That video was taken from a Buffalo Wild Wings in Quakertown looking south (maybe) ... probably not the one that hit Philadelphia. The last PNS I saw said they have confirmed 9 tornadoes (with possibly another one in the Pine Barrens in an inaccessible area, so, if they confirm it, it would be an EF-U ). There are some videos of some of the other ones, but, I have not seen really good structure video of the EF-3, which, may be what you are looking for
Tornadoes Hit Philadelphia & New Jersey 7/29/21
- Thread starter Saul Trabal
- Start date
This one has video from the Lowes in Bensalem (a half mile or less from where the EF-3 damage was noted in the survey) ...
.
This is a video from inside the auto service center that got hit (it was a very large building, with a large ection destroyed, so, this section was not at ground zero, luckily) ... Scene from inside Faulkner Auto Group service center as tornado hits .
This was the view from a toll booth for the PA turnpike ... https://cbsloc.al/3fe8alP . There as another one from folks driving which I am having trouble finding right now.
JamesCaruso
Staff member
@Lou Ruh Thanks for those clarifications. I put some questions about the damage at Washington Crossing Park under the other thread, can you take a look? I know you participated in the damage surveys for the event, and even if you didn’t do that specific one you certainly have damage survey experience.
JamesCaruso
Staff member
I went back to the Washington Crossing site again and found an additional area of uprooted trees. I am still confused because just about all the damage was north of the path as drawn, and the trees were lying in a SE direction, indicating a NW wind. This seems to imply either an anti-cyclonic tornado, OR the path was drawn incorrectly. I saw maybe one tree lying SW and only one lying in a northerly direction.
Appreciate any insight on what many have happened, or how my thinking might be incorrect….
Appreciate any insight on what many have happened, or how my thinking might be incorrect….
On occasion, especially during significant outbreaks, damage surveys often get assistance from non-NWS personnel who do not have write access to the DAT tool (I used to before a security update removed my access). Detected DIs often don't make it into DAT (for many reasons) and a rough line is drawn in DAT (assuming it even makes it into DAT ... I am not sure if DAT usage is mandatory ... it at least used to be optional).
Another piece of the puzzle could be inferred from this excerpt of the PNS ...
THE
TORNADO PATH THEN CROSSED WASHINGTON CROSSING STATE PARK. FURTHER
DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED JUST SOUTHEAST ALONG BEAR TAVERN RD. IN FACT,
SOME OF THE LARGEST DOWNED TREES WERE OBSERVED IN THIS AREA.
HOWEVER, BY THIS POINT DAMAGE BECAME INCREASINGLY UNIDIRECTIONAL
AS THE STORM'S REAR FLANK DOWNDRAFT LIKELY WRAPPED AROUND THE
TORNADIC CIRCULATION. SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE OF TORNADIC WINDS STILL
EXISTED IN THE BEAR TAVERN RD AREA
Another piece of the puzzle could be inferred from this excerpt of the PNS ...
THE
TORNADO PATH THEN CROSSED WASHINGTON CROSSING STATE PARK. FURTHER
DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED JUST SOUTHEAST ALONG BEAR TAVERN RD. IN FACT,
SOME OF THE LARGEST DOWNED TREES WERE OBSERVED IN THIS AREA.
HOWEVER, BY THIS POINT DAMAGE BECAME INCREASINGLY UNIDIRECTIONAL
AS THE STORM'S REAR FLANK DOWNDRAFT LIKELY WRAPPED AROUND THE
TORNADIC CIRCULATION. SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE OF TORNADIC WINDS STILL
EXISTED IN THE BEAR TAVERN RD AREA
I knew there was another one that I was trying to find ... if I have this one placed correctly, this is a bit north of the surveyed damage path ... but, the person driving appears to be driving south into the circulation (but, I could be confused) ... What's it like to drive in a tornado? Reader shares video of Bensalem storm .
JamesCaruso
Staff member
Too bad her camera was on the radio when she let out the loudest scream, would love to have seen what she was seeing at that moment
I'm not sure what your confusion is. The surface flow near a tornado is never purely tangential (i.e., circular). There is always a component of radial inflow (outflow in some dying tornadoes). If you're north of a cyclonic tornado, you're going to experience winds backing from some degree of NEly through N through NWly and probably to the W and eventually SW as the tornado passes you, if it is going SW-NE. If it is moving NW-SE, then you'll get NW winds persisting behind the tornado.
