Three Tornadoes Confirmed in Butler and Washington Counties After Wednesday Storm

FINLEYVILLE, Pa. — The National Weather Service confirmed three tornadoes touched down during severe storms on Wednesday, with two EF-0 tornadoes in Butler County and an EF-1 tornado in Washington County.

The first tornado in Butler County formed around 4:37 p.m. northwest of Northvue in Center Township. It produced winds of up to 85 mph and caused damage, including the roof being blown off a salt shed. Officials also reported downed trees and branches.

The second EF-0 tornado also reached wind speeds of 85 mph, breaking several large branches in the West Sunbury area. Despite their discontinuous paths, both tornadoes were confirmed to have originated from the same storm system.

Meanwhile, the EF-1 tornado in Washington County left marked damage in Finleyville, where storm surveyors found uprooted trees. Meteorologists from the NWS retraced the tornado’s path to assess its duration and strength.

“We can confirm that this was tornadic, but we have not really evaluated where the start of the path was yet,” said Matthew Kramar, a meteorologist with the NWS in Pittsburgh. He noted the presence of parallel trees and flattened grass as evidence of a convergent damage path.

The NWS teams spent Thursday assessing the aftermath across Allegheny, Washington, and Butler counties. Kramar emphasized that confirming tornado activity is crucial for public safety. “The more tornado warnings without an actual tornado, the more potential there is to diminish their impact to the public,” he said.

Video footage from security cameras helped confirm the tornado’s impact, illustrating the powerful winds that caused such significant damage. This year, the NWS’s Pittsburgh region has already recorded nine tornadoes, surpassing the average of six.

Officials recommend that residents remain informed about weather alerts to ensure their safety during severe storms.