So in twenty minutes we went from no echoes on the radars to two tornadoes. The second F4 that went through Corry in Eastern Erie County touched down at 5:25 PM. October 1985. Hailstones the size of golf balls damaged countless vehicles in areas completely untouched by the twisters. I went to the fire department and they told me that tornadoes had touched down near the communities of Tionesta, Marienville, and Tidioute and one had hit Kane directly. Show more Show more Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. The night of May 31, 1985 started a lifelong fascination inme with extreme weather, especially knowing that the F5 tornado had started on the easternend of my hometown. It didnt take long for good things to begin emerging from the horror. While watching television the night of the storms, I remember seeing a national news report about the tornado outbreak. As storms had not yet developed most opted for the party. There were so many warnings the teletype got backed up a good 10-15 minutes. I remember waking up to the thunder and looking out the window. Farms "entirely vanished," with debris carried for miles. I don't know if this fascination was because of this event happening right after we had just learned about tornadoes in school. He landed in a PSP helicopter and we talked about the relief efforts underway. This tornado took nearly the same path as the next one, below. (BACK TO TOP), Beaver County Times - Collection of 30th Anniversary Articles, Cleveland Plain Dealer - 25th Anniversary, Pittsburgh Post Gazette - 20th Anniversary, Tornado Watch Number 211 by John G. Fuller, Published September 1st 1987 by William Morrow & Company, Youngstown Vindicator - Tornado Victims Remembered, Supplemental Presentation by Nick Sleptzoff, former Erie County EMA director, NWS Storm Prediction Center Weather Report Archive, NWS/NOAA Employees/Retirees Stephen Corfidi, Bob Davis, Bill Drazl,Thomas Dunham, Priscilla Farrar,Rihaan Gangat,Paul Head, Carolyn Kloth, Christopher Liscinsky, Bill Modzelewski, Paul Nieman, Rob Radzanowski, andTeresa Rossifor their recollections, images, and data, Tom Atkins, WJET/Fox 66 for images and video, Henry Margusity, Accuweather for video footage and images, Dr. Paul Markowski and Lee Grenci, Penn State University for images, information, and recollections, Curtis Bowley, Susan Lucas Kazenas, and Ed Kieser for their recollections, Elyse Hagner and William Gartner, NWS State College, PA, PAST WEATHER Temperatures were in the 80s (F) and dewpoint temperatures (a measure of moisture) were in the upper 60s and lower 70s (F). From that point on through the evening, weather conditions worsened. Hundreds were left homeless. Der Omaha F5 war der strkste Tornado, der jemals durch Nebraska gerissen wurde. The Tri-State Tornado of March 25, 1925. Chance Haynes from NWS in. Since the creation of the International Fujita scale in 2018, no tornadoes have been rated IF5. At the surface, an elevated mixed-layer (EML) with nearly adiabatic lapse rates (~13C/km) between 750 mb and 550 mb was noted (Figure 6). Three farms were "wiped out of existence" with only "bits of kindling" remaining on the foundations. Bill was in the Air Force reserve, and I had been a weather officer in the Air Force between my BS and MS degrees from Penn State. The cold front moving east provided the lift as it pushed into the warm sector and the dewpoints into the 70s show the available moisture. Figure 1. This tornado is considered the only F5 on record in Arkansas. 34 years ago today in my hometown of Niles, Ohio, this F5 tornado killed nine people. Few visible scars remain of that Friday night in 1985 This warm air aloft allowed surface temperatures to climb in the 80s for the forecast area. Office severe weather training presentation. As the tornado continued east along its forty-one mile path of destruction, it crossed the state line and slammed into the community of Wheatland located in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. We were aware that thunderstorms already were occurring in Ontario as we arrived for work on the 31st, although I do not think we knew that they already had produced tornadoes. By the end of the evening, a total of forty-one tornadoes had occurred in the United States and Canada. In the period of record, few have occurred in Pennsylvania before June. Tragically, the tornadoes hit where people live. I will never forget the evening of May 31, 1985 and the events that occurred that night and during the next several weeks as the area of northwestern Pennsylvania where I live experienced a severe outbreak of several deadly tornadoes. May 31, 1985 Tornado Outbreak: 34th Anniversary. However, I do have a very clear memory of the weather that day. Theconversation in our little church that following Sunday centered around the disaster. We also install outdoor concrete tornado shelters. In the 28 years I spent at the Pittsburgh office following May 31st until my retirement in 2013, I did not work a single severe weather shift with an F3, F4, or F5 tornado. Questions? I was already deeply interested in weather and hoping to go to college to become a meteorologist. All buildings and machinery were swept away from a farm. One of them had traveled 65 miles through forestland, up and down deep slopes" just north of I-80, somehow dodging two structures. Over a dozen tornadoes occurred in Ontario, with at least four F3s and two F4s reported. They were being spotted everywhere and even in Greenville. A church "disappeared" and one home "seemed to evaporate into the air." Pulled from flatten homes. Stories like that of David Kostka, a 36-year-old Little League umpire and newlywed from Wheatland who gave his own life saving the lives of his young niece and her friend. I was just 30 years old and a newly elected member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. In the years that followed, I got to spend some time with Greg at various American Meteorological Society conferences, and we often talked about the wild night of May 31st in 1985. I think it was around 5:00 PM when the Penn State WSR-74C radar starting showing returns (quickly strong ones) from Erie County which was at the edge of the 230-kilometer scan. Officially rated high-end F4, though one survey revealed potential F5 damage. The Erie WSO was in our zone area, and they had warning responsibility as far south as Venango, Forest, Elk and Cameron Counties. I'll never forget all the sirens going off as it was hitting. AccuWeather presents Tornado Week: All you need to know about twisters Ultimately, a new scale was devised that took into account 28 different damage indicators; this became known as the Enhanced Fujita scale. Idiot from Maryland who almost wrecked twice right in front of me today. Pennsylvania Tornadoes This data was collection of Tornadoes from over 54 years ago. National Weather Service Reports of touchdowns north, south, east, west. You can help by participating in discussions about tornadoes for this list. Susan was a resident of New Waterford, Ohio and experienced the Middleton, Ohio tornado. Please select one of the following: PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE. It just felt unusual to me that day, so much so that I actually noticed it while we wereplaying catch. List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes - Wikipedia From 1989 to 1993, I attended Penn State, focusing on a Degree in Meteorology. Tragically, three or four people were killed (I think a man living in mobile home and two teenagers out in the woods), but I was amazed at how many were not hurt after viewing the destruction. In 30 years, a whole new generation has been born and has grown into adulthood. Multiple locations were found. The pink shading in the following sounding from Pittsburgh, PA at 7PM May 31st [00Z June 1st] (courtesy Paul Markowski) is an estimation of the Convective Available Potential Energy or CAPE in the atmosphere. Following are several images of what the thunderstorms looked like to meteorologist on radar. I never saw such yellow, greenish tint to the sky as I did that day. On June 3rd, the Federal Government declared a state of emergency for the state of Pennsylvania. At the same time, conditions in the upper atmosphere continued to become more favorable for an outbreak of severe weather. Farms were swept away with no visible debris left. Of these twenty-one, one was rated an F5, and six were rated F4's. Tragically, these tornadoes killed seventy-six people in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The storm paralleled I-80, so a track a bit further south would have been a disaster. Rip Currents, ABOUT Mentioned as a possible F5 by Grazulis. PORTIONS OF EASTERN OHIO
1974 Xenia tornado - Wikipedia Considered to be a probable F5 by Grazulis. A local Oklahoma company in Oklahoma City. The sky even seemed to have a dark green color to it. Do you have a story to share? This tornado produced possible F5 damage to a "large new home," killing the couple inside. National Hurricane Center The storms claimed 88 lives, injured more than 1,000 people and caused an estimated $550 million damage. 43 tornadoes and numerous damaging thunderstorms tore across Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario. And it is hard to tell the difference among them all, but I would say in terms of destruction, just total devastation, this is the worst I have seen." . At 18Z (2:00 pm EDT), the cold front was entering Ontario (Figure 8). One farm appeared to show potential F5 damage to a home that was swept completely away. I remember reading later on about the strength of the tornadoes that moved across eastern OH and western PA that night. May 31st, 1985 Tornado Outbreak The 30th Anniversary, Supplemental Presentation by Nick Sleptzoff, former Erie County EMA director:
To qualify as an F1 event, a tornado must have a wind speed of 73 miles per hour or above. References, Additional Links, and Acknowledgements
It mowed down just about every tree in the forests, in a path more than a mile wide at times, and stacking fallen trees atop each other piled 10 feet high.. We were spared but others were not so lucky. The tornado destroyed nearly the entire town of Wheatland, and seven more people were killed. National Weather Service Timber losses totaled 100 million. Carolyn issued the Moderate Risk outlook on the midnight shift the morning of May 31st. The question in our minds was: will the air mass heat enough to break the cap? Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. This tornado was rated an F4 and killed 23 people. Greg Forbes recalled that an outbreak had been expected, but no one expected this. We heard on the radio and television that there were tornado warnings for all of northwestern Pennsylvania as tornadoes were spotted in several areas moving from the west toward the east. Noted as "possibly F5" by Grazulis. So I was familiar with the Allegheny NationalForest and some of the small towns in the area. Hearing a deafening sound like a train. Much of the nations land is uninhabited or un-built-upon. Sorry, the location you searched for was not found. I can vaguely remember the unusual heat and humidity that was around for that time of the year. One notable survivor: 1 year old Elvis Presley", 10.1175/1520-0493(1939)67<176:tcmt>2.0.co;2, "Top Ten Deadliest Oklahoma Tornadoes (1882-Present)", F5 Tornadoes in the U.S. since 1950 (SPC/NOAA), Climatological Risk of Strong and Violent Tornadoes in the United States (Paper 9.4, Second Conference on Environmental Applications), Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Climatology (NSSL), List of strong tornadoes from 1879 to 2000, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_F5_and_EF5_tornadoes&oldid=1149715856. On the evening of May 31st, 1985, a devastating and deadly tornado outbreak struck the Northeastern United States and Canada. At any rate, the first storms associated with the outbreak in the United States formed just before our shift began on the 31st. Fujita, who died in 1998, is the subject of a PBS documentary, Mr. Tornado, which will air at 9 p.m. Tuesday on WHYY-TV, 12 days shy of the 35th anniversary of that Pennsylvania F5 during one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history. Do you have stories, photos, videos about this tornado? I do remember that the composite chart of all the "classic" severe weather parameters thatwe produced for every Outlook forecast showed that things were coming together in a fairlyclassic Central Plains-like manner. Resulting in 34 deaths, the Xenia tornado was the deadliest of all tornadoes from this outbreak and remains among the top 10 costliest U.S. tornadoes on record (approximately $250 million in 1974). My father always listened to the scanner at night and his room was across from mine. A well-built farmhouse was leveled with little debris left. What trees had limbs were covered with debris. [I previously wanted to be an astronomer; I subconsciously was probably already looking for new areas though, because as I learned more about astronomy, it became clear that the days of visual astronomy (i.e., looking through eyepieces and making discoveries) were long gone.] But what causes that to happen? According to NOAA (2019), the F5 tornado killed 18 people, injured 310 and caused $750 million dollars in damage. 1. This composite chart (courtesy Rihaan Gangat, NWS Pittsburgh) shows an expansive area of negative values with a bullseye of the lowest LIs (most unstable air) over eastern Ohio and southwestern Pennsylvania. Storm Prediction Center, Weather Safety A small frame house was also destroyed with its foundation clean. Tornado, in one of historys greatest detective feats, measured the immeasurable. At the time of the call, I did not know who Greg was, or that he had been one of the few PhD candidates of Dr Ted Fujita. The most-favored areas are in Tornado Alley, between the Rockies and the Mississippi River, from central Texas through South Dakota, where contrasting dry air that often is part of the tornado recipe, is plentiful. Natural Disaster Survey Report to the Administrator of NOAA. The strength of the front and the degree of instability lead to the erosion or breaking of the cap and thunderstorms exploded with violent results. This process continued from 4pm to about 8pm resulting in serious tornado activity across the entire Erie WSO warning area. The twisters killed 65 in Pennsylvania, injured more. READ MORE: Storms disrupt SEPTA rail service; EF-2 tornado damages dozens of homes in Delco. Mr. These were some of the deadliest tornadoes in Pa. history In all, 43 tornadoes touched down between about 4 and 11 p.m. that Friday in an unstable weather front stretching from Ontario, Canada, through New York, Pennsylvania and into southern Ohio. I remember driving north into the Moshannon area into a nasty thunderstorm with heavy rain, a lot of lightning, and some wind. If you have any information you would like to share with the NWS, please click here. . A tornado outbreak killed 64 people in Pennsylvania 35 years ago. We Back on May 31st 1985, the state of Pennsylvania was the epicenter of a severe tornado outbreak, the deadliest in our state's history. On this thirtieth anniversary date, let us take a moment to remember those that lost their lives and to be thankful that we have better early warning systems today that can warn us of impending harmful weather events. Negative LI values generally indicate unstable atmosphere, positive indicate lesser instability. May 31, 1985 was a Friday during the period between spring semester and summer session, but many graduate students remained in town working. This tornado was rated EF5 by the French Observatory of Tornadoes and Violent Thunderstorms (Keraunos), with the European Severe Storms Laboratory acknowledging the EF5 rating as its maximum intensity, though ESSL also rated the tornado F5. This two day series of Daily Weather Maps (courtesy NOAA/NWS) shows the eastward progression of the cold front; from near Chicago on Friday morning May 31st . Established in 2009. The "single" deadliest tornado in U.S. history was the famous Tri-State Tornado of March 25, 1925. Then, sirens. Three farms were obliterated, with all buildings and several inches of topsoil swept away. Acres of ground were "swept bare" in some parts of town. Unfortunately, the mild temperatures and high humidity levels in place that day were two of the key ingredients that allowed a warm May afternoon to turn into an historical and deadly evening. Recently, the average is 90 days with at least one tornado, and two or three days with 30 or more. I have never seen a sounding in Pittsburgh look so bad. For the next three hourswe called the radio stations we serviced in northwestern PA and went live on the air. Figure 2 depicts the surface analysis on the morning of May 31st. PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE. I think that was the last tornado of the outbreak. Many of us have wondered if the Moshannon tornado reached F5 strength at some point, but it moved only through unpopulated areas (fortunately), so no evidence of F5 damage was found. The tornado finally lifted near Tionesta (Forest County) after destroying 371 homes. CLE Station History, Additional Resources Not sure how they survived. I lived in a mobile home park. On the evening of May 31st, 1985, a devastating and deadly tornado outbreak struck the Northeastern United States and Canada. It was relatively cool, humid, and cloudy; Harrisburg was northeast of the surface warm front. Over a thousand homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed in the county. After 8 PM, the outflow from the Big Beaver storm initiated a new storm that produced an F1 short track tornado in East Sparta, OH just west of the Pittsburgh WSR-57 radar. In its post-storm report, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stated soberly: Perhaps the lesson to be learned from the 1985 outbreak is that under the proper atmospheric conditions, major tornadoes can occur irrespective of the location or terrain.". This tornado is officially rated F4; however, the Polish Weather Service estimated winds at 246 to 324mph (396 to 521km/h), potentially ranking it as an F5. Produced possible F5 damage according to Grazulis. In all, 43 tornadoes touched down between about 4 and 11 p.m. that Friday in an unstable weather front stretching from Ontario, Canada, through New York, Pennsylvania and into southern Ohio.. All NOAA.
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