Pennsylvania, 2004Damaging Wind in Pennsylvania, August 20, 2004
August 20, 2004 · NWS PBZ · 1 event in 1 county or zone
1 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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 20, 3:59 PM EST, 1 minute earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 20, 3:59 PM EST, 1 minute before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
459 PM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004
.SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)...
UPDATED TO ADD SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH TO APPROPRIATE ZNS.
&&
.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 312 PM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004
AVIATION...
BIG CONCERN THROUGH ABOUT MIDNIGHT IS WDSPRD TSTMS WITH CONDS BLO
3SM -TSRA AND BLO OVC010CB AS STRONG FNT WITH SIGNIFICANT FORCING
APPROACHES AND PUSHES THROUGH AREA . SOME 4RA- BR OVC020 BEHIND FRNT
WITH GRDL IMPVMENT SATURDAY.
SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT)...
CONVECTION REALLY GETTING UNDERWAY NOW. ETA AND GFS HAVE COME MORE
IN LINE WITH A SOLUTION FOR A SPEEDIER PASSAGE OF THE LOW WITH A
MORE SOUTHERLY TRACK. WILL GO WITH FLOOD WATCH AS PRECPBLE WATERS
BETWEEN 1.5 AND 2 INCHES..THOUGH FASTER MOVEMENT MAY HOLD DOWN FINAL
AMOUNTS. WILL INCLUDE CHC SEVERE WITH LIS -4 TO -6. WILL CONTINUE
WITH LIKELY IN THE MORNING FAR EASTERN ZNS AND CUT TO CHANCE FURTHER
WEST IN THE A.M. CLEARING SAT NIGHT AND MS SUNDAY AS RIDGE BUILDS
ACROSS.
LONG TERM (MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY)...
SFC RIDGE HOLDS OFF PRECIP UNTIL WEDNESDAY WITH APPROACH OF SHORT WV
THAT TAKES UNTIL FRIDAY TO CLEAR THE FA. SE SFC RIDGE BUILDS
WESTWARD TO KEEP FA DRY THEN.
&&
.PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MD...NONE.
OH...FLOOD WATCH FOR ZONES OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069 TODAY
AND TONIGHT.
PA...FLOOD WATCH FOR ZONES PAZ007>009-013>016-020-022-023-
029-030 TODAY AND TONIGHT.
WV...FLOOD WATCH FOR ZONES WVZ001>004 TODAY AND TONIGHT.
&&Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 20, 8:56 AM EST, 7 hours 4 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
956 AM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004
MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023-
029>032-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-210920-
ALLEGHENY PA-ARMSTRONG PA-BEAVER PA-BELMONT OH-BROOKE WV-BUTLER PA-
CARROLL OH-CLARION PA-COLUMBIANA OH-COSHOCTON OH-FAYETTE PA-
FOREST PA-GARRETT MD-GREENE PA-GUERNSEY OH-HANCOCK WV-HARRISON OH-
INDIANA PA-JEFFERSON PA-JEFFERSON OH-LAWRENCE PA-MARION WV-
MARSHALL WV-MERCER PA-MONONGALIA WV-MONROE OH-MUSKINGUM OH-NOBLE OH-
OHIO WV-PRESTON WV-TUCKER WV-TUSCARAWAS OH-VENANGO PA-WASHINGTON PA-
WESTMORELAND PA-WETZEL WV-
956 AM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...EAST
CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND GARRETT COUNTY MARYLAND.
.DAY ONE...TODAY
THERE CONTINUES TO BE A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MIDNIGHT. THE PRIMARY THREAT APPEARS TO BE
FROM DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. A TORNADO CANNOT BE
RULED OUT. ALSO HEAVY RAINS ACCOMPANYING THESE STORMS CAN CAUSE
PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND LOWLAND FLOODING.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY TODAY.
In the hours before
Local storm report, Aug 20, 10:06 AM EST, 5 hours 54 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1106 AM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0345 PM TSTM WND DMG 5 N LIGONIER 40.32N 79.24W
08/19/2004 WESTMORELAND PA LAW ENFORCEMENT
NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES REPORTED DOWNED THROUGHOUT
LIGONIER TOWNSHIP.
&&Special weather statement, Aug 20, 12:06 PM EST, 3 hours 54 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
106 PM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004
OHZ048-057-058-068-201800-
COSHOCTON OH-GUERNSEY OH-MUSKINGUM OH-NOBLE OH-
106 PM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004
...THUNDERSTORMS...
THUNDERSTORMS TO MOVE THROUGH THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
COSHOCTON...GUERNSEY...MUSKINGUM AND NOBLE...
AT 1256 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR IN PITTSBURGH
INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 11 MILES WEST OF
DILLON STATE PARK TO 11 MILES SOUTH OF RURALDALE....MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 20 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED BY THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
CAMBRIDGE... COOPERDALE... COSHOCTON...CUMBERLAND...DILLON STATE
PARK...HIGH HILL... NEW CONCORD... SENECAVILLE AND ZANESVILLE
KEEP AN EYE TO THE SKY AND MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE IF THUNDERSTORMS
APPROACH.
Special weather statement, Aug 20, 1:01 PM EST, 2 hours 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
201 PM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004
PAZ016-023-201845-
INDIANA PA-JEFFERSON PA-
201 PM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004
...THUNDERSTORMS...
THUNDERSTORMS TO MOVE THROUGH THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
JEFFERSON AND INDIANA...
AT 152 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR IN PITTSBURGH
INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS FORMING 4 MILES SOUTH OF PLUMVILLE....MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED BY THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
GLEN CAMPBELL...MARION CENTER...PLUMVILLE AND PUNXSUTAWNEY
KEEP AN EYE TO THE SKY AND MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE IF THUNDERSTORMS
APPROACH.
Special weather statement, Aug 20, 1:57 PM EST, 2 hours 3 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
257 PM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004
PAZ021>023-030-201945-
ALLEGHENY PA-ARMSTRONG PA-INDIANA PA-WESTMORELAND PA-
257 PM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004
...THUNDERSTORMS...
THUNDERSTORMS TO MOVE THROUGH THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
ARMSTRONG...INDIANA...WESTMORELAND AND ALLEGHENY...
AT 248 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR IN PITTSBURGH
INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM PLUM TO 8
MILES SOUTH OF APOLLO TO 8 MILES SOUTH OF SHELOCTA...OR ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM PLUM TO 4 MILES WEST OF SALTSBURG TO 7 MILES WEST OF
HOMER CITY....MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED BY THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
APOLLO...CROOKED CREEK LAKE PARK...ELDERTON...FORD CITY...
FREEPORT...NATRONA HEIGHTS...NEW KENSINGTON...PLUM...SHELOCTA...
SPRINGDALE AND VANDERGRIFT
KEEP AN EYE TO THE SKY AND MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE IF THUNDERSTORMS
APPROACH.
PLEASE REPORT HAIL...STRONG WINDS OR WIND DAMAGE TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE...1-877-633-6772.
Local storm report, Aug 20, 3:11 PM EST, 49 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
411 PM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0406 PM HAIL CHERRY TREE 40.73N 78.81W
08/20/2004 1.00 INCH INDIANA PA SKYWARN SPOTTER
QUARTER SIZED HAIL RE3PRTED IN CHERRY TREE ALONG WITH 40
MPH WIND GUSTS.
&&Thunderstorm Wind, Beaver
- When
- August 20, 4:00 PM EST
- Where
- Beaver County, Ohioville
- Measured
- 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 40.683, -80.500
Trees down from Hookstown to Ohioville. One house suffered a damaged roof in Hookstown. 10,000 customers lost electric power. Several microbursts hit Hanover and Greene townships, with severe damage where Rte 30 and 151 intersect. Numerous trees toppled or snapped; power lines down. Trees fell on sheds. Siding and roofing shingles blown off. Roof blown off barn on Rte 151. Several swaths of damage, ranging from 80 to 200 yards wide. Path length likely extended for several miles (exact length could not be determined because damage was sporadic). Maximum wind estimated 65 mph (56 kt)).
- 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.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Massachusetts, August 20, 20041 injured · $490,000 · 2 in hail · 21 events
- Lightning Strike in Alabama, August 20, 2004$500,000 · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in New Hampshire, August 20, 200410 injured · 50 kt wind · 1 event
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, August 20, 2004$76,000 · 1 in hail · 18 events
- Damaging Wind in New Hampshire, August 20, 2004$50,000 · 50 kt wind · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in New York, August 20, 2004$30,000 · 65 kt wind · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in Ohio, August 20, 2004$25,000 · 52 kt wind · 1 event
- Tornado in Massachusetts, August 20, 2004$25,000 · F0 · 1 event
- Flash Flood in Louisiana, August 20, 2004$20,000 · 1 event
- Lightning Strike in Massachusetts, August 20, 20041 injured · 1 event
- Tornado and Hail in Alabama, August 20, 2004F0 · 4 events
- Heat in Virginia, August 20, 20043 events
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: 5418330.