Officials: Tornado touches down in Westmoreland County
Storm cloud
A storm capable of producing a tornado moves through Westmoreland County.
Dylan Davis of Mt. Pleasant Township used to live in Iowa, and says he knows a tornado when he sees one, even if it hasn't been officially declared yet by the National Weather Service.
"This was definitely one," Davis said of the storm system that emergency officials said touched down in Mt. Pleasant Township shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday evening.
Employees at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport moved briefly to seek shelter in the basement, emergency officials received reports of multiple trees down along Udell Road in Mount Pleasant Township, and West Penn Power had up to 1,500 customers without power between the Youngwood and New Stanton areas. That number was down to about 100 by 9:40 p.m.
POSSIBLE TORNADO DAMAGE WESTMORELAND CO-we have crews checking on damage that may have been caused by a tornado. Tonight on Channel 11 News 11 @ 11-the latest. pic.twitter.com/VAtiP9pzrZ
" Stephen Cropper (@WPXICropper) June 28, 2018
State police reported the storm touched down in Mammoth Park near Norvelt around 8:15 p.m.
Davis lives on Route 982 right across from the park.
"It was just breezy with some sprinkles, nothing too crazy when the tornado started to form," Davis said.
Nicole Cunningham also lives along Route 982, about a minute from Mammoth Park. She said her family were outside on their porch when they received the tornado warning on their cell phones.
"There was wind gusting the opposite way of the clouds to power the rotation," Cunningham said. "My family and most of our neighbors were just in awe watching the clouds rotate and the whole system move parallel to us.
"It was definitely a sight to see!" she said in an email to the Tribune-Review.
@NWSPittsburgh This was a view of the tornado warned storm in Westmoreland Co. as rotation was near Norvelt. Photo taken by my mother in downtown Mount Pleasant. #PAwx pic.twitter.com/DqtwhQJxAO
" Matthew Orbin (@orbination) June 28, 2018
The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for south-central Westmoreland County and southwest Pennsylvania as a severe storm system began moving through around 8 p.m. That warning was lifted at 8:30 p.m.
The NWS typically sends investigators following a storm to determine if it was a tornado. NWS officials could not be immediately reached for comment.
Southeast shot from the Mt. View area of Unity Township. #wpxi #WTAE @Ray_WTAE pic.twitter.com/GBFcl3Wo6T
" Jon Mains (@JMains16) June 28, 2018
Report severe weather by calling 412-262-1988, posting to the NWS Pittsburgh Facebook page, or using the Twitter handle @NWSPITTSBURGH.
Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-850-2862, pvarine@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MurrysvilleStar. Chuck Biedka is a Tribune-Review staff writer.
