NWS says at least four microbursts brought 60-70 mph winds
Residents in some Philadelphia neighborhoods and surrounding counties were cleaning up Sunday from widespread damage caused by the line of severe, short thunderstorms that passed through Saturday afternoon, according to the Associated Press. The storms, called microbursts, downed trees and power lines, flooded a handful of streets and caused structural damage.
The National Weather Service confirmed that the damage was caused by straight-line winds from the microbursts, not a tornado. Despite speculation that the damage — including part of a roof torn off a Philadelphia Housing Authority apartment building — had been caused by a tornado, NWS officials said the straight-line winds were to blame.
A building that collapsed in a West Philadelphia neighborhood threw bricks into the street, crushing cars and blocking trolley tracks, the AP reported. The National Weather Service said the microbursts passed through Philadelphia and Montgomery counties between about 2:30 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. Saturday, with straight-line wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph (97 to 113 kph).
The microbursts in Philadelphia were among a range of severe weather across the U.S. over the weekend that included heatwaves, flooding and wildfires.