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NOUS41 KPBZ 281650
PNSPBZ
PAZ021-073-074-077-078-290600-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
National Weather Service PITTSBURGH PA
1250 PM EDT Fri Jun 28 2024

...NWS Damage Surveys for Wednesday 6/26/24 Tornado Events in Allegheny,
Westmoreland and Indiana Counties...

.On the evening of Wednesday, June 26th, just before 730 PM EDT,
a small, but intense squall line rapidly developed along the
Washington and Allegheny county line just southwest of Imperial.
This storm progressed rapidly eastward over the next hour,
traveling nearly 50 mph just south of US 22, all the way to the
Laurel Highlands. In addition to widespread straight-line wind
damage, this storm ultimately spawned 4 tornadoes, including two
that were at one point on the ground simultaneously south of
Delmont in Westmoreland county. A 5th tornado was documented with
a separate storm over Greene county. These storms were well
sampled by both the NWS Doppler Radar in Moon Township, as well as
the Pittsburgh International Airport Terminal Doppler Radar
located near Frankfort Springs in Beaver County.

This statement documents 3 of Wednesday`s tornadoes:
1.) An EF-1 that began in extreme eastern Allegheny county near
Wilmerding, and moved east-southeast across Trafford, and ending
in the Bushy Run Battlefield area a few miles north of Jeanette.
2.) An EF-2 that began southwest of Export, and passed just
south of Route 22, crossing PA-66 just south of Delmont, and ending near Rt
119 near New Alexandria.
3.) An EF-0 which briefly impacted areas just north of Blairsville on
the north side of Route 22.


.Allegheny/Westmoreland Counties including Wilmerding, Trafford, Bushy Run...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    110 mph
Path Length /statute/:  10 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   300 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             06/26/2024
Start Time:             07:57 PM EDT
Start Location:         Wilmerding / Allegheny County / PA
Start Lat/Lon:          40.3894 / -79.808

End Date:               06/26/2024
End Time:               08:11 PM EDT
End Location:           2 NNW Jeannette / Westmoreland County / PA
End Lat/Lon:            40.3565 / -79.6204

Survey Summary:

Ground and aerial surveys confirmed tornado damage began in the
high terrain south of Turtle Creek, in the Wilmerding and East
McKeesport area, continuing across Trafford, through hilly, rural
terrain and ultimately crossing the Pennsylvania Turnpike before
finally dissipating just east of the Bushy Run Battlefield
parkland near Harrison City. Damage with this tornado was
primarily confined to trees, of which untold thousands were
damaged, uprooted, or snapped along the tornado`s path.
Considerable tree damage was observed throughout Trafford, along
with minor roof damage, and utility pole separation leading to
widespread power outages. Both dugouts at the baseball field
adjacent to Trafford Elementary/Middle school were also
destroyed. Other areas of concentrated tree damage were noted in
the dense woodlands near Pine Hollow road, neighborhoods around
Government Road just west of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, as well as
in the Bushy Run Battlefield park area near Harrison City. Areas
of straight-line wind damage, similar in intensity to the tornado,
were sporadically observed both north and south of the tornado.


.Westmoreland County including areas just south of Export, Delmont
and New Alexandria...

Rating:                 EF2
Estimated Peak Wind:    115 mph
Path Length /statute/:  11 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   200 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             06/26/2024
Start Time:             08:06 PM EDT
Start Location:         2 SW Export / Westmoreland County / PA
Start Lat/Lon:          40.3955 / -79.6606

End Date:               06/26/2024
End Time:               08:20 PM EDT
End Location:           2 SW New Alexandria / Westmoreland County / PA
End Lat/Lon:            40.3768 / -79.456

Survey Summary:

The second tornado to impact Westmoreland county actually began
just north of the previous tornado while it was still ongoing,
with roughly 5 minutes of overlap. Had this tornado occurred just
one mile north of its documented track, it would have resulted in
major impacts to densely populated residential areas as well as
numerous commercial businesses along Route 22. This tornado began
west of the Manor Valley golf course, causing significant tree
damage to both it, the Cloverleaf golf course, and several
properties along Boquet road before crossing PA 66. The tornado
intensified as it then moved across Beaver Run Road, Jobes Road,
Crooked Run Road, and Winter lane, before crossing PA 819. Low end
EF-2 damage was first observed along Jobes road where the tornado
descending down a steep hillside, snapping and uprooting dozens
of trees. After crossing Rt 819, the tornado crossed Orr Rd,
producing roof damage to the Orrco plant, significant tree damage
to neighboring homes, as well as roof and silo damage to a
downstream farmstead along Hannastown Rd. Just northwest of the
Orrco building, the survey revealed an outcropping of mature trees
where the vast majority had been snapped, also yielding low end
EF-2 damage. The tornado continued east-southeast for another
couple of miles, steadily weakening while producing more sporadic
tree damage until dissipating near US 119.



.Blairsville...

Rating:                 EF0
Estimated Peak Wind:    75 mph
Path Length /statute/:  0.33 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   30 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             06/26/2024
Start Time:             08:30 PM EDT
Start Location:         2 WNW Blairsville / Indiana County / PA
Start Lat/Lon:          40.4556 / -79.2949

End Date:               06/26/2024
End Time:               08:31 PM EDT
End Location:           2 WNW Blairsville / Indiana County / PA
End Lat/Lon:            40.4524 / -79.2904

Survey Summary:
A ground survey team confirmed a brief EF-0 tornado touch down
occurred around 830 PM just northwest of Blairsville, primarily
along Newport Rd, where concentrated and convergent, albeit minor,
tree damage was observed just north of the oxbow in Two Lick creek
and the Conemaugh River.

&&

EF Scale: The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the
following categories:

EF0.....65 to 85 mph
EF1.....86 to 110 mph
EF2.....111 to 135 mph
EF3.....136 to 165 mph
EF4.....166 to 200 mph
EF5.....>200 mph

NOTE:
The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to
change pending final review of the events and publication in
NWS Storm Data.


$$

Bookbinder/Hefferan/Rackley/Frazier