Tornadoes · United States · Pennsylvania · 2008
EF1 tornado, East Penn Jct, Pennsylvania, September 6, 2008
This EF1 tornado ran 0.6 miles across Lehigh County on September 6, 2008, touching down at 3:00 PM EDT and reaching 30 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $1.5 million of property damage.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
EF065 to 85 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
EF3136 to 165 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
EF5over 200 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
The record
- Rating
- EF1
- Date
- September 6, 2008
- Touchdown
- 3:00 PM EDT (19:00 UTC)
- Lifted
- 3:02 PM EDT (19:02 UTC)
- On the ground
- 2 minutes
- Path length
- 0.6 miles (0.9 km)
- Path width
- 30 yards (27 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $1.5 million
- County
- Lehigh County
- Touchdown point
- 40.623, -75.433
- Lift-off point
- 40.622, -75.444
- Record number
- 0809061300-01
What the Weather Service recorded
The only confirmed tornado in the United States associated with Tropical Storm Hanna occurred in Allentown.
An EF1 tornado with maximum wind gusts of about 95 mph touched down in East Allentown. The tornado damaged about 50 homes and the Louis E. Dieruff High School which was closed until September 10th. About 100 trees were damaged or destroyed. The tornado touched down between North Ortt Street and East Cedar Street behind the Lehigh Valley Christian High School on Oswego Street. It proceeded to move west paralleling East Cedar Street and reached its maximum strength around North Kearney Street where EF1 damage started. The high school was within the path of the strongest part of the tornado. The tornado started to weaken just before it crossed North Irving Street and lifted around North Hart Street. ||Homes were hardest hit near the intersection of East Cedar and Kiowa Streets. Several roofs were damaged; shingles were pulled from other homes. Part of a roof was torn away from a home on North Irving Street. Along the path of the tornado siding was torn from a few other homes and power lines were pulled down in addition to the tree damage. The greatest destruction occurred on the grounds of the Louis E. Dieruff High School. The tornado peeled away a section of the high school's roof near the planetarium. This allowed the heavy rain to cause water damage to seventeen classrooms and a couple of hundred lockers. Ventilation units located on the roof were wrenched away. About twenty-five trees on the high school grounds were knocked down; the limbs damaged several school windows. Repairs to the high school were not expected to be completed until the middle of November.| |The tornado path length was about 0.6 of a mile and its maximum path width was about 30 yards. No injuries were reported.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Sep 6, 11:36 AM EDT, 3 hours 24 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 6, 11:36 AM EDT, 3 hours 24 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
1136 AM EDT SAT SEP 6 2008
.SYNOPSIS...
TROPICAL STORM HANNA MOVED ONSHORE OVER NORTHEASTERN SOUTH
CAROLINA EARLY THIS MORNING. THE STORM WILL MOVE NORTHWARD TODAY
CROSSING DELAWARE THIS AFTERNOON AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY THIS EVENING
ON ITS WAY TO NEW ENGLAND TONIGHT. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL FOLLOW
LATE SUNDAY AND MONDAY FOLLOWED BY A COLD FRONT ON TUESDAY. HIGH
PRESSURE WILL THEN BUILD OVER THE REGION WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY
AND OFFSHORE ON FRIDAY.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
HEAVY RAINS FROM HANNA ARE NO AFFECTING THE AREA ALTHOUGH THE
CENTER REMAINS TO OUR SOUTH. THE TRACK OF THE STORM CONTINUES TO
BRING THE CENTER THROUGH THE DELMARVA AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MAIN CONCERN FROM TROPICAL STORM HANNA
WILL BE FLOODING THROUGHOUT THE REGION. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO A
THREAT, MAINLY ALONG THE COASTAL WATERS AND THE COASTAL PLAIN, BUT
SOME OF THE STRONG GUSTY WINDS COULD ALSO REACH FARTHER INLAND.
NOW THAT THE RAIN HAS BEGUN, IT WILL LAST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON
AND MOST OF THE EVENING HOURS. WITH THE EXPECTED TRACK, AND VERY
HEAVY RAINS THAT ARE ANTICIPATED, 4 TO 7 INCHES OF RAIN COULD
FALL. THE AREA THAT IS EXPECTED TO SEE THE LARGEST NUMBERS SHOULD
BE ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN NEW JERSEY SOUTHWESTWARD THROUGH
EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA. EVEN THOUGH THE GROUND IS
STARTING OUT RELATIVELY DRY, WHEN THE HEAVY RAINS DO ARRIVE, IT
SHOULD FALL IN A 6 TO 8 HOUR WINDOW. THE COMBINATION OF THE VERY
HEAVY RAINS AND THE RELATIVE SHORT TIME FRAME THAT IT SHOULD FALL,
WOULD MOST LIKELY CAUSE FLOODING, ESPECIALLY ON THE SMALLER
STREAMS AND CREEKS AS WELL AS POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.
NO CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO ANY OF THE THE WARNINGS AND WATCHES.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR COASTAL SECTIONS...A TROPICAL STORM
WIND WARNING FOR ADJACENT INLAND SECTIONS...A WIND ADVISORY FOR
THE LEHIGH VALLEY AND POCONO AREAS OF PENNSYLVANIA...AND A FLOOD
WATCH FOR THE ENTIRE AREA. SEE THE HLS, FFA, AND NPW FOR
PARTICULARS. ALSO, REFER PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER, WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV, FOR MORE DETAILS ON TROPICAL STORM HANNA.
&&
.SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/...
HANNA WILL BE DEPARTING AFTER MIDNIGHT AND RAINS WILL BECOME
SHOWERY AND THEN END. THE WINDS WILL ALSO BE ON THE DECREASE LATE
TONIGHT IN THE WAKE OF HANNA. THE CIRCULATION BEHIND HANNA SHOULD
MERGE WITH A WEAKENING COLD FRONT TO THE NORTHWEST AND THIS FRONT
WILL BE PULLED THROUGH THE REGION LATE TONIGHT ALLOWING THE
HUMIDITY TO DECREASE. HIGH PRESSURE THEN BUILDS OVER THE REGION
SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT WITH DRY WEATHER. FORECAST TEMPERATURES
WERE GENERALLY IN LINE WITH THE MAV GUIDANCE.
&&
.LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
WE USED HPC GUIDANCE AS A STARTING POINT AND ONLY MINOR
ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE.
A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO SWEEP THROUGH THE REGION TUESDAY,
BRINGING A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE FRONT LOOKS TO
STALL OFF TO OUR SOUTH AND EAST BUT DEPENDING ON THE TRACK OF
HURRICANE IKE, IT MAY ACTUALLY BE PUSHED CLOSER TO OUR BORDERS.
MEANWHILE, HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN BEHIND THE FRONT AND PERSIST
THROUGH FRIDAY.
&&
.AVIATION /15Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
MOST TAF SITES REMAIN IN MARGINAL VFR CATEGORY, BUT A CHANGE TO
IFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED EARLY THIS AFTERNOON AS TROPICAL STORM
HANNA CONITNUES TO MOVE INTO THE AREA. CONDITIONS WILL BE LOWEST
IN HEAVIER PRECIPITATION BANDS, INCLUDING ISOLATED CONVECTION,
THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT.
GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT TO VFR SHOULD BE OCCURRING IN THE WAKE OF THE
LOW LATER ON TONIGHT, AS THE WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS KICK IN.
A WIND SHEAR REMARK WAS USED FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WIND
DIRECTIONS MAY NOT BE TOO FAR DIFFERENT FROM SURFACE VALUES, BUT
SPEEDS SHOULD INCREASE MARKEDLY OFF THE SURFACE, AND THE ATTEMPT WAS
MADE TO ALERT PILOTS OF INCREASED SPEEDS ABOVE THE GROUND.
&&
.MARINE...
THE APPROACH AND PASSAGE OF TROPICAL STORM HANNA WILL CAUSE A
DRAMATIC INCREASE IN WINDS DURING TODAY, WHICH SHOULD PEAK LATER
THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST
STATEMENTS FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AND OUR LOCAL HANNA
STATEMENTS FROM THE MT HOLLY NJ NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE FOR
ADDITIONAL DETAILS. 925 HPA WINDS WERE FORECAST TO BE IN THE 50 TO
55 KNOT RANGE AS THE LATEST FORECAST TRACKS THE STORM THROUGH THE
DELMAR AREA, THROUGH SOUTHEASTERN NEW JERSEY, AND THEN OFF THE NEW
JERSEY COAST THIS EVENING. SEAS ARE PROGGED UP TO 12 FEET OVER THE
EASTERN COASTAL WATERS THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING, WITH
BREAKERS IN THE SURF ZONE OF 5 TO 8 FEET. THIS IS IN LINE WITH THE
LATEST WAVEWATCH FORECAST.
WEAK HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO BUILD OVER THE REGION IN THE WAKE
OF THE STORM FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY. WIND SPEEDS AND SEAS WILL
SUBSIDE AT THAT TIME. A COLD FRONT FROM THE NORTHWEST IS SLATED TO
ARRIVE ON TUESDAY WITH AT LEAST SCATTERED ADDITIONAL PRECIPITATION.
SWELLS FROM IKE MIGHT BE BLOCKED ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY, BUT AS HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE REGION BEHIND THE FRONT, NORTHEAST SWELLS
REACHING SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY LEVELS MIGHT OCCUR WEDNESDAY.
&&
.RIP CURRENTS...
AS TROPICAL STORM HANNA APPROACHES FROM THE SOUTH TODAY, RIP
CURRENTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE MOSTLY IN THE RANGE OF HIGH. AN IN-HOUSE
GUIDANCE TOOL INDICATED MODERATE FOR DELAWARE, BUT IT DOES NOT SEEM
REASONABLE TO SPLIT OUT DELAWARE FOR MODERATE AND LEAVE NEW JERSEY
HIGH.
THE THREAT OF ENHANCED RIP CURRENTS SHOULD SUBSIDE SOMEWHAT FOR
SUNDAY INTO MONDAY AS HANNA MOVES TO OUR NORTHEAST AND FARTHER AWAY
FROM OUR REGION. HOWEVER, SWELLS FROM IKE MAY BEGIN TO ARRIVE ABOUT
THAT TIME. EVEN IF THAT DOES NOT OCCUR, THE EXPECTED NORTHEAST FETCH
MIGHT INCREASE RIP CURRENTS AGAIN BY WEDNESDAY.
&&
.TIDES AND COASTAL FLOODING...
WE ARE FORTUNATE THAT HANNA IS ARRIVING DURING THE NEAP TIDE CYCLE,
AS WELL AS WHEN TIDES, ON THE OCEAN AT LEAST, ARE STARTING TO MOVE
TOWARD LOW TIDE. SO, THE HIGHER ASTRONOMICAL TIDES TODAY ALONG THE
OCEAN-FRONT SHOULD BE ARRIVING AROUND THE TIME WINDS JUST START TO
RAMP UP AT MIDDAY AND EARLY AFTERNOON. THERE WILL BE A BETTER
COINCIDENCE OF WINDS AND TIDES IN THE BAYS AND THE TIDAL DELAWARE
RIVER. NEVERTHELESS, THE GENERAL SURGE IS EXPECTED TO AVERAGE 1 TO 3
FEET WHICH WOULD TAKE MOST LOCAL AREAS INTO THE MINOR TIDAL FLOODING
RANGE. CURIOUSLY, THE SURGE GUIDANCE IS LESS THAN THIS, ESPECIALLY
THE GFS WHICH SHOWS ONLY A FEW TENTHS ABOVE NORMAL. BUT, WITH
ONSHORE TO SOUTH WINDS OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE, OR AT LEAST FREQUENT
GUSTS (AS THE 925 HPA WINDS WERE 50 TO 55 KNOTS OVER THE WATERS),
THE STORM SURGE WILL BE FORECAST HIGHER THAN THE GUIDANCE. WAVE
ACTION ALSO HAS TO BE ADDED ON TOP OF THIS, AS WELL AS DRAINAGE
FLOODING THAT WILL OCCUR AROUND THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE AS HEAVY RAIN
SHOULD BE OCCURRING. LASTLY, MINOR TIDAL FLOODING MIGHT PERSIST INTO
SUNDAY ALONG TIDAL SECTIONS OF THE DELAWARE RIVER BECAUSE OF THE
FRESHWATER RUNOFF.
&&
.PHI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PA...TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR
PAZ067>071.
FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR PAZ054-055-060>062-
067>071.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR PAZ054-055-
060>062.
NJ...TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR
NJZ001-007>010-012-015-017>019.
FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR NJZ001-007>010-012>027.
TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR NJZ013-014-016-020>027.
DE...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR DEZ001>004.
TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR DEZ001>004.
MD...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR MDZ008-012-015-019-020.
TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR MDZ008-012-015-019-020.
MARINE...TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR ANZ430-431-450>455-470.
&&
SYNOPSIS...STAUBER
NEAR TERM...ROBERTSON/STAUBER
SHORT TERM...STAUBER
LONG TERM...MEOLA
AVIATION...RPW/
MARINE...
RIP CURRENTS...
TIDES...Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 6, 11:36 AM EDT, 3 hours 24 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ 1136 AM EDT SAT SEP 6 2008 PAZ054-055-060>062-071545- CARBON-MONROE-BERKS-LEHIGH-NORTHAMPTON- 1136 AM EDT SAT SEP 6 2008 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AND NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLOOD WATCH. WIND ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. NJZ001-007>010-012-015-017>019-PAZ067>071-071545- SUSSEX-WARREN-MORRIS-HUNTERDON-SOMERSET-MIDDLESEX-MERCER-GLOUCESTER- CAMDEN-NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON-CHESTER-MONTGOMERY-BUCKS-DELAWARE- PHILADELPHIA- 1136 AM EDT SAT SEP 6 2008 ...TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NEW JERSEY...NORTHERN NEW JERSEY...NORTHWEST NEW JERSEY...SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING. FLOOD WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. DEZ001>003-MDZ008-012-015-019-020-NJZ016-071545- NEW CASTLE-KENT-INLAND SUSSEX-CECIL-KENT MD-QUEEN ANNES-TALBOT- CAROLINE-SALEM- 1136 AM EDT SAT SEP 6 2008 ...TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT... ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL DELAWARE...NORTHERN DELAWARE...SOUTHERN DELAWARE...NORTHEAST MARYLAND AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. TROPICAL STORM WARNING. FLOOD WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. NJZ013-020>023-027-071545- WESTERN MONMOUTH-OCEAN-CUMBERLAND-ATLANTIC-CAPE MAY- SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON- 1136 AM EDT SAT SEP 6 2008 ...TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT... ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. TROPICAL STORM WARNING. FLOOD WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. DEZ004-NJZ014-024>026-071545- DELAWARE BEACHES-EASTERN MONMOUTH-ATLANTIC COASTAL CAPE MAY- COASTAL ATLANTIC-COASTAL OCEAN- 1136 AM EDT SAT SEP 6 2008 ...TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT... ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN DELAWARE...CENTRAL NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. TROPICAL STORM WARNING. FLOOD WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. ANZ430-431-450>455-071545- DELAWARE BAY WATERS NORTH OF EAST POINT NJ TO SLAUGHTER BEACH DE- DELAWARE BAY WATERS SOUTH OF EAST POINT NJ TO SLAUGHTER BEACH DE- COASTAL WATERS FROM SANDY HOOK TO MANASQUAN INLET NJ OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM MANASQUAN INLET TO LITTLE EGG INLET NJ OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM LITTLE EGG INLET TO GREAT EGG INLET NJ OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM GREAT EGG INLET TO CAPE MAY NJ OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE MAY NJ TO CAPE HENLOPEN DE OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE HENLOPEN TO FENWICK ISLAND DE OUT 20 NM- 1136 AM EDT SAT SEP 6 2008 ...TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS AND DELAWARE BAY WATERS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. TROPICAL STORM WARNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINDS AND WAVES WILL DIMINISH AS TROPICAL STORM HANNA MOVES AWAY FROM THE AREA SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
The surface observations
Allentown-Bethlehem (ABE), 3 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 UTC |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 115 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 19:00 UTC.
Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track
Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2008 tornado in PennsylvaniaEvery tornado in Pennsylvania since 1950Warnings in force in Pennsylvania nowThe forecast where you are
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.
Sources
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.