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Pennsylvania gets rare EF-2 February tornado

By Jesse Ferrell, AccuWeather meteorologist and senior weather editor

Published Mar 2, 2016 3:20 PM EDT | Updated Mar 2, 2016 5:38 PM EDT

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Last Wednesday, Pennsylvania saw what was only the state's second February tornado ever on record (at least since 1950). The tornado hit the Amish country near Gap / White Horse / Intercourse, Pennsylvania, destroying several houses and farm buildings. The following photos were taken by J Marc Harrison for AccuWeather:

590x236_03022116_20160225_161809_fixed

These photos show multiple houses and barns with roofs ripped off. By the time the photos were taken, (late the next day) the Amish community had already cleared a lot of the damage and started repairs.

590x235_03022120_20160225_164834_fixed
590x264_03022119_20160225_173518_fixed

This last picture shows a scene typical of tornado damage: Household insulation (which means significant portions of structures were destroyed) wrapped around fencing (meaning winds were high).

590x177_03022118_20160225_171842_fixed

However, in the end, the tornado designation is assigned by NWS based on seeing rotational damage patterns. The EF-2 rating means there were maximum winds of 125 mph, and the tornado was on the ground for more than four miles, which is pretty long for Pennsylvania. Although it was part of a line of storms, the rotation was clear on radar:

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You can get more details and additional details on their website; here is part of their survey report:

"THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ONE-HALF MILE SOUTHWEST OF THE INTERSECTION OF AMISH ROAD AND SPRING GARDEN ROAD THEN TRAVELED TO THE NORTHEAST AT A SPEED OF AROUND 50 MPH...STAYING ON THE GROUND FOR 7 MINUTES. AN ESTIMATED 50 BUILDINGS SUSTAINED DAMAGE ALONG THE PATH OF THE TORNADO. TWO LARGE FARM OUTBUILDINGS AND ONE TWO- STORY RESIDENCE HAD THE MAJORITY...OR THEIR ENTIRE ROOFS BLOWN OFF NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF AMISH ROAD AND SPRING GARDEN ROAD. THIS MARKED THE TRANSITION OF THE TORNADO FROM EF1 TO EF2. A VAN WITH SEVERAL PASSENGERS TRAVELING WEST ON SPRING GARDEN ROAD AND NEAR THE SAME INTERSECTION WAS BLOWN ABOUT 10 FEET TO THE NORTH OF THE ROAD AND INTO A FIELD. AROUND ONE HALF MILE TO THE NORTHEAST AND ALONG MILLWOOD ROAD...ADDITIONAL EF2 DAMAGE OCCURRED AS ROOFS WERE BLOWN OFF SEVERAL FARM OUTBUILDINGS AND BARNS... ALONG WITH ONE TWO STORY RESIDENCE. A PINE TREE LOCATED IN THE FRONT YARD WAS STRIPPED OF MOST OF ITS BRANCHES AND FOLIAGE...WITH ONLY A FEW LARGER BARE LIMBS REMAINING. A WOODEN BARN BEHIND THE RESIDENCE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED WITH SUBSTANTIAL DEBRIS CARRIED SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS TO THE NORTHEAST ACROSS A FIELD. MID TO HIGH END EF1 DAMAGE TO ROOFS WAS NOTED TO SEVERAL FARM BUILDINGS AND HOMES ALONG THE EAST-WEST PORTION OF MILLWOOD ROAD...AND ALONG OLD PHILADELPHIA PIKE NEAR SCHOOL LANE ROAD. A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DEBRIS IN THE FORM OF CRUMPLED SHEET METAL FROM ROOFS WAS SCATTERED ACROSS FIELDS ADJACENT TO MEETING HOUSE ROAD TO THE NORTH OF OLD PHILADELPHIA PIKE. A SECOND AREA OF CONCENTRATED EF2 DAMAGE WAS NOTED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF SELDOMRIDGE ROAD AND CAMBRIDGE ROAD. THE TORNADO KNOCKED OVER SEVERAL LARGE GRANITE TOMBSTONES IN A CEMETERY...THEN STRIPPED ABOUT ONE QUARTER OF THE ROOF OFF A LARGE BUILDING WHERE MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE WERE ATTENDING AN AUCTION. THE FINAL LOCATION OF EF2 DAMAGE WAS NOTED ALONG KAUFFROTH ROAD AND JUST A FEW HUNDRED YARDS TO THE NORTH OF ITS INTERSECTION WITH SELDOMRIDGE ROAD. IT WAS HERE WHERE A LARGE ONE- ROOM METAL AMISH SCHOOL WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND BLOWN ABOUT 100 YARDS UPHILL AND INTO A FIELD. THE TORNADO BEGAN TO WEAKEN FROM THIS POINT WITH THE FINAL EF1 DAMAGE NOTED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF GAULT ROAD AND ROSEHILL DRIVE WHERE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OCCURRED TO ROOFS AND SIDING ON SEVERAL HOMES AND SHEDS. SEVERAL SOFTWOOD TREES WERE ALSO UPROOTED AT THE END OF THE TORNADO PATH ABOUT 100 YARDS TO THE NORTH OF THISTLE DRIVE."

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AccuWeather Meteorologist and Social Media Manager Jesse Ferrell covers extreme weather and the intersection of meteorology and social media.
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