Pennsylvania, 2000

Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in Pennsylvania, May 13, 2000

May 13, 2000 · NWS PHI · 2 events in 1 county or zone

A severe thunderstorm knocked down tree limbs and wires across the lower (southern) half of Montgomery County. Lower Merion Township had numerous tree limbs down.

Where it happened

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.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 PHI wrote it up.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down tree limbs and wires across the lower (southern) half of Montgomery County. Lower Merion Township had numerous tree limbs down. PECO Energy reported 3,600 homes and businesses lost power in the county. In Upper Gwynedd Township, a lightning strike ignited a fire in the attic space of an apartment building. The fire burned inside and outside the roof which collapsed. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries and seventeen people were left homeless.

The radar

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

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Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Montgomery

When
May 13, 7:25 PM EST to 7:40 PM EST
Where
Montgomery County, Bridgeport
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
UTILITY COMPANY
Coordinates
40.100, -75.350

Lightning, Montgomery

When
May 13, 7:25 PM EST
Where
Montgomery County, 1 mi NW of North Wales
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
40.211, -75.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, May 2000

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: 5146301, 5146302.