Tornadoes · United States · Pennsylvania · 2019

EF1 tornado, Newport to New Buffalo, Pennsylvania, May 29, 2019

From Newport to New Buffalo, this EF1 tornado ran 4.9 miles across Perry County on May 29, 2019, touching down at 4:14 PM EDT and reaching 300 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $40,000 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.

  1. EF065 to 85 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. 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.

  7. 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
May 29, 2019
Touchdown
4:14 PM EDT (20:14 UTC)
Lifted
4:19 PM EDT (20:19 UTC)
On the ground
5 minutes
Path length
4.9 miles (7.9 km)
Path width
300 yards (274 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$40,000
County
Perry County
Touchdown point
40.441, -77.108
Lift-off point
40.443, -77.015
Record number
1905291414-01

The damage survey

47 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS CTP, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 107 mph.

  • Convergent pattern in field

Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.

What the Weather Service recorded

An EF1 tornado touched down near Losh Run in Perry County on the evening of May 29, 2019. The tornado produced maximum winds estimated near 105 mph along a path that was nearly 5 miles in length and had a maximum path width of approximately 300 yards.

A National Weather Service survey team confirmed an EF1 tornado near Losh Run in Perry County Pennsylvania on May 29, 2019.||An EF1 tornado touched down southeast of Newport near the intersection of Route 849 and Narrows Road and progressed nearly due east for approximately 5 miles, finally lifting just east of the Juniata River near Route 322.||The most extensive damage was along Mahanoy Road, where it meets Newport Road (Route 849). In this area, the tornado downed hundreds of trees, including one tree that fell onto and destroyed a pickup truck. Some tree limbs also fell onto rooftops, but little other property damage was observed. East of this location, damage was mainly confined to sporadic trees being toppled. The tornado increased in intensity briefly before dissipating, as it crossed the Juniata River, River Road, and Route 322. Route 322 was closed for a time due to downed trees. Peak winds were estimated at 105 mph.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The warnings

No tornado warning for this county appears in the archive as in force at the moment the tornado touched down. One was issued for the county at another hour that day.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 17:18 UTC and running to 22:43 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
07:19 UTC00:20 UTCFlash Flood WatchCTP
17:18 UTC22:43 UTCTornado WatchCTP
19:47 UTC20:45 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTP
19:53 UTC20:25 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTP
20:18 UTC20:34 UTCTornado WarningCTP
20:36 UTC21:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTP
20:58 UTC21:45 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTP

Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Enhanced Risk, with a 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 19:59 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), 12:00Z

8.2 hours before the tornado, 168 km from the path. May 29, 2019.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2019-05-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 292 joules per kilogram, CIN -123, lifted condensation level 1463 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2019-05-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 25 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 37 knots.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
292 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-123 J/kg
Surface CAPE
379 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1463 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
25 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
30 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
5.2 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), 00:00Z

3.8 hours after it, 168 km from the path. May 30, 2019.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Washington/Dulle, VA at 00:00Z on 2019-05-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 24 joules per kilogram, CIN -86, lifted condensation level 2113 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Washington/Dulle, VA at 00:00Z on 2019-05-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 58 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 29 knots.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
24 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-86 J/kg
Surface CAPE
219 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2113 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
58 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
54 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
8.2 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 96 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 20:14 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.

What was reported nearby

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

Time (UTC)ReportWhereCountyRemark
19:00 UTCHAIL 1.52 N McalistervilleJuniata, PA
19:05 UTCHAIL 13 Sw RichfieldJuniata, PA
20:00 UTCTSTM WND DMGJohnstownUnion, PAPA 192 AND PA 45 CLOSED FROM MIFFLINBURG TO LAURLTOWN DUE TO TREES AND WIRES DOWN. 50 TO 100 TREES DOWN IN WEST BUFFALO TWP.
20:00 UTCTSTM WND DMGJohnstownUnion, PAPA 192 AND PA 45 CLOSED FROM MIFFLINBURG TO LAURLTOWN DUE TO TREES AND WIRES DOWN IN WEST BUFFALO TWP.
20:05 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 Sw MckeePerry, PATREES AND WIRES DOWN IN SAVILLE, CENTRE, AND SPRING TWPS.
20:07 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 N LochielUnion, PAMULTIPLE TREES DOWN ON HOLFA MILL RD IN LEWISBURG PA.
20:14 UTCTORNADO2 Sse NewportPerry, PAAN EF1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEWPORT AND TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 4.8 MILES BEFORE LIFTING JUST EAST OF THE JUNIATA RIVER. MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH WAS APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS, AND MAXIMUM WINDS WERE AROUND 105
20:17 UTCTSTM WND DMGLosh RunPerry, PANUMEROUS TREES DOWN IN WATTS, MILLER, AND BUFFALO TWPS, INCLUDING CLUSTER TREES IN WATTS TWP.
20:20 UTCTSTM WND DMGLosh RunPerry, PANUMEROUS TREES DOWN IN WATTS, MILLER, AND BUFFALO TWPS, INCLUDING CLUSTER TREES IN WATTS TWP.
20:24 UTCTORNADOMatamorasDauphin, PAAN EF1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR RT 225 N OF MATAMORAS RD AND TRAVELED 2.5 MILES ESE INTO CAMP HEBRON. MAX PATH WIDTH 500 YARDS, MAX WINDS 100 MPH. NUMEROUS TREES UPROOTED OR SNAPPED.
20:25 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 N LebanonLebanon, PANUMEROUS TREES DOWN. SPOTTER ESTIMATED WIND GUST OF 90 MPH.
20:27 UTCTSTM WND DMGHalifaxDauphin, PANUMEROUS TREES AND WIRES DOWN. BARN ROOF PARTIALLY BLOWN OFF ON PARKER DR. DAMAGE TO SHELTERS AND BUILDINGS IN CAMP HEDRON.
20:53 UTCTSTM WND DMGPine GroveSchuylkill, PAMULTIPLE TREES DOWN IN PINE GROVE TWP.
21:00 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 W LebanonLebanon, PANUMEROUS TREES AND WIRES DOWN IN WEST LABONON TWP.
21:00 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 W ShippensburgFranklin, PANUMEROUS TREES DOWN.
21:52 UTCTSTM WND DMGYorkYork, PATREES DOWN ON STRUCTURES IN THE 400 BLOCK OF SMITH STREET.

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2019 tornado in PennsylvaniaEvery tornado in Pennsylvania since 1950Warnings in force in Pennsylvania nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of May 29, 2019

40 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 298:44 AM CDTEF1Scott, MO1.075$50,000
May 292:07 PM EDTEF0Tioga, PA1.150$25,000
May 291:19 PM CDTEF0Tarrant, TX3.9200$5,000
May 291:22 PM CDTEF0Denton, TX3.7250$1,000
May 291:31 PM CDTEF1Tarrant, TX0.5300$100,000
May 293:14 PM EDTEF0Lehigh, PA2.350
May 293:20 PM EDTEF0Sullivan, PA0.450
May 292:58 PM CDTEF0Rockwall, TX3.125$1,000
May 293:07 PM CDTEF0Van Zandt, TX3.0100$5,000
May 293:17 PM CDTUnratedVan Zandt, TX0.250
May 294:24 PM EDTEF1Dauphin, PA2.5350$20,000
May 294:24 PM EDTEF1Fulton, PA0.750$35,000
May 293:36 PM CDTEF0Wood, TX3.4100$1,000
May 294:00 PM CDTUnratedSac, IA1.230
May 294:11 PM CDTUnratedSac, IA0.720
May 294:21 PM CDTEF0McCurtain, OK1.175
May 294:24 PM CDTEF2Kaufman, TX4.02151$1.0 million
May 294:28 PM CDTEF0Christian, IL0.220
May 294:30 PM CDTEF0Christian, IL0.220
May 294:35 PM CDTEF0Christian, IL0.320
May 294:49 PM CDTUnratedPocahontas, IA0.240
May 294:50 PM CDTEF0Macon, IL0.520
May 294:50 PM CDTEF2Wood, TX9.1850$300,000
May 294:51 PM CDTEF2Van Zandt, TX7.2700$500,000
May 295:08 PM CDTEF1Van Zandt, TX2.3140$250,000
May 295:16 PM CDTEF0Randolph, AR0.675$40,000
May 295:18 PM CDTEF1Van Zandt, TX3.8250$1,000
May 295:31 PM CDTEF0Fannin, TX10.8300$25,000
May 296:21 PM CDTUnratedHumboldt, IA0.530
May 296:23 PM CDTEF0Iowa, IA0.120
May 297:01 PM CDTEF1Poweshiek, IA3.5501$10,000
May 297:28 PM CDTUnratedPoweshiek, IA0.930
May 297:37 PM CDTEF0Hardin, IA1.130
May 297:39 PM CDTUnratedPoweshiek, IA0.930
May 297:46 PM CDTEF0Iowa, IA3.320
May 298:13 PM CDTEF0Johnson, IA0.320
May 298:15 PM CDTEF0Hardin, IA1.230
May 298:29 PM CDTEF0Hardin, IA0.640$30,000
May 298:31 PM CDTEF0Hardin, IA1.350$10,000
May 298:54 PM CDTUnratedHardin, IA0.720

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.