Binghamton, NY

Weather Forecast Office

Severe Storms February 25 2017

EF 2 Tornado Luzerne/Lackawanna
Straight Line Wind Damage Sullivan County
Radar

Tornado Confirmed from Plains and Pittston in Luzerne County to Moosic in Lackawanna County Pennsylvania

Location: Plains in Luzerne County PA to Moosic in Lackawanna County PA
Date: February 25 2017
Estimated Time: 2:35 PM EST to 2:50 PM EST
Maximum EF-Scale Rating: EF2
Estimated Maximum Wind Speed: 120 mph
Maximum Path Width: 500 yards
Path Length: 12.8 miles
Beginning Lat/Lon: 41.25N / 75.77W
Ending lat/Lon: 41.40N / 75.62W
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0

The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to change pending final review of the event(s) and publication in NWS Storm Data.

Summary

The National Weather Service in Binghamton NY has confirmed a tornado from Plains and Pittston in Luzerne County to Moosic in Lackawanna County Pennsylvania.

Map of tornado path A tornado touched down close to Bald Mountain Road in Plains Township Luzerne County, PA around 2:35 pm EST Saturday February 25th, 2017. The tornado did extensive damage to a metal horse barn, and 2 homes along its path. There was varying amounts of damage to another 28 homes. The tornado also knocked down over a thousand trees along a 12.8 mile long path. Hardest hit areas were Bald Mountain Road in Plains Township, Suscon, Chapel, and Baker Roads in Pittston Township, and along Glendale Road in Pittston and Spring Brook Township in Lackawanna County. Additionally, there was significant tree damage at Lake Scranton near Moosic. The tornado lifted north of Lake Scranton.

Maximum winds were estimated at 120 mph along Bald Mountain Road in Plains Township and between 100 and 110 mph along Suscon, Chapel, and Baker Roads in Pittston Township. Fortunately, there were no injuries or deaths.

For reference, the Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0: wind speeds 65 to 85 mph.
EF1: wind speeds 86 to 110 mph.
EF2: wind speeds 111 to 135 mph.
EF3: wind speeds 136 to 165 mph.
EF4: wind speeds 166 to 200 mph.
EF5: wind speeds greater than 200 mph.

Pictures: Click for a larger image.

Destroyed barn from Feb 25 2017 tornado in Lackawanna-Luzerne Counties PA

Example of projectile impaling exterior wall from Feb 25 2017 tornado in Lackawanna-Luzerne Counties PA

Insulation and debris in yard from Feb 25 2017 tornado in Lackawanna-Luzerne Counties PA

Truck crushed by tree from Feb 25 2017 tornado in Lackawanna-Luzerne Counties PA

Debris and trees strewn in yard from Feb 25 2017 tornado in Lackawanna-Luzerne Counties PA

House covered in fallen trees from Feb 25 2017 tornado in Lackawanna-Luzerne Counties PA

Microburst /Straight Line Wind Damage/ Confirmed Near Lumberland in Sullivan County New York

Location: Lumberland in Sullivan County New York
Date: February 25th, 2017
Estimated Time: 505 pm EST
Estimated Maximum Wind Speed: 100 mph
Maximum Path Width: 200 yards
Path Length: 0.25 miles
Beginning Lat/Lon: 41.51N / 74.82W
Ending lat/Lon: 41.51N / 74.82W
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0

The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to change pending final review of the event(s) and publication in NWS Storm Data.

Summary

A severe thunderstorm blew through southern Sullivan County around 505 pm EST Saturday February 25th, 2017. The thunderstorm produced intense straight-line microburst winds estimated up to 100 mph. Most of the damage was trees down with a few homes seeing damage from trees falling on the homes in Lumberland near Mohican Lake Road. There were around 100 to 200 trees downed with many trees snapped and to a lesser extent uprooted. The damage is consistent with EF1 damage with maximum winds of around 100 mph.

For reference:

A microburst is a convective downdraft with an affected outflow area of less than 2 1/2 miles wide and peak winds lasting less than 5 minutes. Microbursts may induce dangerous horizontal and vertical wind shears...which can adversely affect aircraft performance and cause property damage. Straight-line winds are generally any wind that is not associated with rotation, used mainly to differentiate them from tornadic winds.

Pictures: Click for a larger image.

Trees snapped and blown down.

Other side of the road, trees down and snapped.

Clean up.

Trees on house.

Below is a 360 degree view of the some of the damage surveyed. Use your mouse or figure to move around

Severe storms developed ahead of strong cold front moving across parts of central NY and northeast PA. An EF2 tornado occurred in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PA area during the afternoon, estimated from 2:35 PM EST to 2:50 PM EST, on February 25, 2017. Straight line wind damage occurred around 5 PM in the Lumberland, NY area.

Additional Information:

View a map of storm reports.