Berks County Tornado, March 9, 1998

Temperatures were quite mild for early March in Pennsylvania. Readings were generally in the upper 50's to mid 60's, while normals are in the mid 40's. It was a classic spring day, as heating from the sun formed convection... with cumulus clouds, showers & thunderstorms over southern and eastern PA during the afternoon and evening. Today marked the first tornado of the year in PA.

The first severe thunderstorm warning was issued for York county by the State College NWS office (CTP) at 5:47 pm, EST. The storm was moving out of Maryland, and had produced marble size hail in Carroll county, MD. Even though this size hail is below severe limits, Doppler NEXRAD radar indicated that the parent thunderstorm was capable of producing severe size hail, which is dime size or greater. Marble size hail was reported at Emigsville, but still no severe sizes reported. At 5:57 pm, a svr tstm warning was issued for western and central Lancaster county, and Lebanon county. This severe thunderstorm produced nickel size hail, above severe limits, a couple miles west of the city of Lancaster, in Centerville. A few miles northwest of that... just west of Landisville... power lines were downed by thunderstorm winds. Up to nickel size hail also fell at Millersville, along with 55 mph thunderstorm winds recorded in the area.

A severe thunderstorm warning was next issued for Berks county, at 6:49 pm. Large tree limbs and power lines were blown down from thunderstorm winds in a swath across central Berks county, roughly from Sinking Spring northeast to Kutztown. At least five reports of small hail (i.e. pea to dime size) were received by the NWS in Berks county along. At 7:26 pm, a tornado warning was issued for Berks county. NEXRAD radar showed a classic tornado signature, and a tornado was imminent. 7 minutes after the tornado warning went out, an F1 tornado touched down on main street (route 73) in Blandon, located north northeast of Reading. The 150 foot wide tornado traveled northeast for 2 miles, moving parallel to US route 222 and crossing Willow Creek, before lifting back up into the thunderstorm at Pleasant Hill Road. Fortunately, more than half of the path was through wooded areas, greatly reducing damage. Still, parts of the Maiden Creek Estates development, namely Cornerstone Drive, and a couple other housing areas, suffered damage. People stated to the media that they took their family into the basement, and no injuries were reported.

The houses in the tornado path were of well made construction, and no mobile homes or other weak homes were located in the area. On Main street, where the tornado first touched down, entire sections of a house roof were torn off. At the Maiden Creek Estates development, the tornado tracked across the backyards of a row of houses. A second story wall of a house was sucked out at one person's home. Siding was embedded into the ground and into the sides of other homes (this is why you must not be outside during a tornado)! 30 additional homes at this development suffered minor damage, including roof shingles and siding ripped off. Swing sets and playhouses in backyards were thrown hundreds of feet. Sheds were overturned and leveled. Fruit, maple, and evergreen trees were uprooted or snapped. Road signs were twisted like spaghetti. One in particular, a stop sign, was bent to the ground and twisted violently. After moving through woods, downing trees, the tornado affected one more home before lifting back up. The home was on Pleasant Hill Road, and its roof was removed, along with windows & doors blown in. A barn also had its roof torn off.

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