A swath of destruction near Morrison Hill, Deerfield Township, was caused by a heavy storm that swept through the southern part of Warren County on Thursday, June 17.

WARREN, Pa. — The storm that swept through Warren County last week was strong enough to bring down healthy trees in places, but there is no evidence of any rotation.

Public Safety Director Ken McCorrison followed-up on the storm by visiting the southern tier of the county – from Sheffield to Eldred township.

“It was definitely straight-line winds,” McCorrison said. “Maybe some downbursts.”

When there were swaths of damage, all of the downed trees were pointed in the same direction. In a tornado, the rotation of the storm brings down tress in all directions. Downbursts result in damage moving outward from a central point.

The absence of tornadoes does not mean it was not a violent storm. He said National Weather Service personnel estimated the winds at 70 to 80 miles per hour in some places, based on photos and descriptions of damages.

“We saw a lot of hollow trees that were down,” McCorrison said. “We also saw some healthy trees down.”

In one area of Morrison Hill in Deerfield Township there were about 50 trees down along a 75-yard swath of storm damage, McCorrison said.

There were few reports of damage to buildings and vehicles.

“I saw some outbuildings that had some damages, and some residences with roof damage,” McCorrison said.

At least one vehicle was significantly damaged in the storm. The back of the SUV belonging to a family from out of the area was flattened by a falling tree.

Neither the county nor any municipalities have reported the kinds of wide-spread damages that would result in an emergency declaration, he said.