Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS Pittsburgh, PA
Issued by NWS Pittsburgh, PA
263 NOUS41 KPBZ 131949 PNSPBZ PAZ029- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT National Weather Service PITTSBURGH PA 339 PM EDT Mon May 13 2024 ....NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR MAY 11TH 2024 NORTH FINLEYVILLE TORNADO EVENT... THIS WAS UPDATED FOR THE NARRATIVE SUMMARY. PRELIMINARY RATING: EF2 ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 118 MPH PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 5.92 MILES PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 200 YARDS FATALITIES: 0 INJURIES: 2 START DATE: 05/11/2024 START TIME: 06:06 PM EDT START LOCATION: 2 N VENETIA/ WASHINGTON COUNTY /PA START LAT/LON: 40.27 / -80.06 END DATE: 05/11/2024 END TIME: 06: 19 PM EDT END LOCATION: 1 NW ELRAMA/ WASHINGTON COUNTY /PA END LAT/LON: 40.26 / -79.95 SURVEY SUMMARY: A NWS SURVEY CONFIRMED THAT AN EF-2 TORNADO, WITH WINDS PEAKING NEAR 118MPH, TRACKED THROUGH NORTHERN WASHINGTON COUNTY ON THE EVENING OF MAY 11, 2024. THE LENGTH WAS 5.92 MILES AND THE MAXIMUM WIDTH WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 200 YARDS. THE TORNADO FIRST TOUCHED DOWN ALONG OAK RIDGE DRIVE, WHERE MINOR TREE DAMAGE WAS NOTED, ESTIMATED WIND GUSTS IN THIS VICINITY WERE NEAR 90 MPH TO 95 MPH. THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO TRACK ACROSS A FARM HILLSIDE, THEN IT HIT A SMALL SHED IN A PLANNING COMMUNITY ON EQUESTRIAN DRIVE. TREE DAMAGE WAS ALSO NOTED ALONG EQUESTRIAN DRIVE, BRIDE TRAIL, TURKEYFOOT ROAD, FOX RUN ROAD, AND DOUBLTREE DRIVE. THE TORNADO INTENSIFIED NEAR CHURCH HILL ROAD AND GREYHAWK CIRCLE, WHERE A TWO STORY GARAGE RECEIVED HEAVY DAMAGE. THE ROOF AND SIDE WALLS WERE TOSSED 50 TO 75 YARDS DOWNSTREAM. LARGE HARDWOOD TREES WERE ALSO SNAPPED AND/OR UPROOTED NEXT TO THE DESTROYED GARAGE BETWEEN KINGSTON CIRCLE AND GREYHAWK CIRCLE. SHINGLE DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO A NUMBER OF HOMES ALONG KINGSTON CIRCLE AND HEDGEROW DRIVE. VIRAL VIDEO FOOTAGE WAS CAPTURED ALONG LONGLEAF DRIVE AS THE TORNADO TRACKED OVER A FIELD AND IMPACTED HOMES ALONG MCCLELLAND ROAD. ONE HOME ON MCCLELLAND ROAD LOST 50% OF THEIR ROOF, HAD A DESTROYED SHED, AND A NUMBER OF TREES WERE EITHER SNAPPED OR UPROOTED SURROUNDING THE PROPERTY. THEIR NEIGHBOR HAD THEIR ENTIRE GARAGE DESTROYED AND HAD SOME SHINGLE DAMAGE, THE TORNADO LIFTED THE METAL ROOF OF THE GARAGE AND SIDING OVER 500 YARDS TOWARDS ROUTE 88. THE TORNADO CONTINUED TOWARDS WALTER LONG ROAD AND CAUSED ROOF DAMAGE AT CROSSROADS MINISTRIES. A RELIGIOUS SERVICE WAS BEING HELD AT THE TIME AND ATTENDEES RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AS BROKEN GLASS FROM WINDOWS BLEW OUT. THE CHURCH STEEPLE BROKE FREE FROM THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING AND LANDED IN PIECES ON A FEW PARKED CARS. ABOUT 1,000 SQUARE FEET OF THE CHURCH LOST ITS ENTIRE ROOF. INSULATION FROM THE CHURCH WAS FOUND 2.5 MILES AWAY IN SOME TREES (ALONG STONE CHURCH ROAD). AS THE TORNADO TRACKED TOWARDS STATE ROUTE 88 THE RANGE OF MAXIMUM WIND SPEED WAS BETWEEN 111 MPH TO 118 MPH. SIGNIFICANT TREE DAMAGE AND A POWER POLE BETWEEN MORGAN LANE AND RIDGE AVE WAS SNAPPED ADJACENT TO ROUTE 88. THE TORNADO CONTINUED TOWARDS BROWNSVILLE ROAD EXTENSION WHERE LARGE TREES WERE UPROOTED AND/OR SNAPPED AND ROOF DAMAGE WAS VISIBLE TO A HOME. A STORAGE SHED, AT THE INTERSECTION OF CHEVY CHASE DRIVE, MCCHAIN ROAD, AND SEWARD ROAD LOSS OVER 20% OF ITS METAL ROOF AND PORTIONS OF ITS SIDE WALLS. ADDITIONAL TREE DAMAGE WAS NOTED ALONG CURRY LANE, DENNISON LANE, ABER ROAD, AND LOBBS RUN ROAD BEFORE THE TORNADO DISSIPATED LESS THAN 2 MILES NORTHWEST OF ELRAMA, PA. && THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT AND PUBLICATION IN NWS STORM DATA. $$ HEFFERAN