571
NOUS41 KCTP 252109
PNSCTP
PAZ066-260115-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
509 PM EDT TUE AUG 25 2026
..NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 08/20/2026 TORNADO EVENT UPDATE #1
UPDATE
.COLUMBIA TORNADO
RATING: EF1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 100 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 2.33 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 100 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 08/20/2026
START TIME: 04:30 PM EDT
START LOCATION: COLUMBIA / LANCASTER COUNTY / PA
START LAT/LON: 40.0343 / -76.5015
END DATE: 08/20/2026
END TIME: 04:33 PM EDT
END LOCATION: 2 SE COLUMBIA / LANCASTER COUNTY / PA
END LAT/LON: 40.0078 / -76.4742
SURVEY SUMMARY:
ON AUGUST 20, 2026 AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30 P.M. EDT, AN EF-1
TORNADO IMPACTED COLUMBIA, PA. MAXIMUM WIND SPEEDS WERE ESTIMATED
AT 100 MPH WITH A MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH OF 100 YARDS. THE DAMAGE PATH
BEGAN ON THE BLOCK WHERE WALNUT STREET MEETS 4TH STREET. DAMAGE
WAS DONE TO AN OLD FIREHOUSE WHERE A SECTION OF THE SECOND STORY
BRICK WALL WAS KNOCKED DOWN ONTO AVENUE H AND A NEIGHBORING STORE.
THE FIREHOUSE ROOF AND ANOTHER ADJACENT ROOF WERE TORN OFF AND
LYING NEARBY. THE TORNADO CONTINUED SOUTHEAST THROUGH TOWN WHERE A
COUPLE SMALL OUTBUILDINGS WERE COLLAPSED NEAR AVENUE K. DAMAGE
CONTINUED DOWN MALT AVENUE WITH MANY TREE LIMBS SNAPPED AND MINOR
DAMAGE TO ROOFS. THE TORNADO THEN CROSSED THE COLUMBIA READING
RAILWAY SNAPPING SOME LARGE TREES ALONG MANOR STREET AND FURNACE
AVENUE. IT CONTINUED INTO THE WOODED AREA SOUTH OF TOWN AND ACROSS
BLUE LANE WHERE MANY TREES WERE FOUND UPROOTED AND SNAPPED.
ADDITIONAL DAMAGE WAS DISCOVERED WITH NUMEROUS TREES SNAPPED OR
UPROOTED ALONG THE WESTERN SIDE OF RICHLAND DRIVE. THE TORNADO
THEN CONTINUED OVER THE RIDGE TO THE SOUTH OF RICHLAND DRIVE
BEFORE CROSSING OVER SHULTZ ROAD AND FINALLY LIFTING.
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK LANCASTER COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT,
THE COLUMBIA BOROUGH POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND STUDENTS FROM MILLERSVILLE
UNIVERSITY FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE IN THIS DAMAGE SURVEY.
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 EVENT AND PUBLICATION IN
NWS STORM DATA.
BOWEN/KRANTZ
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page