Damage from 2 tornadoes in Butler County concentrated in specific areas
Even with a tornado tearing off the roof of a salt storage building about 75 yards away from the fire station Wednesday evening, the Unionville Volunteer Fire Company had zero storm-related calls.
Fire Chief Mike Pflugh said Center Township’s road crew removed a couple of downed trees blocking roads, but the fire company was spared from going out in the storm, which included two tornadoes.
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh deemed the Wednesday storm contained two EF-0 tornadoes: one in Center Township and one in Clay Township.
“Trust me, I figured we would be out there all night,” Pflugh said.
The weather service confirmed the Center Township tornado — featuring damage in the area of Unionville Road and North Main Street — after reviewing the fire company’s video footage of the roof blowing off a township-owned salt shed around 4:40 p.m. Wednesday behind the fire hall. A portion of Butler County was under a tornado warning at the time.
“The tornado seemed like it touched down right behind our station, and that was it,” said assistant fire chief Nathan Wulff.
Weather service employees visited the site around 9 a.m. Thursday to survey damages in the tornado’s wake with intentions to grade the storm. The investigation set out to determine the tornado’s length, width and maximum wind speed, according to spokesman Fred McMullen. He said residents in the area had only about four minutes of warning before the tornado formed.
Philip Wulff, a Center Township supervisor, said two buildings near the salt shed also had minor storm damage, including the building that originally housed the fire company.
Also reported were a couple downed trees cleared by the township’s road crew and a drainage backup on Mahood Road, Philip Wulff said.
Perry Brosius, who lives about 2 miles from the Unionville Volunteer Fire Company off Sunset Drive, said it was about 5 p.m. when the wind picked up and the emergency alarm came over the TV while he sat at the dinner table. He said the wind was strong, but the rain blocking his view outside the home and his overflowing gutters are what caught his attention.
“It rained harder than I think I’ve ever seen it rain here,” he said.
A branch about 30 feet long and 1 foot wide fell from one of the two trees in his front yard, but missed the house. He said his grandson will help him cut the branch with a chainsaw and remove it after the rain.
“It could have been a heck of a lot worse,” he said.
Others closer to the tornado, such as Don Gilliland, of Mahood Road, experienced minimal damage. On Thursday morning, Gilliland reported that a bird house was knocked over, but otherwise, his yard was damage-free.
McMullen pointed to an area on Mack Road in Clay Township, where it appeared the tornado ripped through groups of trees near the road. This is where the weather service confirmed the second EF-0 tornado touched down.
He said they were also investigating damage in the area of West Sunbury and in northern parts of Allegheny and Washington counties.
The West Sunbury Volunteer Fire Department received calls for four roads flooded in the area and multiple trees down on Mack Road, according to Lt. Chris Traggiai. All storm-related calls came in between 5 and 5:45 p.m.
He said flooding was reported on Claytonia Road, Eau Claire Road, Beaver Dam Road and Hall Road near the railroad tracks.
On Mack Road, neighbors with a skidloader helped the fire company clear multiple trees, Traggiai said.
The fire company, however, did not make any house calls related to storm damage or flooding.
Butler County Emergency Services recorded 18 events for reasons like flooding, downed roads and wires down between 3 and 11 p.m., according to 911 coordinator Rob McLafferty.
He said there were no 911 calls for incidents in Center Township despite the storm damage and tornado designation.
Wednesday’s storms didn’t bring strong winds all over the county like in the northern part, McLafferty said. He said the 911 center received only four additional calls compared to its Wednesday-night average.
He said storm-related incidents were recorded in Butler, Brady Township, Connoquenessing Township, Concord Township, Franklin Township, Lancaster Township, Muddy Creek Township, Prospect and Summit Township.
“This proves why we need to take those (tornado) watches and warnings seriously,” McLafferty said. “We’re very thankful no one was hurt last evening.”
The salt shed will be a total loss for Center Township, Philip Wulff said. He anticipates the next step is for the township’s insurance company to assess the damage and determine how much the building was worth.
He said the salt shed was one of the township’s first buildings, having been there about 50 years. It was currently being used as a backup location for the township’s main storage building behind the Clearview Mall.
McMullen said the weather service records an average of six tornadoes per year in the area with May and June being the peak months.
