Severe weather forecast, flood watch issued after 5 tornadoes hit Western Pa.

Workers have been clearing uprooted trees and broken branches from Winifred Sherman’s yard since a tornado whipped past her Penn Township home Wednesday.

But with the potential for flash flooding, a tornado, hail and strong winds in this weekend’s forecast, local tree services and power companies may need to hit the roads again.

Five tornadoes touched down in Western Pennsylvania late Wednesday, damaging homes and downing power lines, the National Weather Service said Friday.

• The storm that left Sherman and her husband, Doug, with about 15 to 20 downed trees originated in Wall and traveled about 10 miles to Trafford and Penn Township. The EF1 tornado recorded winds around 110 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

• An EF2 tornado with wind gusts up to 115 mph was spotted near Route 22 in the Beaver Run Road area Wednesday and cut a path through parts of Salem and the Derry Township area.

Related:

• Weather service confirms 3 tornadoes touched down in recent Western Pa. storm
• ‘He was a joy’: Penn Township family mourns loss of pony after tornado

• An EF1 with winds of around 90 mph formed near Route 22 and Old Steubenville Park in Robinson and moved through the Oakdale area.

• An EF0 tornado with winds around 75 mph cut through Blairsville.

• Another EF0 storm passed through Perry Township, Greene County, with winds around 80 mph.

NWS Pittsburgh confirmed an EF-1 tornado in eastern Allegheny and western Westmoreland counties. The path was roughly 10 miles long and 300 yards. No injuries or deaths were reported. Damage to both trees and buildings was observed. pic.twitter.com/w0j1siA5ha

— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) June 28, 2024

Another round of severe thunderstorms and flash flooding are in the forecast for Saturday, according to WTAE meteorologist Jill Szwed.

A few rain showers are possible this morning, but forecasters’ attention has been focused on another round of strong to severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening.

“Storms could fire up as early as 1 to 2 p.m. near Interstate 80,” Szwed said Saturday morning. “A line of thunderstorms will drop southward through this evening.

“The busiest time will be between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. Damaging winds, flooding, and isolated tornadoes are the top threats. Passing showers will linger through Sunday morning.”

The National Weather Service’s Pittsburgh office has issued a flash flood watch through 2 a.m. Sunday for most areas of Western Pennsylvania north of the Interstate 70 corridor.

Along with the storm threat, Szwed said Saturday is shaping up as a muggy day, with high temperatures in the mid 80s. Humidity levels are slated to drop on Sunday, with highs closer to 80 degrees, she said.

Tree removal costly

Sherman has lived in her 200-year-old Suhan Drive home since 1999. She has never seen a storm like Wednesday’s tornado.

“We didn’t feel a thing or hear a thing, but we could see out the window. Everything (was) just horizontal,” she said. “I mean horizontal and fast in a way that we’ve never seen before.”

Although the home wasn’t damaged, Sherman said fencing around her pool was rendered unusable.

Aside from the damage to the fence and fallen trees surrounding the pool, the Shermans have wracked up $11,000 in tree removal costs.

“And probably, for the amount of work they’ve been doing, it’s probably reasonable,” she said.

Sherman’s neighbors, Dan and Jennifer Dillman, captured footage of the storm rolling through via their doorbell camera.

“You see a little bit (of wind) in the beginning (of the video),” Dan said, “but 10 seconds before that there was nothing. And then all of a sudden, that’s what shows up. We were without power until about 10:30 the next morning.”

A resident of Suhan Drive in Penn Township submitted to @TribLIVE doorbell camera footage depicting Wednesday’s tornado.

A follow-up story on the storm damage to come. pic.twitter.com/NxraNsP8Lg

— Quincey Reese (@QuinceyReese) June 28, 2024

Jennifer Dillman and her youngest son, Riley, saw the storm approaching their home from across the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

“Our phones were saying it was a tornado alert, and the news was. But we looked outside and were like, ‘There’s nothing. It’s not even raining,’ ” Jennifer said. “And then we could see over the turnpike, you could see the rain coming at you. It was just coming towards you. So we’re watching the rain get closer and it’s getting windier, and the trees just start bending.”

About 15 minutes later, she and her son were out in the yard, surveying the damage.

“It became like a block party,” Sherman said, “because the amount of damage was so amazing.”

Sherman and her husband were supposed to attend a work conference in Latrobe this week.

“I showed the picture,” she said, referring to a photo she took of the trees laying across her driveway. “I said, ‘I don’t think we’re going to make it.’ ”