2 tornadoes, straight line winds caused damage during storms in Beaver, Butler

Two tornadoes and straight line winds left behind damage in Beaver and Butler counties during heavy storms Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service in Moon.

The tornadoes struck in Shippingport, Monaca and Freedom in Beaver County just after 6 a.m. The first one in Shippingport was rated EF0 with maximum wind speed of 85 mph. The twister touched down for about a mile.

Surveyors with the weather service reported uprooted trees and a roof that had been lifted from a pavilion near the Shippingport Municipal Building.

The second tornado, rated an EF1 with 95 mph winds, touched down about 10 miles away in the area of Jackson Avenue in Monaca, according to the weather service. It was on the ground for 2 miles.

Weather service surveyors reported uprooted trees and damage to a mobile home. The twister crossed the Ohio River into Freedom where the worst damage was observed with downed trees and branches.

No one was hurt during either tornado, the 19th and 20th twister documented in the county since 1950, according to the weather service.

We have confirmed two tornadoes in Beaver county PA from earlier this morning. One in Shippingport and other in the Monaca - Freedom area. These are the 19th and 20th tornado since 1950 to be observed. #pawx #tornado pic.twitter.com/Xf2YNx2Sge

— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) October 16, 2021

Meanwhile, straight line winds struck in Butler County Saturday morning, surveyors determined.

In Cranberry Township, there were uprooted and damaged trees along about 4 miles starting in the area of Cranberry Highlands Golf Course and then spreading into nearby neighborhoods. Similar damage was reported in Summit Township just north of Route 422.

Wind speed during both events was estimated to be between 70 and 80 mph. No one was hurt.

The weather service reported that 5 tornadoes hit the area Saturday morning — two in Ohio plus a third in Jefferson County, Pa.