7 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A line of severe thunderstorms rapidly crossed the county from west to east. Widespread wind damage, mainly in the form of downed trees and power lines, was reported from the Troy and Canton areas eastward into central portions of the county near Smithfield and Grover townships.
The same squall line that produced wind damage earlier in Bradford county roared through Susquehanna county as well. Most of the reported damage occurred in eastern sections of the county on a line from Susquehanna township southward to the Gibson area. Numerous large trees were downed along route 92 in Susquehanna township. One of these trees landed on a pickup truck.
Fast moving severe thunderstorms ripped across the county from west to east. Widespread wind damage, mostly uprooted trees and isolated siding damage to some homes, occurred in a band from Mehoopany eastward across Tunkhannock to the Factoryville area.
The tail end of a line of severe thunderstorms produced widespread wind damage across northern and central portions of the county. Several large trees were uprooted in Harvey's Lake and more trees and utility poles came down in the Glen Lyon, Nanticoke, and Jackson township areas.
The same group of severe thunderstorms that caused wind damage in Luzerne county moved through the southern half of Lackawanna county. A wind gust to 58 mph was recorded by a spotter in Moosic township and many trees and power lines were knocked down in East Benton.
Severe thunderstorms continued to plow eastward across northern Pennsylvania and produced more extensive wind damage over southern sections of the county. Many large trees and power lines were toppled in an area from Lake Ariel eastward to the Hawley vicinity. A man was killed while sailing on Lake Wallenpaupack when strong winds capsized his vessel.
The cluster of severe thunderstorms that produced wind damage in southern Wayne county continued to inflict damage over northern sections of Pike county. Trees and power lines were downed in a narrow stripe from Lackawaxen eastward to the Port Jervis and Milford areas.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind, Wayne | 1997-08-16 | 48 | Male | Boat | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, August 1997
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5617727, 5617728, 5617730, 5617729, 5617731, 5617732, 5617733.