PHARSALIA – Officials are investigating reports of a tornado in the Pharsalia area after a mobile home, three barns and wide swaths of forest were knocked down during an early Thursday storm.

“We saw very typical signs of a possible super cell storm, with multiple tornadoes or tornado activity, but the only people that can determine that are the meteorologists. I’m no expert to say it was a tornado, but it appears it was,” said Chenango County Emergency Management Director Matt Beckwith after touring some of the damage yesterday.

An path of destruction more than a 100 yards wide knocked down an area of dense pine located in the New Michigan State Forest in Pharsalia. The trail of toppled trees is clearly visible by motorists traveling along North Road, and the damage etched its way across the landscape for more than a mile and a half, also crossing Fred Stewart Road and Center Road.

Center Road residents Howard and Laura Price saw a two-story barn and a guest trailer near their house completely destroyed by the storm.

“Well very simply put, at about 3:15 to 3:20 a.m. this morning a sound like a freight train shook the house. We heard all types of sounds, explosions, breaking boards and things slamming into the house,” said Howard.

The couple fled to their basement and when they emerged, they found their property unrecognizable.