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Environment & Science

National Weather service confirms: Tornado touched down in Northampton County

Tornado warning National Weather Service
Courtesy
/
National Weather Service
A tornado warning was issued Monday afternoon, June 26, 2023, for Northampton County. On Tuesday, June 27, the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down in Martins Creek.

LOWER MT. BETHEL TWP., Pa. — A tornado touched down Monday in Northampton County.

That’s the assessment of the National Weather Service, whose storm survey team made the determination Tuesday.

  • A tornado touched down in the Martins Creek area Monday
  • A National Weather Service storm survey team made the determination
  • A tornado warning had been issued in the area around 3:15 p.m. Monday

The twister was confirmed between Martins Creek in Lower Mount Bethel Township and Belvidere on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River, according to the National Weather Service’s Mount Holly office.

The weather service had been conducting a storm survey since severe thunderstorms moved through the Lehigh Valley on Monday afternoon.

A tornado warning was issued for the area around 3:15 p.m. Monday.

On Tuesday night, the weather service rated the twister an EF0, or weak tornado, with 65 mph winds and a path length of 3.37 miles.

In a public information statement, the survey team said it found wheat fields to the west of Martins Creek Belvidere Highway showing damage patterns along a narrow path.

"In the absence of additional damage indicators, NWS surveyors used wheat crop damage to confirm EF0 damage," the statement said, nothing additional fields showing damage were more consistent with straight line winds.

A separate storm survey also confirmed a tornado near Bernardsville in Somerset County, N.J.

Monday’s severe storms brought hail and damaging winds to the Lehigh Valley, as well as torrential rain. Some areas in the Easton area got nearly 5 inches of rain.

More storms hit the region on Tuesday afternoon.