Thunderstorm Wind, Allegheny
- When
- May 18, 2:30 PM EST
- Where
- Allegheny County, West View
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 40.517, -80.050
Tree down on Babcock Blvd.
Damaging Wind in Pennsylvania, May 18, 2004
1 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- 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 May 18, 1:20 PM EST, 1 hour 10 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 18, 1:20 PM EST, 1 hour 10 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 220 PM EDT TUE MAY 18 2004 WARM MOIST UNSTABLE AIRMASS PRECEDES FRONTAL BNDRY THAT WILL SWING SEWD TNGT WITH PWS AOA 1.5...CONCERN FROM REPEAT STORMS MOVING OVER PREVIOUS SATURATED GROUNDS FROM THIS MRNG/FLOODING. SVR WATCH IN EFFECT THRU 8PM AND FLD WATCH CONTINUES TNGT. MDLS VARY ON SWD MVMT OF BNDRY BY 12/19 WITH ETA(SLOWER) TO ARND SWRN PA WHILE GFS TO M/D LINE. BOTH MDLS THOUGH HOLD ONTO PRECIP ACROSS SRN SXNS WED IN NEAR ZONAL FLOW. BNDRY THEN WILL WORK ITS WAY BACK SLOWLY NEWD WITH THREAT FOR PRECIP INTO FRIDAY. MEDR PROGS PUSH WARM FRONTAL BNDRY WELL N OF REGION SAT WITH BROAD WSW WARM MOIST FLOW...WITH CONTD THREAT FOR CHC POPS AND ABV NORMAL TEMPS. .PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 600 AM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR ZONE MDZ001. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM (WCN) WATCH UNTIL 800 PM EDT TUESDAY FOR ZONE MDC023. OH...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 600 AM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR ZONES OHZ039>041... OHZ048>050...OHZ057>059...OHZ068>069. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM (WCN) WATCH UNTIL 800 PM EDT TUESDAY FOR ZONES OHC013...OHC019...OHC029...OHC031...OHC059...OHC067...OHC081... OHC111...OHC119...OHC121...OHC157. PA...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 600 AM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR ZONES PAZ007>009... PAZ013>016...PAZ020>023...PAZ029>032. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM (WCN) WATCH UNTIL 800 PM EDT TUESDAY FOR ZONES PAC003...PAC005...PAC007...PAC019...PAC031...PAC051...PAC053... PAC059...PAC063...PAC065...PAC073...PAC085...PAC121...PAC125... PAC129. WV...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 600 AM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR ZONES WVZ001>004... WVZ012...WVZ021>023...WVZ041. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM (WCN) WATCH UNTIL 800 PM EDT TUESDAY FOR ZONES WVC009...WVC029...WVC049...WVC051...WVC061...WVC069...WVC077... WVC093...WVC103. &&
Hazardous weather outlook, May 18, 1:10 PM EST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 210 PM EDT TUE MAY 18 2004 MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023- 029>032-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-190900- 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- 210 PM EDT TUE MAY 18 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND GARRETT COUNTY MARYLAND. .DAY ONE...TODAY THERE IS A RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THEIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ACROSS THE ENTIRE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. THE PRIME THREATS ARE DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL. THERE MAY BE ENOUGH HEAVY RAIN WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS TO CAUSE FLOODING ALONG STREAMS AND IN AREAS WITH POOR DRAINAGE. THERE MAY ALSO BE PERIODS OF FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... ON DAY 2... THERE MAY STILL BE FLOODING FROM RUNOFF FROM THE HEAVY THUNDERSTORM RAINS OF DAY 1. FOR DAY 3 THROUGH DAY 7... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME... ALTHOUGH THERE WILL BE A THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS MOST DAYS. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... SPOTTER NETWORK ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 18, 9:29 AM EST, 5 hours 1 minute before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 1029 AM EDT TUE MAY 18 2004 MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023- 029>032-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-182225- 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- 1029 AM EDT TUE MAY 18 2004 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND FLOODING POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT... NOAA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY MAY HAVE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT. THE PRIME THREATS ARE DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL. THE STORMS MAY ALSO HAVE ENOUGH HEAVY RAIN TO CAUSE FLOODING ALONG STREAMS AND IN AREAS WITH POOR DRAINAGE. PERIODS OF FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE ANOTHER HAZARD. WHEN THUNDERSTORMS THREATEN... GO INDOORS... PREFERABLY INTO A STRONG BUILDING. WHEN FLOODING THREATENS...GO TO HIGHER GROUND. NEVER GO THROUGH FLOODED ROADS ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. YOU COULD BE SWEPT AWAY BY THE FAST DEBRIS LADEN CURRENT. LISTEN FOR UPDATES ON NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS.
Special weather statement, May 18, 11:49 AM EST, 2 hours 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 1249 PM EDT TUE MAY 18 2004 OHZ039-048-057-058-181815- COSHOCTON OH-GUERNSEY OH-MUSKINGUM OH-TUSCARAWAS OH- 1249 PM EDT TUE MAY 18 2004 ...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN... HAIL... GUSTY WINDS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING MOVING INTO COSHOCTON... MUSKINGUM... GUERNSEY AND TUSCARAWAS COUNTIES. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING SLOWLY TO THE EAST AND MAY CAUSE OVERFLOW IN LOW LAND AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. THESE STORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 2 PM.
Special weather statement, May 18, 1:02 PM EST, 1 hour 28 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 202 PM EDT TUE MAY 18 2004 OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ013-014-020>023-029>032- WVZ001>004-181915- ALLEGHENY PA-ARMSTRONG PA-BEAVER PA-BELMONT OH-BROOKE WV-BUTLER PA- CARROLL OH-COLUMBIANA OH-COSHOCTON OH-FAYETTE PA-GREENE PA- GUERNSEY OH-HANCOCK WV-HARRISON OH-INDIANA PA-JEFFERSON OH- LAWRENCE PA-MARSHALL WV-MONROE OH-MUSKINGUM OH-NOBLE OH-OHIO WV- TUSCARAWAS OH-WASHINGTON PA-WESTMORELAND PA- 202 PM EDT TUE MAY 18 2004 ...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS THE AREA... THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN...HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS ALONG WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING EAST AT 15 TO 20 MPH AND MAY RESULT IN OVERFLOW IN LOWLAND AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.
Special weather statement, May 18, 1:34 PM EST, 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 234 PM EDT TUE MAY 18 2004 OHZ039-182130- TUSCARAWAS OH- 234 PM EDT TUE MAY 18 2004 ...HEAVY RAIN OVER DENNISON AND UHRICHSVILLE IN TUCSCARAWAS COUNTY... ABOUT AN INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN OVER DENNISON AND UHRICHSVILLE DURING THE PAST HOUR. MINOR ROAD FLOODING AND PONDING OF WATER ON ROAD SURFACES IS POSSIBLE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. IF ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OCCURS IN THE SAME AREA MORE SERIOUS FLOODING COULD RESULT. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES.
The radar
The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 14 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:27 UTC.
Event by event
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
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
- Flash Flood in Puerto Rico, May 18, 2004
- Lightning Strike in Mississippi, May 18, 2004
- Flooding in Ohio, May 18 to 20, 2004
- Flood and Hail in Ohio, May 18, 2004
- Flood in Louisiana, May 18 to 20, 2004
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Maryland, May 18, 2004
- Lightning Strike in Massachusetts, May 18, 2004
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Ohio, May 18 to 19, 2004
- Flood in West Virginia, May 18 to 19, 2004
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Illinois, May 18, 2004
- Flood in Ohio, May 18, 2004
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, May 18, 2004
More
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, May 2004
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: 5398441.