ABUS34 KFTW 292347 PNSFTW PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TEXAS 545 PM CST WED MAR 29 2000 ...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM FINDS F3 DAMAGE FROM TORNADO IN ARLINGTON... A TEAM OF METEOROLOGISTS HAS BEEN EXAMINING THE STORM DAMAGE IN FORT WORTH AND ARLINGTON TODAY. THEIR PRELIMINARY CONCLUSION IS THAT THE DAMAGE IN FORT WORTH RATES F2 ON THE FUJITA SCALE...WHILE THE DAMAGE IN ARLINGTON IS A HIGH AS F3 OVER A SMALL AREA WEST OF THE ARLINGTON AIRPORT. THE REST OF THE DAMAGE IN ARLINGTON APPEARS TO BE F2 OR LOWER. F2 DAMAGE IS CLASSIFIED AS SIGNIFICANT TORNADO...WITH WIND SPEEDS IN THE 113-157 MPH RANGE. DAMAGE IS CHARACTERIZED BY ROOFS TORN OFF HOMES...MOBILE HOMES DEMOLISHED...AND LARGE TREES SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. F3 DAMAGE IS CLASSIFIED AS A SEVERE TORNADO...WITH WIND SPEEDS IN THE 158-206 MPH RANGE. DAMAGE IS CHARACTERIZED BY ROOF AND WALLS TORN OFF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOUSES...OVERTURNED TRAINS...AND MOST TREES UPROOTED. THE DAMAGE IN FORT WORTH APPARENTLY BEGAN NEAR CASTLEBERRY HIGH SCHOOL...JUST NORTH OF WHITE SETTLEMENT ROAD NEAR THE WEST FORK OF THE TRINITY RIVER...AND ENDS IN DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH. THE GREATEST DAMAGE...F2....IS NEAR THE WARDS AND CASH AMERICA BUILDINGS ON 7TH STREET...JUST WEST OF DOWNTOWN. MOST OF THE DAMAGE IN ARLINGTON APPEARS TO BEGIN NEAR COOPER STREET...JUST SOUTH OF I-20. THE GREATEST DAMAGE...F3...IS NEAR BARDIN ROAD...EAST OF MATLOCK. THE DAMAGE PATH APPEARS TO MOVE ACROSS THE NORTH SIDE OF ARLINGTON AIRPORT...AND AFFECTED TRAFFIC ON I-20 EAST OF THE AIRPORT. THE DAMAGE APPEARS TO END NEAR THE TARRANT-DALLAS COUNTY LINE NEAR I-20. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE WAS REPORTED IN GRAND PRAIRIE. NO ASSESSMENT HAS BEEN MADE ON THIS DAMAGE YET. IT IS EMPHASIZED THAT THIS IS STILL A PRELIMINARY REPORT. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WILL MAKE A FINAL DETERMINATION ON STRENGTH AND TIMES OF THE TORNADOES AFTER THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATING DAMAGE REPORTS...RADAR...AND AVAILABLE VIDEO. WE APPRECIATE THE COOPERATION OF OUR PARTNERS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT... FIRE DEPARTMENTS...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT...SPOTTERS...THE MEDIA...AND THE PUBLIC TO WORK TOGETHER TO REDUCE THE LOSS OF LIFE AND INJURIES IN SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS. ELY