Tornado touches down in Donora
Caitie Bounce posted to the “What’s Going on in Washington County” Facebook Page a picture of Rt. 19 flooded at McDowell Lane near Canonsburg Lake
Jillian DeMarino posted to the “Canonsburg Friends” Facebook page this picture of Canonsburg Town Park with park benches almost completely submerged.
A tornado uprooted trees and tore off roofs in Donora as National Weather Service meteorologists confirmed a twister touched down in the Mon Valley borough at 2:42 p.m. Wednesday.
The tornado reached winds of 80 to 85 mph and was about 250 yards wide.
Severe weather took down power lines across the region, but no major blackouts were reported. A deluge of rain flooded many roadways, including Routes 19 and 519, which were closed until about 4 p.m.
Rural areas such as Cross Creek and Independence townships sustained flooding and some homeowners dealt with flooded basements, according to Washington County Public Safety Director Jeff Yates.
Pictures posted to social media showed Canonsburg Town Park flooded and park benches almost completely submerged; backyards in North Strabane were immersed in muddy water. NWS meteorologists could not be reached for further information.