EF2 Tornado — Bucks, Pennsylvania

2020-08-04 · near Belmont Hills, Bucks, Pennsylvania

Event narrative

After crossing back into Bucks County, the tornado, which may have lifted for a time, caused additional damage in the Southampton area of Bucks County. Numerous trees were snapped

in this area as well, with many homes and cars damaged due to

falling trees and tree limbs. The Sycamore Drive and Harding Roads

areas were hardest hit. The estimated wind speed in this area was

90 mph, equivalent to an EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale.

Current evidence again suggests the tornado lifted one more time

as the parent circulation traveled to the Doylestown area, where

it touched down one final time near the Central Bucks West High

School. Here bleachers on the visitor's side of the athletic

field were picked up and tossed before the vortex moved on to the

Doylestown Hospital complex where at least six automobiles were

tossed some distance, and where substantial damage occurred to the

Children's Village Day Care center with no serious injuries

reported. Numerous trees were felled in and around the hospital

center, and several metal lamp posts were bent from the wind. The

estimated wind speed in this area was 115 mph, equivalent to a

low-end EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale. The tornado then

continued moving in a northwesterly direction, snapping and

falling trees, as well as causing damage to homes and other

properties, especially along and near Sandy Ridge Road, Jefferson

Avenue, and Lower State Road, before lifting along Ferry Road near

the Peace Valley Reservoir. The estimated wind speed in this area

was 100 mph, equivalent to an EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale.

Wider weather episode

Tropical Storm Isaias brought high winds, heavy rain, several tornadoes, and coastal flooding to the mid-Atlantic region, becoming the most impactful tropical cyclone to impact most of the region since Sandy in 2012. Flash flooding as a result of heavy rain caused two direct deaths from this event...one in Lehigh County and the other in Montgomery County.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (40.1284, -74.9990)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 926365. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.