The National Weather Service (NWS) has confirmed that two landspout tornadoes touched down in central Berks County during separate storms on Sunday, May 4. One was observed over Blue Marsh Lake, and the other traveled through rural areas between Mohrsville and Shoemakersville.
According to a preliminary damage survey released Monday afternoon, the first tornado formed around 2:11 p.m. over the northern end of Blue Marsh Lake within the Blue Marsh National Recreation Area. Video shared on Facebook. Classified as an EF-U, or “unknown” rating, the tornado was brief and caused no known damage. It was caught on video by observers and is believed to have remained entirely over water or in an inaccessible area.
Later in the day, a second tornado—classified as an EF-0—developed near Mohrsville just before 6 p.m. and traveled 1.7 miles before dissipating southeast of Shoemakersville. It reached peak winds of approximately 65 mph and had a maximum width of 35 yards. While no injuries were reported, the tornado caused minor tree damage and left visible swirl marks in fields along its path.
Mohrsville resident Bill Wink, who lives along Shoey Road, captured video of the tornado from his backyard. He said he initially mistook the dark column for smoke from a fire. “It continued to move north, and I realized it was not a fire, that I was looking at a possible tornado,” Wink recalled. “I’ve never witnessed a tornado before, so it was really impressive… but in the back of my mind, I was thinking about safety for my wife and daughter.”
Wink’s video and others shared on social media helped storm investigators confirm the tornado’s presence. Pennsylvania-based storm chaser Justin Selig, who flew a drone over the affected area, said the footage and field inspection clearly showed a damage track. “Sure enough, there was a line in the field and actual field damage from the inflow winds,” Selig said.
Selig also emphasized the importance of weather awareness during unexpected events like these. “This storm was unwarned. There was no radar signature, and the radar beam can’t always see low enough in Berks County to detect tornadoes like this,” he said. “This is the perfect example of why you always need to be weather ready.”
Landspout tornadoes differ from traditional tornadoes because they form from ground-level circulations rather than from mesocyclones, which are typically detectable on radar. Both tornadoes on Sunday occurred in showers with no rotating thunderstorms, reinforcing their landspout classification.
The National Weather Service thanked both Lou Ruh and Justin Selig for their assistance in conducting the storm damage assessments. Final determinations are subject to change pending additional analysis.
