Pennsylvania, 1999

High Wind in Pennsylvania, November 2 to 3, 1999

November 2 to 3, 1999 · NWS BGM · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

A powerful autumn weather system, packing heavy rain and wind gusts between 45 and 60 mph, tracked northeast along the Appalachian mountain chain and across the eastern shore of Lake Ontario during the late afternoon and nighttime hours. The strong winds lasted for several hours, but generally caused only widespread, minor to moderate damage on this election day.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$1.5 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS BGM wrote it up.

A powerful autumn weather system, packing heavy rain and wind gusts between 45 and 60 mph, tracked northeast along the Appalachian mountain chain and across the eastern shore of Lake Ontario during the late afternoon and nighttime hours. The strong winds lasted for several hours, but generally caused only widespread, minor to moderate damage on this election day. Pennsylvania Power and Light officials reported losing several main and local transmission lines which knocked out power for approximately 50,000 to 70,000 Northeast Pennsylvania customers. With the brunt of the storm striking during an election evening, several polling locations were forced to finish the election process via alternate power sources. Backup generators were brought in to power electronic voting machines, while some ballot box locations cast their final votes by candlelight.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Bradford

When
November 2, 5:00 PM EST to November 3, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Bradford forecast zone
Property damage
$210,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
41.789, -76.515 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Lackawanna

When
November 2, 5:00 PM EST to November 3, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Lackawanna forecast zone
Property damage
$210,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
41.437, -75.609 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Luzerne

When
November 2, 5:00 PM EST to November 3, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Luzerne forecast zone
Property damage
$210,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
41.177, -75.989 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Pike

When
November 2, 5:00 PM EST to November 3, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Pike forecast zone
Property damage
$210,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
41.332, -75.034 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Susquehanna

When
November 2, 5:00 PM EST to November 3, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Susquehanna forecast zone
Property damage
$210,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
41.821, -75.801 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wayne

When
November 2, 5:00 PM EST to November 3, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Wayne forecast zone
Property damage
$210,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
41.649, -75.303 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wyoming

When
November 2, 5:00 PM EST to November 3, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Wyoming forecast zone
Property damage
$210,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
41.518, -76.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, November 1999

Sources

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: 5722558, 5722559, 5722560, 5722561, 5722562, 5722563, 5722564.