New York, 2005

Strong Wind in New York, November 24, 2005

November 24, 2005 · NWS OKX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

During the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, strong west wind gusts between 35 and 45 mph caused the M and M Balloon to hit a lamppost, which resulted in a 30 pound light falling into a crowd. Two women suffered cuts and bruises to their heads in Times Square near Broadway and 44th Street in Manhattan.

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
2
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 happened

The episode as NWS OKX wrote it up.

During the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, strong west wind gusts between 35 and 45 mph caused the M and M Balloon to hit a lamppost, which resulted in a 30 pound light falling into a crowd. Two women suffered cuts and bruises to their heads in Times Square near Broadway and 44th Street in Manhattan.

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 New York, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 23, 4:20 PM EST, 19 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 23, 4:20 PM EST, 19 hours 10 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 23, 4:37 PM EST, 18 hours 53 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, New York (Manhattan)

When
November 24, 11:30 AM EST
Where
New York (Manhattan) forecast zone
Measured
35 kt (40 mph) estimated gust
Injuries
2 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
40.774, -73.970 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Strong Wind
Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New York in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, November 2005

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5481679.