https://naviga.triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/a-tornado-with-gusts-of-120-mph-roared-through-armstrong-county-thursday-weather-service-says/
Weather service confirms tornado with gusts of 120 mph hit Armstrong County
A tornado with peak wind gusts reaching up to 120 mph traveled a 9-mile path in Armstrong County on Thursday, the National Weather Service confirmed.
The EF2 tornado — a strong system with winds between 111 mph and 135 mph — traveled for almost 10 minutes, damaging several trees and two barns. No injuries were reported.
According to the NWS, the tornado touched down at 11:47 a.m. in Rural Valley as an EF0, meaning winds were between 65 mph to 85 mph.
Still, damage to large limbs and smaller tree trunks were reported in Cowanshannock Township in the area of Route 1035 near Pine Road.
The tornado then moved rapidly northeast, strengthening and widening considerably. As it moved, it caused EF1 damage, with winds between 86 mph and 110 mph, to trees in the area of Route 1028 near Mateer Road.
An update from Thursday's EF-2 Tornado in Armstrong County.Additional info can be found in our Public Info Statement: https://t.co/1qlBKp3XPE
GIS data can be found on the Damage Assessment Toolkit (DAT) Viewer at: https://t.co/oR8AhwDrlx pic.twitter.com/oIwRladg9r
— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) April 2, 2022
The vortex continued the strengthen to an EF2 as it moved through a heavily wooded area along Harris Road.
There, ground and aerial drone surveys showed total devastation of trees along a width of 350 yards. Footage showed hundreds of trees were snapped or uprooted. A dirt road in that area was impassable because of downed trees.
The tornado continued northeast, snapping trees along Country Road before crossing two homes along Belknap-Dayton Road. There, several mature pine trees were snapped at their base and two barns were destroyed. Roof debris was blown down School House Road.
After the tornado crossed Ridge Road, damage diminished as a result of higher terrain.
According to the weather service, evidence of a secondary vortex was observed from Ridge Road to Boat Launch Road, where some tree damage was reported.
The tornado ended as an EF0 at 11:56 a.m. near Dayton.
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