NWS Confirms That Category EF1 Tornado Hit Potter County
2 min readFrom Potter County Today
Potter County Emergency Management Coordinator Glenn Dunn reported on Sunday evening that the National Weather Service (NWS) has confirmed the violent weather that swept through the region Saturday evening as a Category EF1 tornado.
Damage assessments are continuing and electrical service remains out in the area of West Branch Township in southeastern Potter County. More details will be released by the National Weather Service and local emergency service agencies.
NWS radar showed two tornado vortex signatures that crossed Potter County from the Shinglehouse area to the Galeton area and continued into Tioga and Lycoming counties. The tornado started around 7:05 and was on the ground for about one mile. The path was slightly curved and extended from a small tributary of the West Branch of Pine Creek just to the north of Rt. 2002 to the opposite side of that same road. The tornado destroyed an estimated 1,500 trees and up to 10 power poles along Rt. 2002, west-southwest of Galeton. There were several eyewitnesses. Estimated maximum wind speed was 90 mph. Maximum path width was 250 yards. Some roads were blocked and electrical lines brought down. The tornado’s path can easily be tracked by fallen and dismembered trees.
About 75 percent of tornadoes are Category EF0 or EF1, described by the NWS as “moderate,” with winds of 72-112 miles per hour. These photos were taken from the West Branch Road by Ken Button. Coordinator Dunn pointed out that several seasonal homes in that area were damaged by fallen trees and limbs. There were apparently no injuries. “We were fortunate that the tornado did not touch down in a populated area,” he explained. “We’re also fortunate that it struck at a time when the camps and seasonal homes in that area were not occupied.”
Article courtesy of the Potter County Commissioners.
Looks like if BIG GAS doesn’t get your trees, Mother Nature will.