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Business, Homes Lost After Severe Storm Storm in Bradford County

GRANVILLE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Neighbors weren’t spared from the storm in Bradford County. Newswatch 16’s Kristina Papa takes us to Granville where...

GRANVILLE TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Neighbors weren't spared from the storm in Bradford County.

Newswatch 16's Kristina Papa takes us to Granville where within minutes one man lost both his home and his business.

"Mass destruction. I mean the house is completely gone like I said there was a church just above this part of the church is on top of the house down here. As you can see we have power lines down," said Chief Roy Vargson, Troy Fire Department.

Emergency responders think a tornado is to blame for the wreckage here on Route 514 near Troy.

By nightfall, volunteer firefighters and first responders were scattered throughout central Bradford County trying to clean up damage left by a severe storm.

"I've been in the department since1973, I have never seen anything like this in our area," added Chief Vargson.

"We live a mile and a half up the road. We were sitting on our front porch during the storm. Never saw it. Never heard it," said firefighter Mark Steckiel.

It was the high winds that roared through this area, uprooting trees and flattening houses.

Steckiel was the first one here after the storm he says the home and business are owned by the same man.

"A guy came running around the corner screaming there were houses gone, so I called back to the communication center to let them know what was happening. I was confident. Couldn't find him," added Steckiel.

The owner of this business wasn't here when the storm hit. Emergency workers tell us he got caught in the rain and decided to stay at a friends house to wait out the storm.

"As bad as this place is took the house off the foundation and moved it quite a ways destroyed his business. Just amazed no one was hurt," added Steckiel.

At least two other homes in Franklin Township were also heavily damaged. The National Weather Service will investigate to find out if it was a tornado that touched down here in Bradford County.

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