Tornado in Lancaster County on July 27, 2004

Radar

Reflectivity and Velocity Scans around 23Z July 27, 2004

Storm Reports

...STRONG F1 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN LANCASTER COUNTY...

A SURVEY TEAM SENT BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE 
CONFIRMED TODAY THAT THUNDERSTORMS SPAWNED A STRONG F1 TORNADO 
DURING THE EARLY EVENING OF TUESDAY JULY 27 IN CENTRAL LANCASTER 
COUNTY.

THE TORNADO FIRST TOUCHED DOWN AROUND 7:02 PM EDT...ON AN AMISH FARM 
NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF BYERLAND CHURCH ROAD AND ROUTE 272 JUST 
SOUTH OF THE TOWN OF WILLOW STREET. THE TORNADO TRAVELED 
EAST-SOUTHEAST FOR 4 MILES...CROSSING ROUTE 222 AND DISSIPATING 
SOUTH OF THE TOWN OF REFTON AROUND 7:08 PM. 

THE WIDTH OF THE TORNADO DAMAGE WAS ABOUT 100 YARDS...YET THE STRONG 
F1 DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO A PATH ABOUT 30 YARDS WIDE. THE TORNADO 
DAMAGED 4 OR 5 HOMES...INCLUDING PARTIALLY REMOVING A ROOF OFF ONE 
FARM HOUSE. SEVERAL BARNS AND SILOS WERE ALSO DAMAGED. HUNDREDS OF 
TREES WERE KNOCKED DOWN...AND STRONG ROTATION COULD BE SEEN IN CORN 
FIELDS WHICH THE TORNADO CROSSED.

THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OCCURRED AT A TRUCKING COMPANY JUST EAST 
OF ROUTE 272. TWO TRACTOR TRAILERS WERE LIFTED INTO THE AIR. 
SECURITY VIDEO CAPTURED THE TORNADO AS IT MOVED THROUGH THE TRUCK 
YARD.

WINDS WERE ESTIMATED UP TO 110 MPH...PUTTING THIS INTO THE STRONG F1 
CATEGORY ON THE FUJITA SCALE. FOR REFERENCE:

F0 - 40 TO 72 MPH WINDS
F1 - 73 TO 112 MPH WINDS
F2 - 113 TO 157 MPH WINDS
F3 - 158 TO 206 MPH WINDS
F4 - 207 TO 260 MPH WINDS
F5 - 261 TO 318 MPH WINDS

NO INJURIES OR DEATHS WERE REPORTED AS A RESULT OF THIS STORM.