EF3 Tornado Confirmed In Bucks Co. Thursday

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — An EF3 tornado with peak winds around 140 mph touched down in Bucks County on Thursday, the National Weather Service has confirmed after an investigation.

The tornado caused widespread destruction in Bensalem and Trevose, where the roof of the Faulkner dealership was ripped off as the storm passed through after 7 p.m.

On the Enhanced Fujita Scale, the metric used to measure tornado severity since 2007, the tornado scored an EF3. The rating system for tornadoes runs between 0 and 5, based on estimated wind speeds and the severity of the damage.

An EF3 score means winds of between 136 and 165 mph, and damage including entire stories of sturdy houses destroyed, severe damage to large or commercial buildings, trees pulled out of the ground, trains overturned, cars lifted off the ground and thrown, and weaker structures blown away.

"The storm damage survey team mentioned the most intense damage was to car dealerships and an adjacent mobile home park," the NWS reported Friday afternoon, adding that they expect to provide more details soon.

The tornado touched down in Bensalem around 7:13 p.m. according to local officials. The storm then traveled northeast through Trevose, Linconia and Concord Parks, Street Road, and the area near the Faulkner dealership — where it decimated several structures.

"Many of the buildings there are now gone," Bensalem's Director of Public Safety Frank Harran said.

The tornado in Bensalem then hit two mobile home parks, Weiss Trailer Park and Penn Valley Mobile Home Park, before turning toward the Christian Life Center and Belmont Hills. That’s where tornado damage in the area stopped.

High humidity and excessive wind gusts have the capacity to create supercell thunderstorms, which conditions prompted Thursday’s tornado watch. But the exact circumstances that will lead to a supercell thunderstorm, and then to a tornado, are somewhat mysterious.

Bucks County is designated overall as low risk for tornadoes, with its most recent severe storm classified as F3 more than 30 years ago, in 1990.

"In 34 years in Bensalem Township, I've experienced a lot of things here," Harran said Friday. "I've never experienced that type of weather."

Related: ‘Like A Bomb Went Off’: Eastern PA Tornado Updates

Stay informed about what's going on in Bucks County, or in your local area. Sign up for Patch emails and don't miss a minute of local and state news.