Tornadoes in Pennsylvania, June 22, 1996

The severe thunderstorm which produced golf-ball sized hail in Chemung and Schuyler counties in New York spawned a tornado as it crossed southeast Bradford County Pennsylvania. Initial damage occurred in Tuscarora Township, where a home received extensive damage. A 25-foot trailer was tossed about one hundred feet, and a garage was completely lifted off its foundation and destroyed. The tornado tracked to the southeast, and moved into Braintrim Township in northwest Wyoming County around 315 PM, then Laceyville where severe tree damage was observed. A barn was destroyed with only one wall left standing. Many trees were sheared off or uprooted in town, and near the Laceyville Bridge as the tornado crossed the Susquehanna River. The tornado then moved into Windham Township at North Flats, along State Route 3001. One eyewitness was a car picked up and spun around, but the occupants were not injured. A mobile home was lifted off its foundation and pushed onto the street. Its occupants were unharmed. The tornado cut across a corn field and sheared off trees within a hedge row as it re-approached the Susquehanna River. Damage was spotty immediately after the tornado crossed the river northwest of Black Walnut. The next area of significant damage occurred about one-quarter mile north of Route 6, on State Route 4009, where many large trees were toppled. The tornado then moved southeast into Black Walnut where many homes were damaged on the north side of Route 6. One mobile home and several garages were completely destroyed. Nearly all of the campsites located south of Route 6, along the northern shore of the Susquehanna River, were damaged by large trees downed by the tornado. The tornado crossed the Susquehanna River once again where it downed and uprooted several hundred trees within a 100 yard swath as it moved up a steep slope. The damage path narrowed near the top of the mountain. It was undetermined whether or not damage occurred downstream from this point, but an aerial survey indicated spotty damage toward the town of Scottsville. The tornado was rated as an F1, with wind speeds between 73 and 122 MPH. The damage path was at least 6 to 7 miles long, and averaged 100 yards in width.As the storm crossed the border into Luzerne County, an F0 tornado touched down in the communities of Duryea and West Avoca. The tornado damaged several homes, with many more homes damaged by uprooted and snapped trees. A portion of these homes had roofing material blown off, gutters and siding separated. The damage path in Luzerne County was broken as the storm skipped to the east/southeast, but extended a total of about one and a half miles.