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F1 tornado in Delaware County, Pennsylvania

Tornado September 27, 1993 · Delaware County, Pennsylvania

F1
Rating
3.0 mi
Path length
200 yd
Path width
$5.0M
Damage as recorded
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 200 yards (0.11 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F1 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F1 meant moderate damage: roofs badly stripped, mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned, windows broken; the scale paired it with winds of 73–112 mph, figures later judged too high, especially toward the top of the scale, and revised downward in the Enhanced Fujita scale. Ratings then, as now, came from the damage.

What the National Weather Service wrote

A funnel cloud was first spotted by two police officers about 700 feet above the ground in Media. The tornado then touched down 1 mile north of the intersection of the US Route 1 bypass and Route 320. It moved northeast toward Drexel Hill and northern Springfield where apparently dissipated. The storm uprooted and twisted off several trees before tearing off part of the roof of the Marple Place apartments. The Springfield Republican Leader's home was hit hard by the tornado. More than 20 large trees (some of them were over 200 years old and more than 150 feet tall) came down in his yard, two of which crashed onto the roof of his home on Township Line road. A large tree also fell through the roof of a two story home on Spring Alley Road in Springfield causing extensive damage to the second floor. An entire row of large trees were uprooted in front of the Springfield police chief's home on Kerr Lane. Several other homes and vehicles were damaged by falling trees and blowing debris and cars were moved in the twisters path. No deaths or injuries were reported. Additionally, 40,00 customers lost power countywide.

Began near Springfield (39.9300, -75.3500).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 10343734. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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