750
NOUS41 KPBZ 190024
PNSPBZ
OHZ040-PAZ021-029-073-191230-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
National Weather Service PITTSBURGH PA
824 PM EDT Sat May 18 2024


...NWS Damage Surveys for 05/17/2024 Tornado Event...

.Leesville Lake Tornado...

Rating:                 EF0
Estimated Peak Wind:    80 mph
Path Length /statute/:  0.25 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   40 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             05/17/2024
Start Time:             01:33 PM EDT
Start Location:         2 NE Leesville / Carroll County / OH
Start Lat/Lon:          40.4655 / -81.1845

End Date:               05/17/2024
End Time:               01:35 PM EDT
End Location:           2 NE Leesville / Carroll County / OH
End Lat/Lon:            40.4669 / -81.1809

Survey Summary:
Video confirmed a brief tornado occurred beginning at the
Leesville Lake South Fork Marina and continuing northeast across
Leesville Lake. Rapid development was noted as a narrow, intense
ground circulation appeared, tossing docks and pontoon boats.
Based on the destruction of a tree in tandem with the destruction
of non-DIs evident in the video and the visual of rotational
speed of the ground circulation, the peak wind in this small
tornado is estimated to be EF0 (around 80 mph).

.Allegheny County Airport Tornado...

Rating:                 EFU
Estimated Peak Wind:    Unknown
Path Length /statute/:  Estimated at 0.6 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   Unknown
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             05/17/2024
Start Time:             02:48 PM EDT
Start Location:         1 W West Mifflin / Allegheny County / PA
Start Lat/Lon:          40.3588 / -79.9286

End Date:               05/17/2024
End Time:               02:50 PM EDT
End Location:           West Mifflin / Allegheny County / PA
End Lat/Lon:            40.3599 / -79.9171

Survey Summary:
Video evidence confirmed a brief, weak tornado tracking just
north of the Allegheny County Airport. Video analysis puts the
track across the industrial complex located at Noble Drive. No
known damage was observed, so wind estimates are unknown.

.Elrama/Elizabeth Tornado...

Rating:                 EF0
Estimated Peak Wind:    80 mph
Path Length /statute/:  5.9 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   75 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             05/17/2024
Start Time:             02:54 PM EDT
Start Location:         2 SW West Elizabeth / Washington County / PA
Start Lat/Lon:          40.2514 / -79.9271

End Date:               05/17/2024
End Time:               03:14 PM EDT
End Location:           1 E Lincoln / Allegheny County / PA
End Lat/Lon:            40.2924 / -79.83

Survey Summary:
Tornadic damage associated with this mesocyclone occurred
sporadically from near Elrama to eastern parts of Elizabeth, with
several gaps in the damage swath.

Damage in Elrama was the most notable along this track, where
multiple homes experienced removal of large portions of shingles,
with some also losing siding/soffit. Tree damage also was noted in
this area. The porch roof of a mobile home was removed and thrown
into a neighboring yard in this area, and a swimming pool
collapsed as the tornado attempted to lift it. Porch railings and
furniture were destroyed and tossed. Home owners reported extreme
difficulty attempting to close their front doors as the wind
increased rapidly within the tornadic circulation. No homes
suffered window loss, suggesting an upper bound on the wind speed.

Along the remainder of the path, sporadic tree damage was noted,
especially in the area of Boston Hollow Rd and Mansfield Rd. In
this segment of the circulation track, the swath of damage was
narrow, and characterized by uprooted trees and snapped limbs.

Video of this sporadically contracted/intensified circulation was
offered, confirming an occasional tornadic ground circulation to
supplement the reports of damage.

This tornado was rated EF0 with a peak wind speed of 80 mph.NWS
Pittsburgh appreciates those who shared their experiences and
damage with us to complete our assessment.

.Harrison City Tornado...

Rating:                 EF0
Estimated Peak Wind:    70 mph
Path Length /statute/:  2.9 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   100 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             05/17/2024
Start Time:             03:50 PM EDT
Start Location:         1 NE Manor / Westmoreland County / PA
Start Lat/Lon:          40.3578 / -79.6523

End Date:               05/17/2024
End Time:               04:00 PM EDT
End Location:           3 SSE Export / Westmoreland County / PA
End Lat/Lon:            40.381 / -79.6054

Survey Summary:
Damage was first noted in the vicinity of the Penn Township
Municipal Complex, where flag poles were bent, and a tree limb was
snapped. The damage swath continued sporadically over the
remainder of the track to Greensburg-Jeannette Regional Airport.
Although damage throughout was primarily to trees, some impact was
observed in a neighborhood along Seslar Drive, where a few homes
suffered minor removal of shingles/siding/soffit. At the Regional
Airport, a large tree was snapped.

Video was provided from multiple sources of persistent low-level
rotation that sporadically contracted and tightened the ground
circulation to tornadic strength, leading to the appearance of the
tornado skipping over areas.

The structural damage and some of the tree damage is consistent
with peak wind gusts of 70 mph. This tornado will be rated EF0.

Thank you to Penn Township and Westmoreland County Emergency
Management for their assistance with this survey, and to the
impacted public for helping us complete our understanding of the
storm`s evolution.

&&

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.


$$
Kramar/Rackley