SHARTLESVILLE, Berks County — The National Weather Service is sending officials to investigate whether Monday’s line of thunderstorms that moved across the state might have spawned a tornado in the Shartlesville area of Upper Bern Township, the Reading Eagle is reporting.
“We look for clues in the damage,” NWS meteorologist Sarah Johnson told the Eagle. “If the damage is laid out in the same direction, it could be indicative of straight-line wind damage, which we had a lot of (Monday). if you see a tree trunk that’s been twisted, or the damage path more chaotic, then it could be indicative of a tornado.”
If a survey of the area does not clearly determine the cause of the damage, further investigation may be required, Johnson added.
A downburst from a powerful storm, which produces straight-line winds, is often confused with a tornado.
