Tornado south of Hermitage, Pa., confirmed by the National Weather Service

Staff report

HERMITAGE, PA.

An EF0 tornado occurred just south of Hermitage, Pa., on the 30th anniversary of a tornado that killed 19 people in Mercer and Trumbull counties and injured more than 500.

The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh said a storm survey Monday confirmed that a tornado occurred about 4 p.m. Sunday near Hermitage.

According to the National Weather Service, the tornado, with maximum wind speed of 75 to 80 miles per hour, touched down on a Sheetz Gasoline Station and Convenience Store at the intersection of state Routes 18 and 518.

The twister, traveling from southwest to northeast, cut a 250-yard wide path for about 1.1 miles on the ground.

There were no injuries related to Sunday’s tornado, but the storm included flooding in portions of Mercer County and power outages.

Also, trees were ripped out of the ground, and other damage occurred. Two vehicles flipped over during the tornado, according to 21 WFMJ-TV, The Vindicator’s broadcast partner.

The tornado occurred 30 years to the day after a tornado that ripped through Trumbull and Mercer counties. The May 31, 1985, tornado killed 12 in Trumbull and seven in Mercer.