NWS confirms 2 tornadoes hit Fayette County on Saturday

McCLELLANDTOWN, Pa. — The National Weather Service has confirmed that two tornadoes touched down in Fayette County during Saturday’s storms.

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The National Weather Service said the first tornado started in Lambert at 7:06 p.m. It traveled a path of 0.2 miles and reached a peak wind speed of 65 m.p.h. making it an EF-0.

The second tornado reportedly touched down in East Glades and traveled into Preston County, West Virginia. The National Weather Service said the tornado reached speeds of 90 m.p.h., making it an EF-1.

Pebble-sized hail also came raining down in McClellandtown outside Uniontown Saturday evening just as Connie Armel was about to go to bed.

“They were small, but they were blowing sideways and there was a lot of wind,” Armel said. “It was just real, real loud and I got scared.”

Armel said damaging winds snapped the utility pole in front of her home on Mary Hall Road and brought down wires.

“I heard the crack of the pole, and I looked out the window on the side of the house,” she said. “I seen my line off my house. It pulled the line clear off of my home.”

A preliminary report from a National Weather Service team in Pittsburgh said a weak EF-0 tornado with winds up to 65 miles per hour blew through the rural community snapping a couple trees just before 8 p.m.

This week alone, there have been four reported tornadoes in Western Pennsylvania, including one in Washington County that also hit on Saturday night. It uprooted trees and violently tore the roof off a church office in Union Township sending debris and the steeple into the parking lot crushing cars.

>>> NWS finds damage indicating EF2 tornado hit Washington County Saturday

Two tornadoes touched down early Wednesday morning. One ripped the roof off a business near the Pittsburgh airport in Findlay Township.

Just after 3 a.m. that same morning, another tornado traveled through yards knocking down dozens of trees in Ligonier in Westmoreland County.

The NWS said it’s already been an active tornado season and it’s not even over yet.

“This will be our 13th documented tornado in our forecast area so far in 2024, and we average six a year, so we’re already double that, and we are just getting into the peak of tornado season,” said Fred McMullen, a meteorologist with NWS Pittsburgh

Thankfully, no one was badly hurt in any of the tornadoes.

The National Weather Service originally reported that Fayette County has not had a tornado since July 29, 2021. Channel 11 has since reached out to them and received confirmation that the last tornado to touch down was near Yogi Bear Campground on Aug. 25, 2023.

Surveyors will return to the area on Monday to learn more about the storm.

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