A tornado in Philadelphia? Tornado warnings in Philly have happened before, with the most recent one startling residents just last month. But now, forecasters say a Philly tornado could be in the works Thursday as severe storms take aim at the area.
“An isolated tornado is possible. Any tornadoes would be capable of producing tree and property damage,” the National Weather Service said of the Philadelphia/Mount Holly area Thursday morning.
The isolated Philly tornadoes, if they touched down, would occur later Thursday afternoon or evening, according to the NWS. The tornadoes could be possible across all of eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delmarva with the greatest risk in eastern Pennsylvania and northern Delmarva.
Also likely with Thursday’s Philadelphia area storms are damaging high winds and hail, the NWS reported.
“Damaging winds in excess of 60mph will be capable of causing scattered power outages, tree damage, and localized property damage… Some storms may produce large hail. Hail in the strongest storms could be capable of causing denting of vehicles and damage to vegetation,” the NWS said in its report.
While flooding is not expected to be much of a concern, urban areas could see some localized flash flooding due to rainfall.
Today is likely to be a busy travel day considering the Memorial Day holiday weekend. That doesn’t bode well for travelers, as the highest storm threat will occur during and after the evening rush hour.
“Those traveling should be aware of this risk,” the NWS warned.
