A severe thunderstorm that swept through northern Berks County Thursday afternoon left a trail of damage in its wake, particularly in Fleetwood Borough and Richmond Township, where downed trees, power lines, and property damage were reported across multiple roadways.
One of the most heavily impacted areas was along Fleetwood Lyons Road, where a barn suffered major structural damage. A large portion of its roof was torn off, and several trees were brought down by high winds surrounding the property. A nearby shed also sustained damage. Cleanup efforts began shortly after the storm passed, as residents and crews worked to remove debris and restore access.
Storm chaser Justin Selig was in Fleetwood as the storm approached and said tracking the system presented unique challenges. With the main weather radar serving Berks County offline due to equipment issues, Selig had to rely on more distant radar sites, which reduced accuracy and made it more difficult to pinpoint storm intensity and wind features in real time.
“Based on years of experience, the storm’s visually bowing shelf cloud structure clearly signaled strong winds would be imminent” said Selig. “Additionally, radar still showed a fairly organized hail core, which was confirmed as small hail briefly mixed with heavy rain at my location east of Fleetwood. While visually stunning, the storm was intense and unfortunately caused notable damage.”
Elsewhere in Fleetwood, a tree fell across the railroad tracks, halting a freight train and forcing the closure of all railroad crossings in the borough. The storm brought pea-sized hail, intense rain, and gusty winds that led to flash flooding and additional reports of downed wires and trees throughout the area.
While the National Weather Service had issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for central Berks County and surrounding areas, the extent of the damage in Fleetwood suggests strong straight-line winds may have been responsible. However, no official determination has been made at this time.
A second storm cell passed through the Reading area later in the afternoon, causing minor damage in comparison. Scattered reports included downed trees and brief flooding.
Officials continue to assess the damage, and residents are urged to use caution in affected areas as cleanup continues.
