Major Tornadoes in the Middle Atlantic Region

Pennsylvania Tornado Earlier Today
Via Twitter

While there will be much more data after damage surveys are completed tomorrow, I wish to bring you up-to-date on a significant tornado outbreak in the Middle Atlantic region. 

Preliminary Storm Reports

The red dots are preliminary tornado reports. For reasons I don't understand, the NWS in Philadelphia plotted the damage reports near and northwest of Trenton as thunderstorm wind damage rather than tornado damage (arrows). As you'll see below, it was a tornado.

Please also not the tornado reports in the OH-PA-WV region. 

Rotation Maps

Here is a map of New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania with rotation tracks plotted on it. Where the colors are while/blue, a tornado is nearly certain. There may also have been tornadoes in other area. The worst damage reported, so far, was in Bensalem (northeast Philadelphia suburb). It appears to be at least F-2 and, possibly, F-3 intensity. Five injuries are reported. 

Other significant tornado damage was reported near Trenton with a large tornado. Severe tornadoes were reported in central and southern New Jersey as indicated on the map. These tornadoes were spawned by supercells -- the type of storm that causes major tornadoes in the Great Plains and South.

Pertaining to the tornadoes farther west, there were two primary rotation tracks. 

There has been some damage with tornadoes along those paths but the extent is unclear at this hour. 

I will likely have more on these storms tomorrow.