National Weather Service Confirms Rare January Tornado Touched Down In Mercer Co.
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NEW LEBANON, Pa. (KDKA) -- The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado did touch down in Mercer County during Tuesday's severe weather.
An EF1 tornado hit Mercer County yesterday....that is the 7th tornado to hit PA in the month of January (records go back to 1952). pic.twitter.com/SSgaw0Mmr8
— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) January 9, 2019
Weather officials were out Wednesday morning surveying the damage in New Lebanon, and have determined an EF-1 tornado caused damage in the area.
They say wind gusts got as high as 95 miles per hour during the height of the storm late on Tuesday morning.
According to the National Weather Service, this is just the seventh tornado recorded in January in Pennsylvania since 1950.
The same storms spawned an EF-1 tornado in Cortland in Trumbull County, Ohio, weather officials confirmed.
High winds caused damage around other parts of western Pennsylvania, bringing a cold front to the area.
The canopy of a Sunoco gas station toppled over in Monroeville.
The National Weather Service estimated that wind gusts in the area at the time were close to 50 miles per hour. Two vehicles ended up beneath the huge canopy and its pillars.
One man was nearly hit, but escaped just in time.
No injuries were reported.
Stay with KDKA for the latest on the weather.