Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, August 23, 2002

Name: Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, August 23, 2002
Start: 2002-08-23T17:40
End: 2002-08-23T22:20
Location: Pennsylvania

August 23, 2002 · NWS PBZ · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

2 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $10,000
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 forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Pittsburgh, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 23, 1:02 PM EST, 4 hours 38 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 23, 1:02 PM EST, 4 hours 38 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
202 PM EDT FRI AUG 23 2002

SHOWERS AND TSTMS CONT TO POP OVER FA IN VCNTY OF STATIONARY
BOUNDARY. LINES OF CONVECTION ARE FORMING IN SRN IN, SRN OH AND NRN
KY ATTM. DURING THE EVENING HOURS AND TONIGHT LOW PRESSURE AREA
MOVES EAST ALONG BOUNDARY. MESO ETA SHOWS MOST UNSTABLE AREA MOVING
INTO CWA THIS EVENING FROM THE SW. PCP WATER RUNNING HIGH. SFC
DEWPTS 70-73. CELLS WILL BE SLOW MOVING SO HAVE INDICATED RAIN HEAVY
AT TIMES IN THE ZONES TONIGHT. WAVE IS SLOW TO MOVE ACROSS FA AND
WILL NOT CLEAR OUR EASTERN ZONES UNTIL SATURDAY AFTN. CHC PCPN IN
OUR EASTERN ZONES THRU SATURDAY EARLY AFTN AND JUST IN THE MORNING
ELSW.

HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FOR SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. NEXT CHC PCPN
TUESDAY NIGHT/WEDNESDAY AS LOW MOVES UP THE EAST COAST.

PIT   68  79  62  80 /  90  50  10   0
HLG   66  78  62  79 /  80  50  10   0
MGW   68  81  63  81 /  80  50  10   0
ZZV   68  81  63  81 /  80  50  10   0
PHD   66  78  62  79 /  80  50  10   0
FKL   63  75  58  76 /  80  50  10   0
DUJ   63  75  58  76 /  80  50  10   0
LBE   65  78  61  78 /  80  50  10   0
BTP   63  75  58  76 /  80  50  10   0
IDI   65  78  61  78 /  80  50  10   0
ODM   63  75  58  75 /  80  50  10   0

.PBZ...
MD...NONE.
OH...NONE.
PA...NONE.
WV...NONE.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 23, 12:43 PM EST, 4 hours 57 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
143 PM EDT FRI AUG 23 2002

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0510 PM    SHARPSVILLE               PA   65-70 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
08/22/02   MERCER                         MICROBURST 1MILE LONG, 1/2
                                          MILE WIDE. APPROX. 100
                                          TREES DOWN IN S. PYMATUNING
                                          TWP. ALSO DAMAGE TO
                                          ATTACHED ROOF ON
                                          APARTMENT.REPORTED BY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Special weather statement, Aug 23, 2:20 PM EST, 3 hours 20 minutes before

PAZ030-032-232000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
320 PM EDT FRI AUG 23 2002

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING THROUGH...

A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING, WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH,
HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND SOME SMALL HAIL IS LOCATED IN THE RUFFS DALE
AREA OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY. SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES SUCH AS MT.
PLEASANT AND ALVERTON ARE IN THE PATH OF THE STORM IN ADDITION TO
EVERSON, PRITTSTOWN AND PENNSVILLE IN FAYETTE COUNTY. THE STORM WILL
MOVE THROUGH BY 4 PM.

MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO SLOW DOWN AS VISIBILITIES CAN BE SUDDENLY
REDUCED TO NEAR ZERO IN HEAVY DOWNPOURS.

Special weather statement, Aug 23, 5:01 PM EST, 39 minutes before

OHZ048-232330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
601 PM EDT FRI AUG 23 2002

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HEADED FOR COSHOCTON COUNTY...

A COUPLE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO COSHOCTON COUNTY
FROM THE WEST BY 6:15 PM.  THE STORMS ARE MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT
ABOUT 30 MPH AND SHOULD AFFECT MAINLY CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PARTS OF
COSHOCTON COUNTY UNTIL AROUND 7:15 PM.

TOWNS TO BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE NEWCASTLE, WALHONDING,
WARSAW, AND BLISSFIELD.

WIND GUSTS OF 50 MPH OR MORE ARE POSSIBLE, ALONG WITH HAIL, FREQUENT
LIGHTNING, AND TORRENTIAL RAIN.

WHEN THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES, MOVE INDOORS.  STAY TUNED FOR
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

Special weather statement, Aug 23, 5:13 PM EST, 27 minutes before

PAZ022-232330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
613 PM EDT FRI AUG 23 2002

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN SOUTHER ARMSTRONG COUNTY...

A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IS MOVING THROUGH SOUTHERN ARMSTRONG
COUNTY...TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.  THIS STORM WILL AFFECT THE
NORTH VANDERGRIFT, APOLLO, AND SPRING CHURCH AREAS FROM 6:15 TO 6:45
PM.  WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE, ALONG WITH HAIL AND
TORRENTIAL RAIN.

WHEN THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES, MOVE INDOORS.  STAY TUNED FOR
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

Special weather statement, Aug 23, 5:26 PM EST, 14 minutes before

PAZ023-240000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
626 PM EDT FRI AUG 23 2002

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH INDIANA COUNTY...

A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHWEST INDIANA COUNTY AROUND
6:40 PM.  THIS STORM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PART OF INDIANA
COUNTY...AS IT MOVES TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST A 30 MPH.

THIS STORM WILL AFFECT THE CLARKSBURG, LEWISVILLE, HOMER CITY, AND
BLACK LICK AREAS FROM 6:40 TO 7:30 PM.

WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE, ALONG WITH HAIL AND TORRENTIAL
RAIN.

WHEN THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES, MOVE INDOORS.  STAY TUNED FOR
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

The radar

The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 63 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:41 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Westmoreland

When: August 23, 5:40 PM EST
Where: Westmoreland County, Avonmore
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.533, -79.467

Thunderstorm winds downed several trees along State Highway 156.

Thunderstorm Wind, Allegheny

When: August 23, 10:20 PM EST
Where: Allegheny County, Avalon
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.500, -80.017

Thunderstorm winds downed several large trees down onto State Route 65, closing the road temporarily.

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Pennsylvania, August 2002

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: 5312831, 5312832.