- Rating: EF-2
- Beginning Location: 1 mile SSW Arroyo, WV (40.563, -80.653)
- End Location: 2 miles NNE of Herron Airport (40.561, -80.519)
- County: Hancock
- Start Time: 8:06 p.m.
- End Time: 8:16 p.m.
- Estimated Peak Wind: 130 mph
- Path Length: 7.04 miles
- Path Width Maximum: 200 yards
- Fatalities: 0
- Injuries: 0
Details from NWS Storm Survey: Potent low pressure tracked across the Upper Midwest from May 7th into May 8th, pushing an occluded boundary across the Upper Ohio Valley. Strong warm and moist advection kept conditions favorable for convection into the overnight hours, with high levels of shear and a surface trough also supporting storm development. Cyclic supercell structures supported a few instances of straight line wind damage in the surrounding region. The only report of severe weather in the northern West Virginia panhandle ended up being part of the track of one of the stronger and more significant tornadoes in the recent history of the region, a high-end EF2 that ultimately tracked across 15 miles and three states. A supercell thunderstorm, embedded within a broken line of thunderstorms, produced a series of tornadoes as it tracked across eastern Ohio, the northern West Virginia panhandle, and western Pennsylvania during the early morning hours on May 8th. After crossing the Ohio River south of Wellsville, the tornado reached peak intensity as it crossed the community of Fairhaven several miles south of Chester, West Virginia. Extensive tree and structural damage was observed along International Drive and Locust Hill Road. There were multiple homes that lost their entire roof and sustained damage to side walls. Numerous barns and outbuildings were completely destroyed. All mature hardwood and softwood trees, some well over 100 years old, were snapped with a few lingering hardwood trees that were debarked. A high-end EF2 rating of 130 mph was observed in this location. Pittsburgh Doppler radar velocity signatures in this area were at the high end of those observed historically, coupled with a significant debris signature aloft. Further damage was observed across Route 8 extending back uphill into the next ridge line, where an auto repair metal outbuilding was destroyed, along with damage sustained to several vintage automobiles. The adjacent property suffered loss of roofing, a porch, and an addition. The tornado then crossed into Pennsylvania.
Radar Imagery
Base Reflectivity Near Time of Tornado
Base Velocity Near Time of Tornado
Normalized Rotation Near Time of Tornado
Correlation Coefficient
4-Panel Near Time of Tornado
4-Panel Loop
