National Weather Service confirms tornado hit near Cranberry

The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado hit the Cranberry area during a round of strong storms Monday afternoon.

The tornado struck near Mt. Pleasant Road and Dean Road in the Mars area of Allegheny County, National Weather Service Meteorologist Shannon Hefferan said Tuesday.

The tornado brought 70 mph winds just before 3 p.m. Monday.

A member of the National Weather Service was still assessing damage in the area, Hefferan said.

The National Weather Service was able to confirm the storm had indeed produced a tornado by around 4:30 p.m. Monday, but details pertaining to the duration and width of the tornado were still being investigated, she said.

The tornado was classified as an EF-0 tornado, Hefferan said.

“It’s based off wind,” she said of the classification. “There’s a threshold for strong wind levels. An EF-0 is marked weak for a tornado.”

Shannon said she did not know the extent of the damage, but noted that there were trees down in the area.

There were no reported injuries, Hefferan said.

The National Weather Service also put out a tornado warning in Greene County on Monday, but they have not yet confirmed whether a tornado hit that area. Hefferan said they’re still touching base with local officials to determine if the damage in that area is consistent with tornado damage.

“We will go out and survey that as well,” Hefferan said.

Strong storms struck throughout the area, with flash flood warnings in place Monday afternoon for southeastern Allegheny County, western Westmoreland County and portions of Fayette and Washington Counties. The storms resulted in reports of downed trees and wires throughout the evening, leaving some without power.

Monday’s storms brought almost an inch of rain at Pittsburgh International Airport, with heavier rain bringing up to 4 inches in eastern regions of Washington and Greene counties.