spn=0.196724,0.43808&z=12Our location during the storm when we were seeing, photographing and videoing intense storm behaviour was from Kirwans Bridge Longwood Rd generally looking SE to SSE towards Locksley and Avenel. Having reviewed photos (with high contrasting) and then found the damage path, the pieces of the jigsaw are coming together.
As John mentioned, reviewing our photos (in high contrast where necessary) revealed some amazing storm behaviour including a likely very large wide circulation with defined angular side walls (which we can now say corresponds well with the location of Avenel and Locksley) well before the action from the same storm closer to Longwood which produced the multi-vortice dusty tornado. It became apparent that a damage survey was appropriate so off we went. However, we werent anticipating the length and width of the damage path we would find, nor did we expect that we would find such impressive damage from as far southwest as Avenel. The nature of the damage includes significant amounts of grass flattened and clearly facing different directions, long thin grass reeds embedded and protruding under the rail line between the sleepers, many dozens of large gums damaged or brought down over long distances with many 100's of limbs and branches hanging in other trees or laying in different directions along the damage path. The evidence of vorticity throughout the damage path leaves us in no doubt that this was a tornadic event and matches our observations, photos and video at the time. Further investigation is needed closer to Longwood and on the eastern side of the Hume where our photos also indicate possible further tornadic behaviour including another suspicious looking large circulation to our SE becoming rain wrapped by a huge RFD as we raced NE up the Hume.
Brad.
