294
NOUS41 KPBZ 281530
PNSPBZ
PAZ031-073>076-078-290330-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1130 AM EDT FRI MAR 28 2025
...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR MARCH 16, 2025 TORNADO AND DAMAGING WIND EVENT...
UPDATE
UPDATE TO WEST FAIRFIELD AND HADDENVILLE TORNADOES.
OVERVIEW:
SEVERAL TORNADOES AND WIDESPREAD NON-TORNADIC WIND DAMAGE OCCURRED
FROM AN INTENSE LINE OF STORMS THAT CROSSED EASTERN OHIO, NORTHERN
WEST VIRGINIA AND WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA ON MARCH 16, 2025. FIVE
TORNADOES HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED IN WESTMORELAND, FAYETTE AND INDIANA
COUNTIES.
HADDENVILLE TORNADO
RATING: EF1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 105 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 1.67 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 150 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 03/16/2025
START TIME: 12:44 PM EDT
START LOCATION: 2 SE NEW SALEM-BUFFINGTON / FAYETTE COUNTY / PA
START LAT/LON: 39.9087 / -79.7941
END DATE: 03/16/2025
END TIME: 12:46 PM EDT
END LOCATION: 2 E NEW SALEM-BUFFINGTON / FAYETTE COUNTY / PA
END LAT/LON: 39.9288 / -79.7794
SURVEY SUMMARY:
UPDATE: BASED ON ADDITIONAL REPORTS, THE START LOCATION AND
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED...
AN EF1 TORNADO DEVELOPED WITHIN A SQUALL LINE NEAR HADDENVILLE, PA
IN FAYETTE COUNTY ON MARCH 16TH. INITIAL EF0 DAMAGE CONSISTING OF
UPROOTED HARDWOOD TREES WAS NOTED JUST SOUTH OF NEW SALEM ROAD. THE
TORNADO THEN INTENSIFIED AND EXHIBITED EF1 DAMAGE CONSISTING OF
UPROOTING AND SNAPPING OF TRUNKS OF SEVERAL HEALTHY HARDWOOD TREES
ALONG NEW SALEM ROAD JUST WEST OF KAIDER ROAD. IT TRACKED TO THE
NORTHEAST ALONG KAIDER ROAD POSSIBLY TOUCHING DOWN AND LIFTING
SEVERAL TIMES AS DAMAGE WAS MORE SPORADIC THROUGH THE FIRST HALF MILE
OF ITS TRACK. ADDITIONAL EF1 DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO A NEWLY COMPLETED
HOUSE ALONG SUNSET WAY WITH THE FRONT DOOR AND WINDOWS BLOWN OUT,
LOSS OF SHINGLES AND SIDING, FLATTENING OF A SMALL SHED, AND NUMEROUS
TREES UPROOTED. THE TORNADO ADVANCED DOWN A HILL AND CROSSED KAIDER
ROAD NEAR KURUTZ LANE. HERE, A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE HAD SEVERAL
WINDOWS BROKEN AND A PORTION OF ITS ROOF TORN OFF AND BLOWN INTO A
TREELINE SOME 500 FEET AWAY. THE SAME TREELINE SAW MULTIPLE TREES
SNAPPED AND UPROOTED. THE TORNADO THEN WEAKENED AS IT REACHED THE END
OF KAIDER ROAD NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HADDENVILLE ROAD WHERE EF0
DAMAGE WAS NOTED INCLUDING: LOSS OF SHINGLES, A SOFTWOOD TREE SNAPPED
AND MULTIPLE HARDWOOD TREES DAMAGED AND UPROOTED. THE TORNADO
DISSIPATED BETWEEN HADDENVILLE ROAD AND HIGHWAY 40.
NWS PITTSBURGH WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FAYETTE COUNTY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND THE PUBLIC FOR THEIR REPORTS AND ASSISTANCE IN
MAKING THIS SURVEY POSSIBLE.
DONEGAL TORNADO
RATING: EF1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 100 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 7.72 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 75 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 03/16/2025
START TIME: 01:08 PM EDT
START LOCATION: 5 E EVERSON / FAYETTE COUNTY / PA
START LAT/LON: 40.084 / -79.4851
END DATE: 03/16/2025
END TIME: 01:11 PM EDT
END LOCATION: 3 N DONEGAL / WESTMORELAND COUNTY / PA
END LAT/LON: 40.1538 / -79.3723
SURVEY SUMMARY:
AN EF1 TORNADO DEVELOPED WITHIN A SQUALL LINE, IMPACTING THE CHESTNUT
RIDGE REGION OF FAYETTE AND WESTMORELAND COUNTIES. INITIAL EF0
DAMAGE, CHARACTERIZED BY SNAPPED HARDWOOD TREES, WAS OBSERVED NEAR
BREAKNECK AND WINGROVE ROADS. THE TORNADO THEN TRACKED NORTHEAST,
CROSSING BEAR ROCKS AND ACME DAM ROADS, WHERE IT CAUSED MORE
SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. THIS INCLUDED SNAPPED LARGE PINE TREES, POWER
POLES TILTED AT A 45-DEGREE ANGLE, THE LOSS OF A CARPORT ROOF FROM A
RESIDENCE, AND A FLIPPED RV TRAILER. AS THE TORNADO CROSSED CLAYIKE
ROAD, A POWER POLE SNAPPED, AND AN OUTDOOR STRUCTURE SUSTAINED 20%
ROOF DAMAGE. THE TORNADO BEGAN TO WEAKEN AS IT ASCENDED A HILLSIDE
NEAR STAIRS ROAD, DISSIPATING NEAR DONEGAL LAKE. HOWEVER, IT
SUBSEQUENTLY RE-INTENSIFIED A FEW MILES DOWNSTREAM, BETWEEN MANSVILLE
AND LIGONIER PA.
NWS PITTSBURGH WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE WESTMORELAND COUNTY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND THE PUBLIC FOR THEIR REPORTS AND ASSISTANCE
IN MAKING THIS SURVEY POSSIBLE.
RECTOR, PA TORNADO
RATING: EF1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 105 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 1.52 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 0 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 03/16/2025
START TIME: 01:19 PM EDT
START LOCATION: 3 SW LIGONIER / WESTMORELAND COUNTY / PA
START LAT/LON: 40.2201 / -79.2952
END DATE: 03/16/2025
END TIME: 01:20 PM EDT
END LOCATION: 2 WSW LIGONIER / WESTMORELAND COUNTY / PA
END LAT/LON: 40.2341 / -79.2732
SURVEY SUMMARY:
A BRIEF EF1 TORNADO OCCURRED SOUTHWEST OF LIGONIER. THIS
TORNADO WAS PART OF THE SAME PARENT CIRCULATION THAT GENERATED THE
TORNADO NEAR DONEGAL AND BEAR ROCKS. THE PRIMARY DAMAGE WAS TO
TREES, WITH NUMEROUS SNAPPED AND UPROOTED PINES AND MAPLES NOTED
BY THE SURVEY TEAM ALONG DARLINGTON ROAD, FAIRVIEW SCHOOL ROAD AND
WELLER ROAD, WITH A CONCENTRATION OF 20-30 TREES AFFECTED BETWEEN
FAIRVIEW SCHOOL AND WELLER ROAD. THE TORNADO APPEARS TO HAVE
WEAKENED BEFORE REACHING TWO MILE RUN ROAD.
NWS PITTSBURGH WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE WESTMORELAND COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND THE PUBLIC FOR THEIR REPORTS AND
ASSISTANCE IN MAKING THIS SURVEY POSSIBLE.
WEST FAIRFIELD TORNADO
RATING: EF1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 100 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 4.15 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 50 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 03/16/2025
START TIME: 01:25 PM EDT
START LOCATION: 4 NNE LIGONIER / WESTMORELAND COUNTY / PA
START LAT/LON: 40.3002 / -79.1866
END DATE: 03/16/2025
END TIME: 01:29 PM EDT
END LOCATION: 3 SSE BOLIVAR / WESTMORELAND COUNTY / PA
END LAT/LON: 40.3469 / -79.1385
SURVEY SUMMARY:
UPDATE: BASED ON ADDITIONAL DAMAGE REPORTS PROVIDED TO NWS
PITTSBURGH, THIS TRACK HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO THE NORTH...
A SHORT-LIVED TORNADO IMPACTED THE AREA BETWEEN WILPEN AND WEST
FAIRFIELD PA. THIS TORNADO SNAPPED HARDWOOD TREES NEAR HAMILL SCHOOL
ROAD. THE TORNADO THEN MOVED THROUGH A WOODED AREA AND SEVERELY
DAMAGED A BARN, STRIPPING ITS TIN ROOF AND COLLAPSING THREE EXTERIOR
WALLS. THE TORNADO WEAKENED AND CAUSED DISCONTINUOUS DAMAGE FARTHER
TO THE NORTH, SEEMING TO DISSIPATE ALONG HYPOCRITE CREEK ROAD.
NWS PITTSBURGH WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE WESTMORELAND COUNTY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND THE PUBLIC FOR THEIR REPORTS AND ASSISTANCE IN
MAKING THIS SURVEY POSSIBLE.
JOSEPHINE, PA TORNADO
RATING: EF1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 105 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 1.21 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 50 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 03/16/2025
START TIME: 01:30 PM EDT
START LOCATION: 1 N BLACK LICK / INDIANA COUNTY / PA
START LAT/LON: 40.4856 / -79.1785
END DATE: 03/16/2025
END TIME: 01:31 PM EDT
END LOCATION: 2 NNE BLACK LICK / INDIANA COUNTY / PA
END LAT/LON: 40.4982 / -79.1664
SURVEY SUMMARY:
A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN A FIELD NEAR BARRONDALE RD., CAUSING
PARTIAL COLLAPSE OF A BARN AND UPLIFTING THE ROOF OF AN
OUTBUILDING BEFORE MOVING INTO A FORESTED AREA AND CAUSING
SPORADIC HARDWOOD TREE DAMAGE. DAMAGE BECAME MORE CONSISTENT
ALONG A RIDGE LINE IMMEDIATELY SOUTH OF LUCIUSBORO RD. THE
TORNADO CROSSED THE ROAD, SNAPPING THE TOPS OF SOFTWOOD TREES
BEFORE UPLIFTING THE ROOF AND COLLAPSING THE WALLS OF A SECOND
BARN. DEBRIS FROM THE SECOND BARN WAS LOFTED AND EJECTED TO THE
LEFT OF THE TRACK. THE TORNADO CONTINUED INTO THE WOODS AND TO
THE NEXT RIDGE LINE, UPROOTING A CLUSTER OF LARGE HARDWOODS AND
SNAPPING MULTIPLE TRUNKS. A PORTION OF THE BARN ROOF WAS
DEPOSITED NEAR THE RIDGE LINE, OVER 300 YARDS TO THE NORTH.
STORM SURVEY RESULTS STRONG WINDS IN FAYETTE AND GREENE COUNTIES
A TEAM FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN PITTSBURGH PERFORMED
A STORM SURVEY ALONG A PAIR OF STORM TRACKS ASSOCIATED WITH
MESOVORTEX STRUCTURES IN THE LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THAT
MOVED THROUGH THE REGION SUNDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 16TH. THE TWO
TRACKS GENERALLY STRETCHED FROM DILLINER IN FAR EASTERN GREENE
COUNTY TO YORK RUN IN FAYETTE COUNTY. IN MOST CASES, DAMAGE WAS
DETERMINED TO BE THE RESULT OF STRAIGHT-LINE WIND, GENERALLY IN
THE 60 TO 70 MPH RANGE. A COUPLE OF AREAS APPEAR TO HAVE
EXPERIENCED EVEN STRONGER WIND TO 80 MPH. ONE SUCH AREA WAS ALONG
OLD FRAME ROAD NEAR OLD FRAME, WHERE SEVERAL TREES WERE UPROOTED,
LAYING ON THE GROUND IN A NORTHEAST DIRECTION, SIMILAR TO THE
OVERALL MOTION OF THE LINE OF STORMS. THE OTHER AREA WAS NEAR
DILLINER, ALONG THE SHORE OF THE MONONGAHELA RIVER, WHERE THE
MESOVORTEX INTERACTED WITH TERRAIN TO CREATE A LARGER AREA OF
TREE DAMAGE, ESTIMATED TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY 80 MPH WIND.
AFTER FURTHER EXAMINATION, INCLUDING THE EVALUATION OF HIGH-
RESOLUTION SATELLITE DATA, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE
NEAR DILLINER, PA WAS NON-TORNADIC. THE CONCENTRATED SWATH OF
DAMAGE WAS LOCATED ON THE SOUTHERN-END SURGE OF A MESO-VORTEX
EMBEDDED IN A LINEAR CONVECTIVE SYSTEM WITH WIDESPREAD WINDS OF
55MPH TO 75MPH ALONG CEMETERY HILL ROAD, WITH SOME ACCELERATION
TO AS MUCH AS 75MPH TO 85MPH AS THE WIND ACCELERATED INTO THE
MONONGAHELA VALLEY WITH TERRAIN INFLUENCE. MINIMAL TO NO DAMAGE
WAS OBSERVED WITH THE PARENT CIRCULATION USING SATELLITE DATA.
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 EVENTS AND PUBLICATION IN
NWS STORM DATA.
SKH/LL/CERMAK/RACKLEY/MLB/AK/CL/MILCAREK
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