NEARBY: 8 Minutes & 3.5 Miles: Forecasters Detail EF3 Tornado Path

The National Weather Service completed their assessment Saturday of the large EF3 tornado that hit Bensalem Township Thursday evening.

Below is the report from National Weather Service officials:

Somerton-Trevose-Bensalem Tornado

Rating: EF-3

Estimated Peak Wind: 140 mph

Path Length /statute/: 3.5 miles

Path Width /maximum/: 530 yards (0.3 miles)

Fatalities: 0 Injuries: 5 Start

Date: July 29, 2021 Start Time: 7:04 PM EDT

Start Location: Somerton / Philadelphia / PA

End Date: July 29, 2021

End Time: 7:12 PM EDT

End Location: Bensalem / Bucks / PA

The Somerton-Trevose-Bensalem tornado began in Somerton in Philadelphia County near Southampton Road, Kelvin Avenue, and Trevose Road where it uprooted and blew down large limbs from a few softwood and hardwood trees. The tornado crossed County Line Road into Trevose in Bucks County where a large tree was uprooted. The tornado continued between Trevose Road and Peyton Street where additional tree damage occurred before crossing Lukens Street. The tornado then very briefly crossed back into Philadelphia County at the northern tip of Poquessing Valley Park where a few trees were uprooted. The tornado then crossed back into Trevose in Bucks County where it caused some minor cosmetic damage to some homes in the Beechwood Estates neighborhood and blew down several sections of vinyl fencing. Several small trees were also snapped or uprooted in and just south and east of the residential neighborhood.

As the tornado approached Somerton Road, it began intensifying and widening substantially as it moved into the Metropolitan Industrial Center. Numerous softwood and hardwood trees were snapped or uprooted in the SUEZ Water Company property southwest of and along Somerton Road. Five wooden power poles were snapped near the ground along Somerton Road as well at the northern end of the SUEZ property. All seven warehouse buildings in the industrial complex northeast of Somerton Road sustained at least minor damage, with the most significant occurring to the Northtec building. Numerous roof mounted HVAC units were shifted or blown off of a few of the buildings in the industrial complex. Open bay doors in the western- most building caused a non-load bearing interior wall to collapse. A sedan was lifted and flipped over in the Northtec parking lot and a steel flag pole bearing a flag flattened completely to the ground. The Northtec building sustained substantial structural damage where large sections of roofing material were removed. Additionally, numerous exterior paneling was blown off, garage bay doors were blown out, a few windows were blown out, and at least two large HVAC units were blown off of the building. Numerous softwood and hardwood trees were uprooted or snapped in the industrial complex and immediately adjacent areas.

A cellphone tower adjacent to the industrial complex had all of the antennas blown off, but the tower itself did not collapse. Southeast of the industrial complex, minor cosmetic damage occurred to some homes along Carter Road in a residential neighborhood. Tree damage associated with the tornado occurred along Carter Road and Sussex Road north of Buckfield Terrace. This was the area where the tornado circulation reached its widest extent of around three tenths of a mile. As the tornado neared and crossed the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I- 276), an overhead roadway information sign was blown off and a portion of it landed downstream nearly a half mile away. Just north of the turnpike, minor cosmetic damage occurred to a hotel building where a tree was also uprooted in the parking lot. A large billboard was blown over just north of the turnpike and south of Street Road. A small utility building nearby had its roof blown off. The northern- most extent of the damage occurred on the Toscana 52 restaurant property where the tornado blew down some chain link fencing and uprooted a few small trees in the parking lot.

The tornado continued east-northeastward across Street Road toward the Faulkner car dealership complex where it began intensifying and somewhat narrowing its path of damage. The four dealership showrooms sustained significant damage where most windows were blown out and at least some roofing material was blown off. The most significant damage occurred to the Buick/GMC showroom where most of the roofing material was blown off, all windows and doors were blown out, and exterior walls exhibited fracturing due to stress from the wind. Roof HVAC units of this building were tossed into the parking lot behind the building. All of the dealership signs near the main road were destroyed. Scores of new and used vehicles sustained significant damage from flying debris or from being pushed or tossed trough the air.

The tornado continued toward the dealership`s main service garage where the most significant damage occurred. The southwestern portion of the building was destroyed with most exterior walls collapsing completely and all roofing material blown off. Interior walls mostly remained standing. Roof HVAC units were tossed off of the building with one unit landing nearly 200 yards downstream of the building. Damage sustained to the building decreased somewhat toward the eastern end of it where portions of the exterior walls were damaged and almost all garage bay doors were blown out. The wind rushing through the garage area carried debris, car parts, and tools well away from the structure downstream. Some vehicles near the main garage building were completely destroyed from large pieces of flying debris or from being tossed and dropped back onto the ground. A small pickup truck was crushed from a collapsed exterior wall. Five people reportedly sustained minor injuries at the dealership complex.

The tornado continued east-northeast toward the Weisser Homes mobile home park and into an area of trees which sustained significant damage. Most tree canopies and limbs were completely stripped from the still standing or snapped trunks of hardwood trees in this area. A large storage container filled with car parts from the service garage parking lot upstream was lofted into the air and dropped into this area of trees. An uninhabited mobile home model was lifted and completely destroyed at the mobile home park. Another double-wide mobile home had a large portion of its roof blown off. Several other mobile home sustained varying degrees of damage as well. A large amount of various debris from the dealership complex landed in this mobile home park. Numerous softwood and hardwood trees near and just downstream of this area were snapped or uprooted along Old Lincoln Highway.

At this stage, the tornado damage path narrowed considerably and intensity weakened significantly as it crossed Old Lincoln Highway and moved toward the Lowe`s and Walmart shopping centers on Route 1. The tornado passed over these shopping centers, but no structural damage was noted to these structures. Numerous small trees were snapped and uprooted in the large parking lot area and line of trees just north of the Bensalem turnpike interchange. Some exit ramp signs were blown down in the interchange area.

The tornado damage became somewhat discontinuous as it continued east-southeast into Bensalem across Route 1 and toward a residential neighborhood. Several homes in the neighborhood sustained loss of some roofing material and other cosmetic damage in addition to some tree damage. The tornado continued across Rockhill Road and along Richlieu Road toward the Christian Life Center where several trees were snapped or uprooted. The church`s steeple had some paneling blown off, but the steeple itself was not damaged otherwise. The tornado continued weakening as it crossed Galloway Road then dissipated in the Bensalem Township Community Park where some minor tree damage occurred.

No known serious injuries or fatalities occurred from this tornado.

Report a correction via email | Editorial standards and policies

---

---