5 Tornadoes Confirmed In Philly Region: See Investigation Details

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Investigators with the National Weather Service confirmed there were five tornadoes in Eastern Pennsylvania during the severe storms that hit the region Thursday.

The most severe of those tornadoes was in Bensalem, where an EF-3 tornado with peak winds of 140 miles per hour caused widespread destruction.

Here are the National Weather Service's findings on each tornado:

Somerton-Trevose-Bensalem Tornado

Rating: EF-3
Estimated Peak Wind: 140 mph
Path Length /statute/: 3.5 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 530 yards (0.3 miles)
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 5

NWS investigation findings:

As the tornado approached Somerton Road, it began intensifying and widening substantially as it moved into the Metropolitan Industrial Center. Numerous softwood and hardwood trees were snapped or uprooted in the SUEZ Water Company property southwest of and along Somerton Road. Five wooden power poles were snapped near the ground along Somerton Road as well at the northern end ofthe SUEZ property. All seven warehouse buildings in the industrial complex northeast of Somerton Road sustained at least minor damage, with the most significant occurring to the Northtec building. Numerous roof mounted HVAC units were shifted or blown off of a few of the buildings in the industrial complex. Open bay doors in the western- most building caused a non-load bearing interior wall to collapse. A sedan was lifted and flipped over in the Northtec parking lot and a steel flag pole bearing a flag flattened completely to the ground.

The Northtec building sustained substantial structural damage where large sections of roofing material were removed. Additionally, numerous exterior paneling was blown off, garage bay doors were blown out, a few windows were blown out, and at least two large HVAC units were blown off of the building. Numerous softwood and hardwood trees were uprooted or snapped in the industrial complex and immediately adjacent areas.

Tree damage associated with the tornado occurred along Carter Road and Sussex Road north of Buckfield Terrace. This was the area where the tornado circulation reached its widest extent of around three tenths of a mile. As the tornado neared and crossed the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I- 276), an overhead roadway information sign was blown off and a portion of it landed downstream nearly a half mile away. Just north of the turnpike, minor cosmetic damage occurred to a hotel building where a tree was also uprooted in the parking lot. A large billboard was blown over just north of the turnpike and south of Street Road. A small utility building nearby had its roof blown off. The northern- most extent of the damage occurred on the Toscana 52 restaurant property where the tornado blew down some chain link fencing and uprooted a few small trees in the parking lot.

The tornado continued east-northeastward across Street Road toward the Faulkner car dealership complex where it began intensifying and somewhat narrowing its path of damage. The four dealership showrooms sustained significant damage where most windows were blown out and at least some roofing material was blown off. The most significant damage occurred to the Buick/GMC showroom where most of the roofing material was blown off, all windows and doors were blown out, and exterior walls exhibited fracturing due to stress from the wind. Roof HVAC units of this building were tossed into the parking lot behind the building. All of the dealership signs near the main road were destroyed. Scores of new and used vehicles sustained significant damage from flying debris or from being pushed or tossed through the air.

The tornado continued toward the dealership`s main service garage where the most significant damage occurred. The southwestern portion of the building was destroyed with most exterior walls collapsing completely and all roofing material blown off. Interior walls mostly remained standing. Roof HVAC units were tossed off of the building with one unit landing nearly 200 yards downstream of the building. Damage sustained to the building decreased somewhat toward the eastern end of it where portions of the exterior walls were damaged and almost all garage bay doors were blown out. The wind rushing through the garage area carried debris, car parts, and tools well away from the structure downstream. Some vehicles near the main garage building were completely destroyed from large pieces of flying debris or from being tossed and dropped back onto the ground. A small pickup truck was crushed from a collapsed exterior wall. Five people reportedly sustained minor injuries at the dealership complex.

The tornado continued east-northeast toward the Weisser Homes mobile home park and into an area of trees which sustained significant damage. Most tree canopies and limbs were completely stripped from the still standing or snapped trunks of hardwood trees in this area. A large storage container filled with car parts from the service garage parking lot upstream was lofted into the air and dropped into this area of trees. An uninhabited mobile home model was lifted and completely destroyed at the mobile home park. Another double-wide mobile home had a large portion of its roof blown off. Several other mobile home sustained varying degrees of damage as well. A large amount of various debris from the dealership complex landed in this mobile home park. Numerous softwood and hardwood trees near and just downstream of this area were snapped or uprooted along Old Lincoln Highway.

At this stage, the tornado damage path narrowed considerably and intensity weakened significantly as it crossed Old Lincoln Highway and moved toward the Lowe`s and Walmart shopping centers on Route 1. The tornado passed over these shopping centers, but no structural damage was noted to these structures. Numerous small trees were snapped and uprooted in the large parking lot area and line of trees just north of the Bensalem turnpike interchange. Some exit ramp signs were blown down in the interchange area.

The tornado damage became somewhat discontinuous as it continued east-southeast into Bensalem across Route 1 and toward a residential neighborhood. Several homes in the neighborhood sustained loss of some roofing material and other cosmetic damage
in addition to some tree damage.

The tornado continued across Rockhill Road and along Richlieu Road toward the Christian Life Center, where several trees were snapped or uprooted. The church`s steeple had some paneling blown off, but the steeple itself was not damaged otherwise. The tornado continued weakening as it crossed Galloway Road then dissipated in the Bensalem Township Community Park where some minor tree damage occurred.

Plumstead Township Tornado

Rating: EF-1
Estimated Peak Wind: 90 mph
Path Length /statute/: 2.6 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 70 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0

NWS investigation findings:

"Tree damage began in the area of Bradshaw Rd in Plumstead Twp in Bucks County, where a few sizable limbs were downed and a couple of larger but weakened trees were snapped. The tornado then entered a cornfield near the intersection of Ferry Rd and Point Pleasant Pike. Some degree of convergence was noted in a narrow path of downed corn, though it was not overly strong. In addition, some trees adjacent to and southeast of the cornfield were also damaged. The damage became more substantial with a clearer rotation signature observed in the area of Ridgeview Dr, where a number of trees were snapped, favoring higher elevation areas along a ridge line.

The snapping and shearing of trees in that area and the nature of the debris field strongly indicated tornadic damage, with the magnitude of damage meriting an EF1 rating. The tornado continued southeastward through Carversville Rd and to the area of Long Ln in Buckingham Twp. Several residences along and near Long Ln sustained tree damage. The tornado impacted Maximuck`s Farm Market on Long Ln, where greenhouses sustained roof damage and some uplift of their frames.

Some convergence was also noted in crop fields on the property. Just southeast of the greenhouses, a barn on the property was heavily damaged with a partial collapse of its walls. However, just beyond the barn, a large stretch of cornfields and a tree line beyond the cornfields were left untouched, indicating the tornado lifted near the damaged barn."

New Hope to Hopewell Twp Tornado

Rating: EF-2
Estimated Peak Wind: 120 mph
Path Length /statute/: 6.4 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 400 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0

NWS Investigation findings:

The supercell storm which produced a tornado in Plumstead Twp cycled and produced another tornado beginning in New Hope in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Tree damage began near River Rd just west of the Delaware River, with a portion of River Rd closed and impassable due to downed trees. The tornado crossed the Delaware River and entered Mercer County, New Jersey, in the area of Washington Crossing. Multiple reports of residential tree damage were received from Washington Crossing, and the survey team observed tree damage along River Rd on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River.

From there, the tornado continued southeast and crossed Pleasant Valley Rd. The first indications of EF2 damage came on that road, with numerous large hardwood and softwood trees snapped, sheared, and/or uprooted. The tornado continued southeastward and crossed through Baldpate Mountain. Continued heavy tree damage was observed in this area. An access road to the top of the mountain was barely passable when the survey team reached it in late afternoon, after many hours of tree clearing work by local parks officials and private companies. Hundreds of trees were snapped or damaged on this mountain. Damage continued down the mountain through Fiddlers Creek Rd and Church Rd. The tornado path then crossed Washington Crossing State Park. Further damage was observed just southeast along Bear Tavern Rd. In fact, some of the largest downed trees were observed in this area.

However, by this point damage became increasingly unidirectional as the storm`s rear flank downdraft likely wrapped around the tornadic circulation. Sufficient evidence of tornadic winds still existed in the Bear Tavern Rd area, but it is estimated the tornado lifted soon after, shortly before entering much more densely populated areas near the Trenton Mercer Airport.

Northeast Philadelphia Tornado

Rating: EF-0
Estimated Peak Wind: 80 mph
Path Length /statute/: 0.46 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 40 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0

NWS investigation findings:

A brief tornado occurred in the Bustleton section of Northeast Philadelphia. Damage was first observed near Grant Ave at the Grant Gardens apartment complex, where some minor loss of roofing material was noted and debris was tossed in a chaotic manner consistent with tornadic winds. The tornado moved east-southeast across Roosevelt Blvd. Continued minor structural damage was noted along a narrow path, mainly consisting of sporadic losses of siding and insulation. Minor tree damage was also noted. One building also had ceiling tiles pulled downward with insulation removed in a car park area, a strong indicator of tornadic pressure gradient forces. Near Blue Glass Rd, a couple of slightly larger trees had their trunks snapped, and winds of around 80 mph likely occurred in that area. The damage path ended near there, however, after a track length of only around half a mile. Radar data indicates this was an anticyclonic tornado.

Slatington Tornado

Rating: EF-0
Estimated Peak Wind: 85 mph
Path Length /statute/: 0.6 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 75 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0

NWS investigation findings:

A tornado touched down on the grounds of Northern Lehigh High School in Slatington. Several trees were snapped or uprooted at the high school, with most of the snapping occurring high up in the trees. A wooden dugout on the school`s baseball field lost its roof, and some unanchored metal bleachers were tossed. Damage was mostly blown in a similar west to east direction, but there was some evidence of convergence especially in tree damage in the area. The path continued almost straight west to east from the high school to the Slatington Airport. An airplane hangar door was blown out, and there was tree damage on the airport property. Damage became more unidirectional near the airport as the circulation likely gusted out. Little if any damage occurred east of the airport property, and that is where the tornado path is estimated to have ended.