Tornado in Rohrerstown, PA on September 30th, 2015

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
729 PM EDT WED SEP 30 2015

...EF1 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN LANCASTER COUNTY...

LOCATION...NEAR ROHRESTOWN IN EAST HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP
DATE...SEPTEMBER 30 2015
ESTIMATED TIME...1202 AM EDT
MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF1
ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...90 TO 100 MPH
MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...50 TO 75 YDS
PATH LENGTH...2.5 MILES
BEGINNING LAT/LON...40.050/-76.370
ENDING LAT/LON...40.415/-76.402
* FATALITIES...0
* INJURIES...0

* THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT(S) AND PUBLICATION IN
NWS STORM DATA.

...FINAL SUMMARY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS CONFIRMED AN
EF1 TORNADO NEAR ROHRESTOWN IN EAST HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP IN
LANCASTER COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA ON SEPTEMBER 30 2015.

THE TORNADO TRACKED FROM SOUTHEAST TO NORTHWEST ALONG A 2.5 MILE
PATH WITH TWO SEGMENTS OF CONCENTRATED DAMAGE. THE FIRST SEGMENT
COVERED AN APPROXIMATE ONE-HALF MILE STRETCH FROM THE LIMESPRING
FARM ACROSS U.S. ROUTE 30 AND UP A NEARBY HILL-SIDE BEFORE
LIFTING. THE CIRCULATION TRAVELED ALOFT FOR ABOUT 1 MILE WITH A
SECOND TOUCHDOWN JUST SOUTHEAST OF CENTERVILLE ROAD ON STONEBRIDGE
DRIVE. THE TORNADO THEN CROSSED NOLT ROAD AND THEN DISSIPATED
JUST BEFORE REACHING BOWMAN ROAD.

THE INITIAL TOUCHDOWN OCCURRED ON THE 2300 BLOCK OF NOLL ROAD
BETWEEN THE LIMESPRING FARM AND ROHRESTOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THE
SURVEY TEAM OBSERVED AN EXTENSIVE AREA OF HEALTHY SNAPPED AND
UPROOTED TREES /1 TO 2 FEET IN DIAMETER/ EXHIBITING A CLEAR
CONVERGENT SIGNATURE. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE AT THE LIMESPRING FARM
PROPERTY INCLUDED A DESTROYED OUTBUILDING SHED.

DAMAGE INDICATORS CONFIRMED THE TORNADO REACHED PEAK INTENSITY AS
IT IMPACTED AN INDUSTRIAL WAREHOUSE LOCATED ON RUNNING PUMP ROAD
JUST SOUTH OF U.S. ROUTE 30. WINDS IN EXCESS OF 90 MPH BLEW IN ONE
OF THE METAL GARAGE DOORS AT A LOADING BAY AND LIFTED OFF A LARGE
SECTION OF THE WAREHOUSE ROOF...WHICH EVENTUALLY LEAD TO THE
PARTIAL COLLAPSE OF INTERIOR WALLS. THE LOCAL FIRE CHIEF ESTIMATED
OVER 35 PERCENT LOSS OF THE ROOF...SOME OF WHICH WAS BLOWN AND
DEPOSITED ON TO U.S. ROUTE 30. A WOOD PALLET SKID WAS PROJECTED
INTO THE SIDE OF THE WAREHOUSE MAKING A CLEAR DENT IN THE SIDE OF
THE BUILDING. TWO HORIZONTAL BEAMS WERE TWISTED AND DETACHED ON
THE FRONT SIDE OF THE WAREHOUSE WERE THE WINDS EXITED THE
BUILDING. LARGE SECTIONS OF METAL SIDING WERE REMOVED FROM THE
WAREHOUSE. INSULATION FROM THE WAREHOUSE WAS RECOVERED AT THE FOUR
SEASONS GOLF COURSE. DAMAGE ALONG THE SECOND TORNADO PATH SEGMENT
CONSISTED MAINLY OF SNAPPED AND UPROOTED TREES.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL EAST
HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS WHO ASSISTED WITH THE
SURVEY...LANCASTER COUNTY EMA...THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE
POLICE...PEMA AND PRIVATE WEATHER CONSULTANT JOHN SCALA.

FOR REFERENCE...THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES
INTO THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

EF0...WIND SPEEDS 65 TO 85 MPH.
EF1...WIND SPEEDS 86 TO 110 MPH.
EF2...WIND SPEEDS 111 TO 135 MPH.
EF3...WIND SPEEDS 136 TO 165 MPH.
EF4...WIND SPEEDS 166 TO 200 MPH.
EF5...WIND SPEEDS GREATER THAN 200 MPH.