Video recorded in Finleyville, Pennsylvania, shows a funnel cloud spinning above the ground during severe weather on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
FINLEYVILLE, Pa. – Cleanup efforts are underway in a Pennsylvania town south of Pittsburgh after an EF-2 tornado ripped through the community Saturday, injuring at least two people and sending parishioners of a local church running for safety as it took a direct hit during a service.
Residents in the Washington County town of Finleyville captured intense videos of the twister as it moved through the town, destroying buildings and sending debris high into the air.
Video recorded in Venetia, Pennsylvania, shows the moment a tornado tears through a building the fills the air with debris on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
One of those videos was recorded in the town of Venetia and showed the tornado spinning across the landscape into a neighborhood, where it slammed into a building and tore it to pieces.
Parts of the structure are then seen being lofted into the air before an incredible roar is heard.
Another video recorded from a nearby apartment complex shows a funnel cloud near the ground behind a hill before finally touching down, kicking up dirt and debris.
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Video recorded in Finleyville, Pennsylvania, shows debris filling the air during a tornado on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
The National Weather Service office in Pittsburgh said survey teams had found damage consistent with an EF-2 tornado that had estimated winds of 118 mph.
According to the preliminary findings, the NWS said the tornado touched down just after 6 p.m. near Bower Hill and was on the ground for nearly 6 miles before dissipating near Pierce just before 6:20 p.m.
The NWS said a brief EF-0 tornado was also reported near New Salem in Fayette County, and an EF-1 tornado crossed from Fayette County into Preston County in West Virginia near Fike Run.
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‘The protection of the hand of God was on us’
Crossroads Ministries Pastor Ken Barner joined FOX Weather to talk about his experience when a powerful EF-2 tornado slammed into his church in Finleyville, Pennsylvania, while he was holding a service on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
There were nearly 100 parisohners inside the Finleyville church that took a direct hit from the twister on Saturday evening.
Crossroads Ministries Pastor Ken Barner said everyone was caught off guard.
“We were getting ready for our regular service,” he said. “My wife was actually up on the stage leading songs. She was in the middle of the third song. The power jumped, and you could just hear this crazy noise outside.”
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Debris is seen in the parking lot of a church that was damaged by a tornado in Finleyville, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
(Mary Holleran via Facebook)
Barner said everyone immediately sprang into action and began to head to the basement for safety. That was when the tornado hit.
“We had a few windows in the auditorium blow out, and glass just went all over,” he said. “Glass went all over one of my associates and knocked him to the floor. But amazingly, nobody was hurt.”
Barner said he realized the right side of the church was being blasted by the powerful winds, so he led parishioners down stairwells on the left side of the building to protect them from shattered glass flying through the air.
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Damage is seen at a Pennsylvania church after a tornado in the town of Finleyville on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
(Mary Holleran via Facebook)
“Our people moved at the speed of light,” he said. “Saturday night is one of our smaller congregations that gather.”
Had it been a Sunday service, Barner said the building would have been “standing room only” with about 350 to 400 people inside.
“We were just moving into action,” he said. “I just believe that God led us, and I can only tell you the protection of the hand of God was on us.”
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This photo shows a car that was heavily damaged by a tornado in Finleyville, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
(Mary Holleran via Facebook)
While everyone who was inside the building when the tornado hit was safe, “the community is suffering,” Barner said.
According to Barner, a relative of one of his parishioners lost their home in the tornado, and at least a dozen other homes were hit near the church.
“A lot of people are just dealing with utter pain,” he said. “A lot of people are traumatized, as you might imagine. I know I went home that night, and I was just overwhelmed.”
Video recorded in Finleyville, Pennsylvania, shows the damage left behind after a tornado ripped through the community on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
Despite the chaos and destruction after the storm, first responders got right to work.
“You just see, the EMS were unbelievable in this area,” he said. “The first responders. The Finleyville Fire Department, we have a volunteer fire department here, they were here within minutes, and they stepped up to the plate. Not only did they have our church, they had 12 other locations they had to worry about.”