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Merrittstown, PA Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes

 
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The chance of earthquake damage in Merrittstown is about the same as Pennsylvania average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Merrittstown is lower than Pennsylvania average and is lower than the national average.

Topics:Earthquake IndexVolcano IndexTornado IndexOther Weather Extremes EventsVolcanos NearbyHistorical Earthquake EventsHistorical Tornado Events

Earthquake Index, #2183

Merrittstown, PA
0.00
Pennsylvania
0.17
U.S.
1.81

The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.

Volcano Index, #1

Merrittstown, PA
0.0000
Pennsylvania
0.0000
U.S.
0.0023

The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.

Tornado Index, #1681

Merrittstown, PA
88.57
Pennsylvania
109.77
U.S.
136.45

The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.

Other Weather Extremes Events

A total of 4,364 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Merrittstown, PA were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:

TypeCountTypeCountTypeCountTypeCountTypeCount
Avalanche:0Blizzard:3Cold:17Dense Fog:0Drought:9
Dust Storm:0Flood:807Hail:780Heat:0Heavy Snow:101
High Surf:0Hurricane:0Ice Storm:26Landslide:0Strong Wind:75
Thunderstorm Winds:2,408Tropical Storm:1Wildfire:0Winter Storm:40Winter Weather:1
Other:96 

Volcanos Nearby

No volcano is found in or near Merrittstown, PA.

Historical Earthquake Events

No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Merrittstown, PA.

No historical earthquake events found in or near Merrittstown, PA.

Historical Tornado Events

A total of 40 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Merrittstown, PA.

Distance (miles)DateMagnitudeStart Lat/LogEnd Lat/LogLengthWidthFatalitiesInjuriesProperty DamageCrop DamageAffected County
9.01986-10-01239°55'N / 79°45'W39°54'N / 79°40'W4.50 Miles100 Yards022.5M0Fayette
16.31965-11-16240°05'N / 79°37'W40°06'N / 79°36'W03250K0Westmoreland
17.41971-07-13239°46'N / 79°50'W39°42'N / 79°37'W12.20 Miles70 Yards04250K0Fayette
17.61965-11-16240°06'N / 79°36'W40°07'N / 79°35'W03250K0Fayette
18.51990-06-30240°07'N / 80°09'W0.20 Mile250 Yards0025K0Washington
20.81998-06-02239°45'N / 79°39'W39°43'N / 79°34'W5.00 Miles300 Yards003.0M2.0MFayette
 Brief Description: An F2 tornado passed southeast through southern Fayette County PA, the northeast tip of Preston County WV, and into northwest Garrett County MD. The total length of the tornado as it passed across these three counties was 12 miles. Damage included a completely destroyed dairy barn, two completely destroyed house trailers, and at least 21 other structures heavily damaged, many with roofs partially or completely peeled off. Several cows were killed, with one cow thrown through the air over 100 yards. A clearly visible 300-yard wide, 1-mile long swath of trees which were completely sheared/uprooted was present near the Pennsylvania/West Virginia state border. One Fayette County official estimated at least two million dollars damage in lost timber alone in that county. Despite the damage, interviews with law enforcement officials, paramedics and local residents revealed no injuries occurred.
22.11954-06-26240°15'N / 79°41'W0425K0Westmoreland
22.91983-05-22240°17'N / 79°53'W40°18'N / 79°47'W5.00 Miles200 Yards002.5M0Allegheny
24.31971-07-13239°42'N / 79°37'W39°40'N / 79°33'W3.80 Miles100 Yards0025K0Fayette
24.61963-08-03340°19'N / 79°53'W27025.0M0Allegheny
25.21968-06-25239°51'N / 80°19'W01250K0Greene
25.91998-06-02239°43'N / 79°33'W39°40'N / 79°30'W4.00 Miles300 Yards005.0M2.0MPreston
 Brief Description: An F2 tornado passed southeast through southern Fayette County PA, the northeast tip of Preston County WV, and into northwest Garrett County MD. The total length of the tornado as it passed across these three counties was 12 miles. Damage in Preston County included a completely destroyed dairy barn, two completely destroyed house trailers, and at least 21 other structures heavily damaged, many with roofs partially or completely peeled off. Several cows were killed, with one cow thrown through the air over 100 yards. A clearly visible 300-yard wide, 1-mile long swath of trees which were completely sheared/uprooted was present near the Pennsylvania/West Virginia state border. One Fayette County official estimated at least two million dollars damage in lost timber alone in that county. Despite the damage, interviews with law enforcement officials, paramedics and local residents revealed no injuries occurred.
27.21983-05-22240°18'N / 79°47'W40°20'N / 79°30'W14.00 Miles200 Yards062.5M0Westmoreland
28.01956-05-13240°22'N / 79°52'W0.70 Mile200 Yards05250K0Allegheny
28.71964-06-15240°18'N / 79°33'W2.00 Miles800 Yards04250K0Westmoreland
29.11975-06-04240°35'N / 80°13'W40°11'N / 79°32'W45.30 Miles30 Yards000K0Beaver
29.81998-06-02239°40'N / 79°30'W39°38'N / 79°27'W3.00 Miles300 Yards001.0M0Garrett
 Brief Description: An F2 tornado passed southeast through southern Fayette County PA, the northeast tip of Preston County WV, and into northwest Garrett County MD. The total length of the tornado as it passed across these three counties was 12 miles. Damage included a completely destroyed dairy barn, two completely destroyed house trailers, and at least 21 other structures heavily damaged, many with roofs partially or completely peeled off. Several cows were killed, with one cow thrown through the air over 100 yards. A clearly visible 300-yard wide, 1-mile long swath of trees which were completely sheared/uprooted was present near the Pennsylvania/West Virginia state border. One Fayette County official estimated at least two million dollars damage in lost timber alone in that county. Despite the damage, interviews with law enforcement officials, paramedics and local residents revealed no injuries occurred.
30.71980-06-03339°32'N / 79°54'W39°30'N / 79°52'W2.30 Miles150 Yards002.5M0Monongalia
34.31976-07-11340°21'N / 79°30'W40°16'N / 79°18'W11.80 Miles67 Yards1172.5M0Westmoreland
37.31980-06-03339°30'N / 79°52'W39°23'N / 79°29'W21.90 Miles33 Yards0152.5M0Preston
38.11998-06-02340°03'N / 79°13'W39°45'N / 79°05'W26.00 Miles1760 Yards0000Somerset
 Brief Description: The second tornado of the evening, and the third to strike Somerset County in 3 days, this F3 was by far the longest and strongest of the trio. The storm created a path of damage 33 or more miles long, from Fayette County southeast across southern Somerset County into Maryland. The tornado crossed into Somerset County just southwest of the Seven Springs resort, tracked 26 miles across the county to the Maryland state line, 5 miles southeast of Salisbury. From there, the tornado continued southeast for more than 5 miles to Frostburg, Maryland. It, too, would cross the path of the May 31st storm, just 3 miles east of Salisbury. In some locations, the tornado was up to one mile wide. Damage from this tornado was rated at F3 on the fujita scale, with winds of 158 to 206 mph. Many farms were completely destroyed as this tornado moved through generally rural areas in southern Somerset County. A family in Laurel Falls near Summit Mills and St. Paul took shelter in a basement corner behind a television set. As the twister passed, they looked up to find all three stories of their house were gone, along with eight rows of foundation blocks. A battery operated clock found the next morning had stopped at 9:38 p.m. A neighbor told of losing electricity, then getting a phone call from his brother to warn him. He and his family took shelter in a hall closet because they had no basement. They told of hearing a buzzing noise like a giant bee's nest. Another neighbor found her mobile home flipped on its roof after taking shelter at her son's house. When the first tornado of the evening missed a Laurel Falls family mobile home, they proceeded to a neighbor's home. The second storm blew the trailer off its foundation. Residents of Boynton were cleaning up trees with chainsaws and front end loaders from the first tornado around 7:30pm when firefighters came by and told them to get back inside because another tornado was on its way. The second tornado broke all the windows from one house, ripped the roof off another and a barn. One person told of seeking shelter from rain in a shed when the first tornado passed, then going to the home basement when the second came through, mentioning that she was unable to pull the basement door shut behind her. The shed disappeared during the second storm. Estimated damage from the Tuesday evening tornadoes included 30 to 40 properties, including permanent and seasonal residences and farms. There were no deaths or injuries from this severe tornado. However, over 100 head of cattle were killed in one barn alone, which was completely destroyed. Many other farms lost tens of cattle and other livestock.
38.81983-05-22240°20'N / 79°30'W40°27'N / 79°17'W13.00 Miles200 Yards042.5M0Westmoreland
39.21981-06-21239°32'N / 80°21'W1.00 Mile10 Yards00250K0Marion
39.31998-06-02239°51'N / 79°14'W39°46'N / 79°04'W15.00 Miles880 Yards0000Somerset
 Brief Description: This F2 tornado was the first of two tornadoes to cross southern Somerset County on the evening of June 2. It would cross the path of the May 31st tornado that struck Salisbury. The tornado initially touched down about 4 miles southeast of Markleton, then tracked southeast for 12 miles across the Boynton area and ended in Pocahontas crossing the May 31st track about 6 miles east of Salisbury. The town of Boynton was hard hit, but most of the remaining damage in Pennsylvania was to trees. A carpentry shop near Pocahontas that had been destroyed by the May 31st tornado on Sunday was already being rebuilt by Amish farmers when the framing was blown over by this tornado. There were no deaths or injuries. See additional details in the Seven Springs to Frostburg tornado that paralleled the track of this storm just two hours later.
39.51980-05-12240°24'N / 79°23'W2.20 Miles20 Yards00250K0Westmoreland
40.01997-08-15240°20'N / 79°19'W40°21'N / 79°16'W3.50 Miles200 Yards02800K10KWestmoreland
 Brief Description: A severe thunderstorm produced a tornado that produced substantial damage in a residential area east-northeast of Latrobe along the foothills of the Chestnut Ridge. The tornado first touched down 1 mile west of Derry. The tornado completely destroyed a large tier of metal stadium bleachers at a high school football field and wrapped them against a utility pole. A nearby roof of a business was damaged and a mobile home was completely destroyed and a few mobile homes sustained damage. The tornado then tracked through a rural area, damaging some farm buildings and downing field corn. The tornado continued its rapid (estimated forward speed 50-60 miles per hour) northeast track and caused significant damage in a mobile home park in Derry. The tornado crossed Route 217 and downed trees across railroad tracks and then entered a residential area in Millwood. One frame house in Millwood was severely damaged and part of a room addition collapsed and trapped a resident, who was treated at the scene. A resident of a mobile home sustained minor injuries as well. Numerous trees were uprooted and large branches and power lines were downed along the track of the storm. One home along Route 217 had a branch embedded into the house siding. The tornado was estimated to have wind speeds of between 90 and 120 miles per hour, briefly attaining an F-2 rating on the Fujita Tornado Scale. All tolled, 7-8 mobile homes were destroyed (3 totally decimated), 10-12 sustained major damage, 15-18 sustained minor damage. One frame house was heavily damaged and about 10 sustained minor damage. One car was destroyed when a tree fell on it. Parked next to the auto was another car with two occupants that were not injured. About 10 other cars were damaged. An open-air church in Millwood was also heavily damaged. The tornado appeared to have dissipated as it entered the heavily wooded slopes of the Chestnut Ridge.
40.41977-06-20239°29'N / 79°33'W39°24'N / 79°29'W6.60 Miles50 Yards05250K0Preston
43.91951-05-11240°07'N / 79°07'W40°03'N / 78°59'W8.00 Miles33 Yards0125K0Somerset
44.91967-05-07239°20'N / 80°05'W0025K0Taylor
45.21977-06-20239°24'N / 79°29'W39°22'N / 79°27'W1.90 Miles50 Yards0025K0Garrett
46.01980-06-03240°32'N / 79°28'W40°32'N / 79°22'W4.90 Miles33 Yards00250K0Indiana
46.41980-06-03440°37'N / 79°42'W40°36'N / 79°33'W7.60 Miles33 Yards00250.0M0Westmoreland
47.01998-05-31339°45'N / 79°05'W39°44'N / 78°58'W13.00 Miles880 Yards1154.0M0Somerset
 Brief Description: The tornado touched down just east of Mt. Davis and traveled east-southeast into downtown Salisbury. The storm then continued eastward for 8 miles ending east of the town of Pocahontas. The tornado was rated as an F2 (113 to 157 mph) through the town of Salisbury, but probably reached F3 (158 to 206 mph) intensity briefly near Pocohontas. Along the 15 mile path, damages were estimated to reach between $3 million to $4 million. The path length of the tornado was probably close to 15 miles. F0 damage (40-72 mph) was in a swath about 1/2 mile wide, with F2 damage confined to an area about 2 blocks wide in Salisbury. Near Pocohontas, a farmhouse was completely destroyed indicating winds of F3 intensity (158 to 206 mph) in an area about 50 yards wide. Fifteen people were injured from the tornado. One person, a 13 year old female in a van, lost her life when a tree fell onto the vehicle. 150 people were sheltered overnight Sunday. A 51-year old male and 15-year old female died from carbon monoxide poisoning when a portable generator malfunctioned 3 days after the event. The tornado struck downtown Salisbury around 8:50pm. Ten to fifteen businesses were significantly damaged. Siding and parts of roofs were removed from a number of homes, and part of a roof was removed from a church. The roof was completely ripped off of a furniture factory. Several tractor trailers at the factory were overturned. F13VE
47.01980-06-03339°23'N / 79°29'W39°21'N / 79°23'W5.60 Miles117 Yards04250K0Garrett
47.01980-06-03440°39'N / 79°44'W40°37'N / 79°42'W1.90 Miles33 Yards020250.0M0Allegheny
47.11980-06-03440°36'N / 79°33'W40°35'N / 79°30'W2.30 Miles33 Yards0120250.0M0Armstrong
47.71953-05-30240°24'N / 79°12'W40°24'N / 79°08'W1.90 Miles33 Yards0025K0Indiana
48.61983-05-22240°27'N / 79°17'W40°30'N / 79°11'W6.00 Miles200 Yards002.5M0Indiana
48.91967-05-19339°23'N / 79°20'W0.30 Mile33 Yards1025K0Garrett
49.01970-08-22239°18'N / 80°12'W1.00 Mile127 Yards002.5M0Harrison


* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.


 
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