Tornado in Rohrerstown, PA on September 30th, 2015

Powerful Storm in the Western U.S.; Heavy Rain and Flooding Threat Across the Central Gulf Coast

A powerful storm system will continue to bring heavy mountain snow, rain, and high winds to the Pacific Northwest and northern California through midweek. Heavy rain and flash flooding potential exists across the central Gulf Coast over the next few days, including the Florida Panhandle. A Slight Risk (level 2 of 4) of excessive rainfall is in effect Tuesday. Read More >

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.