Tornadoes of the Philadelphia Area

[Thunder Road]

Having just come out of a course on severe weather nowcasting (that just so happened to include tons of historical tornado goodies), I'm now really interested in big Philly-area tornadoes.  I've been looking at F3/EF3 and above, since I can remember several non-memorable (ha, irony) F2/EF2 tornadoes.

 

All PA F3 tornadoes: http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/custom/2462393

 

I know of Limerick on 7/27/1994.  What I didn't know is that there was apparently another F3 in Chester County.  Same parent storm?

 

I also know of 5/31/1998 in Berks County from the Philadelphia Area Weather Book.

 

3/22/1955 has me really intrigued, one because it would be incredibly devastating if it happened today, but moreso two because it appears that it was the only tornado of the day in our area.  (http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/custom/2462413)  And yet I've never even heard of it.

 

The other two I would consider "in our area" are 11/4/1950 and 7/26/1981.

 

As far as I know, there has never been a violent tornado in the Philly area.  (Although La Plata, MD and several CT/MA cases show that they are not impossible on the East Coast.)

 

And lastly, I vaguely remember a Storm Stories episode about a tornado in Lancaster.  Anything ring a bell about that?

 

Fill me in!

 

 

[greg ralls]

There is a little more info about the Chester County tornado here:

 

 

http://www.erh.noaa.gov/phi/hist_phi.html#0727

 

 

...1994...
An intense F3 tornado touched down in Limerick, Montgomery Co, PA, passing
through a development called "The Hamlet,"leveling 4 homes, damaging 16 others,
and killing 3 people, all of one family. An F3 tornado moved NE from Avondale to
2 miles SE of town, destroying 6 homes in London Britain Township's Hunter's Run
development. An F2 tornado touched down twice on the Srn end of Kent Island,
Queen Anne's Co, MD, damaging 40 homes. (Officially F0) A tornado struck near
Worton, Kent Co, MD, hurling trees into valuable homes. (Officially F2). (SD) (G)

[mville2005]

1998. That was the first tornado I ever expierenced...passed right up Red Lion Road...we lost a few trees, lost power for a few days...

http://articles.philly.com/1998-06-02/news/25730512_1_trees-and-power-lines-storms-power-last-night

 

May, 2011...mostly NE Philly...damaged a garage, beer distributor...

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/weather/stories/Severe-Weather-Damage-in-Northeast-Philadelphia-Not-Tornado-122183049.html

[NaoPos]

I do believe Chester city had a brief Ef-0 not too long ago if I'm not mistaken?

[greg ralls]

 

 

3/22/1955 has me really intrigued, one because it would be incredibly devastating if it happened today, but moreso two because it appears that it was the only tornado of the day in our area.  (http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/custom/2462413)  And yet I've never even heard of it.

 

 

I'd really like to know more about this one.  It looks like none of the Philly paper online archives go back anywhere near that far though.

[greg ralls]

Here's a tiny bit more I found about 3/22/1955:

 

http://www.erh.noaa.gov/phi/hist_phi.html#0322

 

...1955...

A probable tornado, F2 or F3, moving from W Chester to Paoli, Chester Co, PA,
killed a man when a tree fell on his truck. (G)

[LMolineuxLM1]

I do believe Chester city had a brief Ef-0 not too long ago if I'm not mistaken?

Yes it hit the commador Barry bridge did small issues to the planking of the bridge.

[chubbs]

There is a little more info about the Chester County tornado here:

 

 

http://www.erh.noaa.gov/phi/hist_phi.html#0727

 

 

...1994...

An intense F3 tornado touched down in Limerick, Montgomery Co, PA, passing

through a development called "The Hamlet,"leveling 4 homes, damaging 16 others,

and killing 3 people, all of one family. An F3 tornado moved NE from Avondale to

2 miles SE of town, destroying 6 homes in London Britain Township's Hunter's Run

development. An F2 tornado touched down twice on the Srn end of Kent Island,

Queen Anne's Co, MD, damaging 40 homes. (Officially F0) A tornado struck near

Worton, Kent Co, MD, hurling trees into valuable homes. (Officially F2). (SD) (G)

 The July 1994 tornado was by far the most severe tornado aftermath I have seen. The cell tracked north from the Chesapeake Bay. Damage could be observed scattered on a long track from N Md accross S Chester County to Route 1 and beyond. There was an impressive section in Landenberg where a mature forest in the White Clay Creek valley was completely.uprooted or snapped off at the 15 foot level along a 50 yard wide path. There wasn't a tree standing.. The tornade then went the through subdivision described above. Below is an article after the storm with some questionable science. 

 

 

http://articles.philly.com/1994-08-04/news/25842667_1_thunderstorms-and-tornadoes-tornadoes-form-art-kraus

[greg ralls]

Here is a bit more about the 3/22/1955 twister:

 

http://newspaperarchive.com/chester-times/1955-03-23

[Thunder Road]

There is a little more info about the Chester County tornado here:

 

 

http://www.erh.noaa.gov/phi/hist_phi.html#0727

 

 

...1994...

An intense F3 tornado touched down in Limerick, Montgomery Co, PA, passing

through a development called "The Hamlet,"leveling 4 homes, damaging 16 others,

and killing 3 people, all of one family. An F3 tornado moved NE from Avondale to

2 miles SE of town, destroying 6 homes in London Britain Township's Hunter's Run

development. An F2 tornado touched down twice on the Srn end of Kent Island,

Queen Anne's Co, MD, damaging 40 homes. (Officially F0) A tornado struck near

Worton, Kent Co, MD, hurling trees into valuable homes. (Officially F2). (SD) (G)

 

Can't tell but it sounds like the two F3 tornadoes were in fact separate mesocyclones?  Pretty cool if that was the case.

[Thunder Road]

 The July 1994 tornado was by far the most severe tornado aftermath I have seen. The cell tracked north from the Chesapeake Bay. Damage could be observed scattered on a long track from N Md accross S Chester County to Route 1 and beyond. There was an impressive section in Landenberg where a mature forest in the White Clay Creek valley was completely.uprooted or snapped off at the 15 foot level along a 50 yard wide path. There wasn't a tree standing.. The tornade then went the through subdivision described above. Below is an article after the storm with some questionable science. 

 

 

http://articles.philly.com/1994-08-04/news/25842667_1_thunderstorms-and-tornadoes-tornadoes-form-art-kraus

 

My favorite part:

 

 

 ''Thunderstorms do tend to follow streams. And tornadoes form where the land is flat. There are some places where you'll never see a tornado."

 

[Thunder Road]

Here is a bit more about the 3/22/1955 twister:

 

http://newspaperarchive.com/chester-times/1955-03-23

 

Sounds like a gigantic outflow boundary perhaps?  I love watching/reading accounts of weather from the 50s and 60s and earlier and trying to piece together what actually happened based on what we know today.

[iceman56]

 The July 1994 tornado was by far the most severe tornado aftermath I have seen. The cell tracked north from the Chesapeake Bay. Damage could be observed scattered on a long track from N Md accross S Chester County to Route 1 and beyond. There was an impressive section in Landenberg where a mature forest in the White Clay Creek valley was completely.uprooted or snapped off at the 15 foot level along a 50 yard wide path. There wasn't a tree standing.. The tornade then went the through subdivision described above. Below is an article after the storm with some questionable science. 

 

 

http://articles.philly.com/1994-08-04/news/25842667_1_thunderstorms-and-tornadoes-tornadoes-form-art-kraus

You can still see tree damage from this heading south on route 1 right before the Toughkenamon exit on the left hand side.

[greg ralls]

Can't tell but it sounds like the two F3 tornadoes were in fact separate mesocyclones?  Pretty cool if that was the case.

I think I remember that they were actually from the same meso, but I'm not sure.  if you look at it on a map, it could be the same meso that just happened to cycle between Kennett Square and Royersford before dropping another tornado.

[greg ralls]

Here is a little more about the July 1994 tornadoes:

 

http://www.erh.noaa.gov/lwx/Historic_Events/tornadoes/JUL27-94.htm

[Thunder Road]

You can still see tree damage from this heading south on route 1 right before the Toughkenamon exit on the left hand side.

 

Is it also visible from Google Maps satellite or street view?  If so it would be awesome to see.

[Thunder Road]

I think I remember that they were actually from the same meso, but I'm not sure.  if you look at it on a map, it could be the same meso that just happened to cycle between Kennett Square and Royersford before dropping another tornado.

 

Based on the tracks, that's what I was thinking at first.

[greg ralls]

I lived in East Goshen at the time of the deadly 1994 tornado, so it's possible that a funnel cloud went right overhead while I slept.

[CoolHandMike]

You can still see tree damage from this heading south on route 1 right before the Toughkenamon exit on the left hand side.

I remember driving to work up Rt 1 after that and seeing huge mounds of green debris from all the trees. The trees on either side of the road looked as if a giant hand had individually twisted off each tree's crown and then tossed everything on the road.

[CoolHandMike]

I want to say it was right here: http://goo.gl/maps/Di4dK

 

 

Not too visible from the air, but look at the line of separation between the large tree tops and the small ones just south of the highway underneath the word "Kennett"

 

Is it also visible from Google Maps satellite or street view?  If so it would be awesome to see.

[Thunder Road]

I want to say it was right here: http://goo.gl/maps/Di4dK

 

 

Not too visible from the air, but look at the line of separation between the large tree tops and the small ones just south of the highway underneath the word "Kennett"

 

Neat.  Thanks.

[Eskimo Joe]

Here is a bit more about the 3/22/1955 twister:

 

http://newspaperarchive.com/chester-times/1955-03-23

The writer talks about F6 tornadoes.  

[greg ralls]

The writer talks about F6 tornadoes.  

Ha, well, it was 1955 after all.

[famartin]

Ha, well, it was 1955 after all.

Fujita scale wasn't introduced until 1971.

[famartin]

I still have a short clip (a minute or so maybe) from WPVI ABC6, showing damage from the July 1994 tornadoes.

[Thunder Road]

I still have a short clip (a minute or so maybe) from WPVI ABC6, showing damage from the July 1994 tornadoes.

I'm pretty sure there's a big segment from WCAU (back when it was CBS 10) on YouTube as well.

[greg ralls]

The writer talks about F6 tornadoes.  

 

 

Ha, well, it was 1955 after all.

 

 

Fujita scale wasn't introduced until 1971.

 

 

I got confused, apparently.  The F6 comment was actually on one of the links from the 1994 tornadoes, not 1955.

[easternsnowoman]

Yeah they were still using the Branson Measurement System in '55

[easternsnowoman]

I remember it vividly.  Watching the video might help.  An incredibly sad story.

 

http://articles.philly.com/1994-07-29/news/25847412_1_computer-whiz-peco-spokesman-power-plant

[Thunder Road]

Just curious, what happened to the old easternsnowman?