YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – So what was it that went through Boardman around 4 p.m. on Sunday?

WKBN had several people call into the Weather Center asking if a tornado went through the area. People described a loud roaring noise and strong winds that ripped trees out of the ground and tore roofs on businesses.

But what was it?

First off, is was not a tornado.

It is called a microburst. It has the same strength as a small tornado, but is very different.

If you were to look at tornado damage, the trees would all fall different ways. But with a mircoburst, the winds are straight line — meaning the trees will fall in a single direction.

A mircoburst is when the bottom of a storm opens up and all of the wind and rain comes rushing to the earth. Once it hits the ground, the wind spreads out in all direction, knocking over trees and anything else in its way.

Just because it wasn’t a tornado doesn’t mean that it was any less severe. Some microburst can reach speeds up to 100 mph.

Now as we watch more storms head our way there is a chance for more severe weather in the Valley on Monday. We will continue to keep you updated on air and online.

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