Storm Report - Cumberland County PA - April 29, 2002

Boiling Springs PA Microburst

Spotter Chase Log: Jonathan E. Anschutz
Location: Cumberland County PA, Monroe Twp. Boiling Springs.
Time: 1815 - 1930 hours

View looking west along Ledigh Dr. in Monroe Twp.

Looking Southwest toward Mt. Holly Springs from position along Ledigh Dr.

The initial cell passed to the north of my location, the center of which passed over Perry County, and produced a heavy downpour and high winds which lasted for about 5 minutes. During that time minimal storm damage was reported.

 

Approaching rain shaft (gray lower left) and slight evidence of updaft, note clouds pulling to the upper right of the picture.

 

 

 

During the passage of the first cell I proceded west in Boiling Springs and then north on Route 174. I noticed more ominos clouds to the west and proceded along Old Stonehouse Rd. toward Carlisle. I noted a lowering in the clouds near the intersection of Old Stonehouse Rd. and Lisburn Rd. with some rotation. I moved north toward Trindle Rd. (PA 641) and then proceded east toward Mechanicsburg, paralleling the storm. The rotation continued as the storm approached Mechanicsburg. I watch the storm for about 5 minutes and the rotation seemed to dissipate.

Looking west from Old Stone House Rd. Lower mass of clouds with some rotation (view 1).	Looking west along Old Stone House Rd. rotatiting mass begining to tighten up and become lower.	Mass again, about 3 miles east of Old Stone House Rd., along Trindle Rd. Mass begining to fall apart.

I noticed another gathering mass of clouds southwest toward the Boiling Springs and Mt. Holy Springs area. I proceded back west on Trindle road and noticed a much more organized looking storm with evidence of roatation over the Boiling Springs area. I drove into Carlisle on Route 641 and then double backed to Boiling Springs along Rt. 74 and Forge Rd.

Slight damage in Boiling Springs near the bank and Post Office along Rt. 174.

The west part of Boiling Springs from about the Karnes Market to Route 174 had little damage. I noticed a medium sized branch down at in the area of the bank and post office as well as some other branches as far north as Allenberry Resort Inn and Playhouse. Turning around at Allenberry and heading back into town I proceded east on Front street. It was there that I noticed part of a large tree floating in Children's Lake. As a proceded toward the area of the swimming pool, I noted three other large trees that had damage do them. Many young saplings recently planted along Children's Lake were snapped at the base.

 

I got out of my car to investigate the damage to the town. Walking south toward the three hundred block of Third St. I noticed that the area had been sealed off by Fire Police. They allowed me to go back in and survey the damage. From behind the police line I could see a garage that had been splintered by the high winds of the storm. One mobile home had three visible trees on it, possibly more. In the 200 block of third street, a large pine tree was uprooted and lying on top of the structure. Fire Police did a good job sealing off the damaged portions of the town, trying to keep residents safe and keeping sight seeers out.

Talking with witnesses, they described the wind as fierce. One witness said it sounded like one of the trains was passing through town, but if it did it never blew its whistle. There is a Norfolk Southern line on the east side of town with a crossing about .75 miles from the damaged area.

The Carlisle Sentinel reported the following:

Large part of a tree floating in Children's Lake, this was one of nearly a doze trees damaged in the microburst that caused damage to Boiling Springs.

 

"In Cumberland County, a "microburst" wreaked havoc at several homes in Boiling Springs, but caused no injuries.

South Middleton Township Fire Co. was dispatched to the 300 block of Third Street just before 6 p.m. for a report of a tree down. When fire crews arrived, however, they found the scene a little more chaotic, said Fire Chief George Stapleton.

"There were eight trees down that were either sheared off or knocked over," Stapleton said, adding the trees measured 70 to 100 feet in height.

One tree fell into a mobile home, punching a hole in the roof.

At another home, a garage roof was ripped off. At yet another, a portable shed was lifted from the yard and dropped in a neighbor's yard. A lean-to and another shed were damaged by a falling tree. Another house had slight exterior damage near the roof.

Cumberland County Office of Emergency Preparedness was called to the scene to document the damage.

However, Spokesman Eric Hoerner said the pattern of debris indicated the winds were not the result of a tornado, but rather were "straight-line winds."

"It was just a cell that happened to come through that area," he says, adding it was believed to have been the same line of storms that caused more severe damage in Lebanon.

Stapleton said crews patched the roof of the damaged mobile home and cleaned up some of the debris. He says most of the debris was limited to yards. Citizen's Fire Co. in Mt. Holly Springs and Union Fire Co. in Carlisle also assisted at the scene.

Hoerner said there were no other reports of storm damage in the county.

Chase path taken.

Map of the damaged area of Boiling Springs, large red area is where most damage occured, as the wind pattern spread out, damage was less severe. Note how damage stopped along elevated terrain line.

As I proceded out of Boiling Springs, I noted that there was no damage outside from on the east side of town near the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks throughout Monroe Twp. Residents of White Rock Acres, a development situated on a mountain about 2 miles east of Boiling Springs reported that the storm seemed very tame on the mountian.

It is speculated that the cell which caused damage in Boiling Springs may have later spawned an unconfirmed tornado in York County.