For the second time in three days, significant severe weather including tornadoes affected northeastern Pennsylvania. The primary focusing mechanisms were a strong mid level shortwave and surface cold front that approached the region during the evening of the 2nd.
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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 episode as NWS BGM wrote it up.
For the second time in three days, significant severe weather including tornadoes affected northeastern Pennsylvania. The primary focusing mechanisms were a strong mid level shortwave and surface cold front that approached the region during the evening of the 2nd. Strongly veering wind profiles that increased with height contributed significantly to the development of tornadic supercells. Two long tracked supercells produced tornadic damage across northeastern Pennsylvania during this event. The first tornado touched down in southwestern Susquehanna county in Auburn towship just after 9 pm EDT. This tornado tracked along a 12 mile path through Springville and Lathrop townships. Several mobile homes were damaged or destroyed and the roof of a small storage building was torn away. The twister also cut down scores of trees along the way. Its intensity was rated as F1. Fortunately, no injuries resulted. The other twister tracked along approximately a 35 mile path from extreme southeastern Bradford county across the length of northern Wyoming county and into northwestern Lackawanna county before weakening. The most devastation occurred in the small vacation community of Lake Carey in Wyoming county. The tornado strengthened to F3 intensity at Lake Carey and killed two people and injured a total of fifteen. More than 40 homes immediately surrounding the lake were either heavily damaged or destroyed. Additional residences were damaged or leveled further to the east through East Lemon township in northern Wyoming county. Isolated structural damage and considerable tree damage was the rule from Terry township in Bradford county eastward to just west of Lake Carey and also from East Lemon township eastward to near Lackawanna State Park where the tornado finally dissipated. In all, over 50 homes were damaged or destroyed and total damage estimates in the three county area exceeded three million dollars. Other smaller scale bow echo complexes produced widespread wind damage in the form of downed trees and power lines primarily across the northern tier counties and sections of the Poconos. Portions of Bradford, Susquehanna, and Wayne counties were without power for most of the night as electrical crews could not keep up with reports of downed wires. The most severely damaged areas including the Lake Carey vicinity needed assistance from the National Gaurd to clean up excess debris and help with repairs. Much of northeastern Pennsylvania qualified for federal disaster assistance.
The Binghamton radar (KBGM), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:42 UTC.
4 tornado, 4 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A thunderstorm briefly reached severe levels over southern sections of the county early in the evening.Dime sized hail was observed in Noxen.
A line of thunderstorms became severe across eastern portions of the county. Wind damage in the form of downed trees was reported first in and near Litchfield. Shortly thereafter, the southern portion of the squall line intensified and dime sized hail was observed in Wyalusing.
The same line of severe thunderstorms that produced sporadic damage in eastern Bradford county exhibited one intensifying supercell as it edged eastward into Susquehanna county. This storm ultimately became tornadic. Ground and aerial damage surveys indicate the tornado first touched down in Auburn township in the southwestern corner of the county. A discontinuous damage path was evident in Auburn township, mainly along ridge top sections and east of route 267. Trees were cut down and twisted in a convergently rotating pattern. One mobile home was destroyed when several large trees fell upon it. Amazingly, the occupant inside the structure was unharmed. The twister then continued eastward into Springville township; skipping primarily along the higher elevations and shearing off tree tops. However, once the tornado crossed to the east of route 29, it appeared to briefly intensify as it ripped the roof off of a small brick storage building and completely leveled another mobile home along state route 3017 just east of Taylor Hill. Fortunately, the home was vacant at the time. Once the tornado began climbing the next set of ridges to the east, it lifted back into the cloud base as the pattern of damage was not seen further downstream. In all, damage estimates were close to $300,000, mainly from structural damage to the aforementioned structures and deforestation. The intensity was rated as F1 with a damage path of about 12 miles from Auburn township into Lathrop township. The width of damage was no greater than about 100 yards at any given time.
The same cell that produced tornadic damage earlier in the evening across southern Susquehanna county continued eastward into northern Wayne county and remained severe. Trees were blown down in Pleasant Mount just after 930 pm EDT.
A supercell thunderstorm became tornadic over southeastern portions of the county in Terry township. Eyewitness reports and damage surveys indicate that the twister first touched down just east of Robwood mountain and just west of State Route 2015 around 945 pm EDT. At this location, a mobile home was knocked off its foundation about 8 feet and sustained heavy damage on its front side. Fortunately for the two occupants who were inside the structure when the tornado struck, a farm vehicle, pickup truck, and storage shed all acted to stop the forward momentum of the trailer and prevent it from rolling down a fairly steep hill just ahead. Another storage building just north of the mobile home was severely damaged with its roof completely torn off and some metal beams removed from the siding. As the tornadic cell continued eastward, the funnel appeared to elevate for a time with sporadic damage at tree top level for about a mile downstream. Once the storm crossed just east of Billetts Pond, it descended to flatten a large barn. Debris was scattered in all directions from where the barn once stood with a large section of the roof thrown 200-300 yards downwind. Meanwhile, a newly built home with a large rear deck only 150 yards or so from the barn sustained relatively minor damage. Further to the east through Wyalusing and Tuscarora townships, the damage path became somewhat discontinuous once again and was confined mainly to hilltop sections with trees sheared off. Structural damage was not seen in these areas as they were sparsely populated. From the spot where the twister first touched down in Terry township eastward to the Wyoming county line, the length of the damage path was about 6 miles. The widths varied from 200 to 400 yards. Emergency management officials tallied total damages at just under a half million dollars.
The same tornadic supercell that affected southeastern Bradford county moved eastward into northern Wyoming county around 10 pm EDT. Aerial damage surveys indicate that intervals of tree damage occurred from Meshoppen eastward to near Valentine Hill on the border of Lemon township. This damage was primarily in the form of twisted off tree sections at canopy level and also some uprooted trees on hilltop areas. Between 1010 and 1015 pm, the tornado lowered again down the east side of Valentine Hill, skipped across the far north end of Stevens Lake, and carved a path over a small hill just west of Lake Carey. Several residences along this path had heavy tree damage and minor siding and roof damage to their homes. The twister then seemed to temporarily turn towards the south and cross a portion of the long axis of Lake Carey. It was here within this small vacation community that the most severe damage occurred along with loss of life. Eyewitness accounts indicate that the tornado crossed State Route 1003 (a small causeway across the short axis of the lake in an west-east orientation) at about 1020 pm. Every structure located along this narrow strip of land crossing Lake Carey either sustained substantial damage or was completely leveled. It was here where two fatalities occurred as an elderly woman and her grandson were literally sucked out of the second floor of a house and thrown into an adjacent building. Every nearby tree was snapped off, uprooted, or otherwise toppled in chaotic patterns. At that point, the tornado made a jog to the left and resumed its eastward course. It crossed over State Route 1005, which parallels the eastern end of Lake Carey, then skipped up over a small hill. Again, heavy damage was inflicted upon homes in the path of the tornado both along the east end of the lake and also going up the hill. A dozen or more small boats which were anchored along the eastern end of the lake were thrown up out of the water and onto the shoreline. One home going up the hill towards the east was reduced to only its foundation and a portion of the back wall. Massive tree damage continued to be evident with a swath of trees cut down in a narrow path going over the hill and down its eastern side towards East Lemon township. A total of 42 homes in and around Lake Carey suffered considerable damage or were totally destroyed. The character of damage in this area indicates that the tornado strengthened and reached F3 intensity. The damage path was over a third of a mile wide at times. As the tornado pushed further to the east through East Lemon township, it encountered more rugged terrain and less populated areas. Still, however, it did encounter three additional homes and heavily damaged all of them. One had its roof completely torn away and its garage flattened. Another had its back deck destroyed and all of the back windows blown out. Swaths of tree damage were interspersed amongst these houses. Fortunately, two of the homes were unoccupied at the time with only one other minor injury associated with the storm in East Lemon township. The tornado was rated as F2 intensity at this point with damage widths varying from 250 to 400 yards. As the cell approached Factoryville and the Lackawanna county line after 1035 pm EDT, it weakened a bit with the tornado skipping over hilltop sections for the most part. Mostly tree damage was evident from aerial surveys between Route 92 and Lake Sheridan. The tornado's intensity had decreased to F1 along this segment of its path with the width of damage narrowing to under 100 yards in spots. In total, county emergency management officials estimated that in excess of 2 million dollars worth of damage was incurred with over 50 homes destroyed or heavily damaged. Fifteen injuries were directly tied to the tornado along with the two deaths mentioned earlier.
A thunderstorm intensified to severe levels late in the evening over northern portions of the county. Trees and wires were downed in Dalton shortly after 10 pm EDT.
A thunderstorm briefly reached severe limits over southern portion of the county shortly after 10 pm EDT. Trees and wires were toppled in Lathrop township.
The same tornadic cell that devastated parts of Wyoming county moved eastward and crossed into northern Lackawanna county. It remained tornadic as it affected La Plume township around 1040 pm EDT. Significant tree damage occurred on the campus of Keystone Junior College as a couple of classroom buildings also sustained minor damage in the form of blown out windows and twisted gutters. The tornado pushed eastward from that point and crossed over Routes 6 and 11 before settling into southern portions of Lackawanna State Park in North Abington township. Large swaths of trees were either sheared off or cut down in sections of the park. The twister appeared to lift back into the cloud base just west of Abington Road in North Abington township as little in the way of damage was seen downstream of this location. The tornado's intensity was rated as F1 with a damage width of around 200 yards. Very fortunately, no injuries were sustained either on the college campus or within Lackawanna State Park.
A thunderstorm became severe late in the evening over extreme southern portions of the county. Trees and wires were toppled just before 11 pm EDT along and just east of Lake Wallenpaupack.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado, Wyoming | 1998-06-02 | 35 | Male | Permanent Home | Direct |
| Tornado, Wyoming | 1998-06-02 | 72 | Female | Permanent Home | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Pennsylvania, 1998Warnings in Pennsylvania, June 1998
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: 5656999, 5656899, 5656998, 5657001, 5657099, 5657100, 5657000, 5657101, 5657102, 5657199.