The National Weather Service in Moon Township has confirmed a tornado touched down Sunday in the area of Parker near the border of Butler and Armstrong counties.
The weather service said it was an EF-1 tornado with winds up to 105 miles per hour. An EF-1 tornado is classified as a weak tornado with the potential for moderate damage.
We just wanted to share the Enhanced Fujita Scale for tornadoes. pic.twitter.com/8ZLMa5J8et
— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) June 17, 2019
The weather service said the tornado touched down between 6:18 p.m. and 6:23 p.m. Sunday. It had a path length of 1.56 miles and a width of 400 yards.
Close to 100 trees were either uprooted or broken as a result of the tornado. Additional damage included a storage trailer that was overturned, an exterior detached garage that lost most of its roof and a truck wash had a wall blown out.
No one was injured.
(1/3) *** Tornado Confirmed in Parker, PA ***
— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) June 17, 2019
Below are the findings from our survey conducted today... pic.twitter.com/fTito26mbX
The weather service said this is the 14th tornado in Armstrong County and the 25th tornado in Butler County since 1881.
The last tornado in Butler County was an EF-0 on July 10, 2017. The last tornado in Armstrong County was an EF-0 on April 8, 2002.
They said the region averages five tornadoes in the forecast area per year. Eleven already have been confirmed this year.
John Darnley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said one of the reasons for the increase in tornadoes this year is a convergence of warm, wet air from the Gulf of Mexico and dry, cool air from Canada over the region.
“Normally, that line of convergence usually is somewhere around Virginia,” he said. “This year, for some reason, it’s actually pulled a little bit north.”
