Mesocyclone and RFD induced damaging winds observed in the 27 May 2004 southwest Ohio supercell

During the early evening hours of 27 May 2004, in an environment classified by moderate instability and shear, a supercell developed in rather close proximity to the Wilmington, Ohio WSR-88D (KILN). Although this supercell was responsible for producing two brief, but weak tornadoes (F0 and F1), it was the preponderance of damaging winds that marked this storm. High resolution 8-bit base reflectivity and velocity data from the Wilmington WSR-88D revealed direct correlation between both the low-level mesocyclone and the rear flank downdraft (RFD) with areas of non-tornadic damaging winds. Storm-scale analysis will show that at a range as close as 10 nm to KILN, the low-level mesocyclone, as viewed via the 0.5 degree elevation angle, extended down to 600 ft AGL. Inference could be made here for the low-level mesocyclone making contact with the ground. The RFD is then shown to wrap out ahead of the low-level mesocyclone, and becomes a dominant source for damaging winds.