Published May 28. 2024 07:53PM
by Jill Whalen jwhalen@tnonline.com
The National Weather Service confirmed that an EF-1 tornado with maximum estimated wind speeds of 90 miles per hour whipped through Mahanoy City Monday evening.
There were no injuries reported along the tornado’s 1.5 mile path, the NWS said in a statement issued Tuesday evening.
According to the NWS, the tornado formed just west of Mahanoy City at 7:38 p.m. and traveled northeast.
An EF-1 tornado is the second lowest classification, with wind gusts of 86–110 mph, causing multiple uprooted or snapped trees and possibly flipping or moving cars.
In Mahanoy, the twister uprooted several trees along its path as it moved into the borough and crossed Railroad Street. It lifted shingles from roofs and sent pieces of wooden debris into the air.
Several roofs were impaled by the falling debris, and siding on a number of houses was damaged, the NWS reported.
In addition, several windows on the Mahanoy Area Elementary school were damaged.
The tornado eventually crossed train tracks just north of Mahanoy City as it uprooted additional trees. It lifted after it crossed Glendon Road at 7:44 p.m., the NWS said.
EF1 tornadoes have wind speeds between 86 and 110 miles per hour.
A NWS survey crew was in Mahanoy City Tuesday afternoon.
The information released Tuesday is preliminary and subject to change pending final review of the event, the NWS said.
A funnel cloud is seen from a window in Mahanoy City just before 8 p.m. on Monday. The National Weather Service confirmed Tuesday that it was an EF-1 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 90 miles per hour. ERIN MINALDA/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO