Hail and Damaging Wind in Pennsylvania, July 18, 1997

Severe thunderstorms caused considerable wind damage throughout the southeast half of Northampton County. Wind gusts during the strongest thunderstorms were estimated at around 60 mph. About 10,000 homes and businesses in the county lost power. Power was not restored to everyone until the afternoon of the 20th. Hardest hit was Plainfield Township. At the Plainfield Farmers Fair, about a dozen and a half trees were uprooted, two roofs and two picnic tables were damaged and a tent was ripped. The roof of one township home was completely ripped off with its second floor contents strewn across the yard. A lean-to was blown over another home and landed in the front yard. Several other cars and roofs were crushed by fallen trees. Large hail also damaged corn fields.Other townships which reported trees on homes and/or crushed vehicles included Lower and Upper Mount Bethel Townships, Lower Saucon Township and Palmer Township. Within Bethlehem very large trees were uprooted and in Easton several trees were uprooted including a few on the College Hill Campus. Sections of Pennsylvania State Routes 191, 512, 611 and the Sullivan Trail were all closed because of downed trees. U.S. Route 22 was backed up for a mile because of downed trees in Lehigh County.