4 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 Binghamton radar (KBGM), 63 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:28 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A slow moving thunderstorm with vivid cloud to ground lightning had numerous ground strikes between 930 am EDT and 10 am in north central Bradford county. In Athens township, three separate house fires resulted from the lightning strikes with roof damage incurred in all three homes.
A line of severe thunderstorms rapidly developed over northern Pennsylvania with the northern end of the line moving across Bradford county. Strong winds associated with these storms seriously damaged a barn in Silvara township around 1030 am EDT.
A different part of the squall line that was also responsible for wind damage in Bradford county caused isolated damage in central Wyoming county. Trees and power lines were downed in Tunkhannock around 1030 am EDT.
A line of severe thunderstorms responsible for producing wind damage in Bradford and Wyoming counties ripped through the northern half of Luzerne county between 1030 and 1100 am EDT. Numerous large trees and wires were downed in East Berwick and Salem townships around 1040 am. In Forty Fort, a large tree was uprooted and fell on an occupied vehicle. No injuries were reported, but the car was heavily damaged.
Thunderstorms intensified to severe levels over Pike county just after 12 noon EDT. Numerous large trees and power lines were blown down in Milford around 1220 pm.
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, May 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: 5618828, 5618829, 5618830, 5618831, 5618832.