An unseasonably hot and humid air mass led to severe thunderstorms occurring across Eastern Pennsylvania during the late afternoon and evening of the 10th. Wind damage was reported in nearly every county in Eastern Pennsylvania.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS PHI wrote it up.
An unseasonably hot and humid air mass led to severe thunderstorms occurring across Eastern Pennsylvania during the late afternoon and evening of the 10th. Wind damage was reported in nearly every county in Eastern Pennsylvania. About 185,000 homes and businesses lost power. Power was not fully restored until the night of the 12th.
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 Philadelphia/Mount Holly wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 10, 2:57 PM EST, 1 hour 54 minutes earlier.
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</html>SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ 518 PM EDT TUE JUN 10 2008 PAZ054-055-102230- CARBON-MONROE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...JIM THORPE...STROUDSBURG 518 PM EDT TUE JUN 10 2008 ...STRONG TO POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD THE AREA... AT 5:15 PM, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS INCREASING IN AREAL COVERAGE ACROSS CENTRAL TO NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA, MOVING NORTHEASTWARD GENERALLY AROUND 30 MPH. THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SEVERE, WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL THE MAIN THREATS. IN ADDITION, ANY THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL. REMAIN ALERT IN THE EVENT A WARNING IS ISSUED AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER INDOORS IMMEDIATELY WHEN THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH YOUR AREA. GORSE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ 530 PM EDT TUE JUN 10 2008 PAZ060-102215- BERKS- 530 PM EDT TUE JUN 10 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT BERKS COUNTY... AT 525 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER READING...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 29 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR LAURELDALE...TEMPLE AROUND 535 PM... FLEETWOOD AROUND 550 PM...LYONS AROUND 555 PM...TOPTON AND KUTZTOWN AROUND 600 PM. WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 40 MPH AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. SOME THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SEVERE, THEREFORE REMAIN ALERT IN THE EVENT WARNINGS ARE ISSUED. FORECASTER: GORSE
The Binghamton radar (KBGM), 135 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:52 UTC.
14 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 3 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A severe thunderstorm knocked down trees and wires in Kidder Township.
A severe thunderstorm knocked down a few trees, tree limbs and wires along U.S. Route 222 in Blandon.
Very large hail fell along the U.S. Route 222 corridor from Blandon northeast through Kutztown. Hail as large as golf balls was reported and damaged some vehicles. Quarter size hail was specifically reported from Fleetwood.
A severe thunderstorm knocked down a couple of trees and wires in Spring Township.
A severe thunderstorm tore down several trees and wires across the northern tier of Monroe County.
A Skywarn spotter reported penny size hail in Topton.
A severe thunderstorm downed a few trees and wires in and around Breinigsville (Upper Macungie Township). Patio furniture in one backyard was blown 50 feet from its original location. The same severe storm also dropped hail as large as quarters.
A severe thunderstorm tore down several trees and wires across southeastern Berks County from Brecknock Township east through Amity Township. One downed tree fell on a house in Brecknock Township. In all the combination of damaging wind and lightning caused about 75 different locations throughout the county to be affected by the thunderstorms. About 4,000 homes and businesses lost power in Berks County.
Quarter size hail was reported in Catasauqua and also along the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
A severe thunderstorm tore down trees and wires across eastern Lehigh County from Catasauqua south through Allentown. In Allentown, trees were downed from 21st through 23rd Street from Greenleaf Street to Pennsylvania Street. A few homes suffered minor damage. In South Whitehall Township, Cedar Crest Boulevard was closed through the 11th for the replacement of a pole that was damaged by the storm. Pennsylvania Power and Light reported about 14,000 homes and businesses lost power in Lehigh County while Metropolitan Edison reported about 12,000 homes and businesses lost power in their service area including Lehigh County. All power was restored by the evening of the 11th.
In addition to the large hail, a severe thunderstorm tore down several trees and wires in East Stroudsburg, Smithfield Township, Stroud Township, Saylorsburg and Bartonsville. In East Stroudsburg, three vehicles were damaged (two were totalled) by downed trees off of Sunset Drive. Downed trees blocked northbound Pennsylvania State Route 191 in Stroud Township. About 3,900 Metropolitan Edison customers lost power in Monroe and Pike Counties. In addition, about 320 Pennsylvania Power and Light customers lost power. All power was restored by the 11th.
A lightning strike ignited a house fire on Burning Tree Lane in Lower Macungie Township. When fire fighters arrived, flames were seen through the roof. Five companies helped extinguish the blaze. No injuries were reported. Another lightning strike at the Municipal Building in Whitehall Township did hardly any damage. The same building was struck by lightning in 2007. The combination of damaging winds and lightning caused about 14,000 Pennsylvania Power and Light homes and businesses to lose power in Lehigh County. Metropolitan Edison reported about 12,000 homes and businesses lost power in their service area including Lehigh County. All power was restored by the evening of the 11th.
Severe thunderstorms knocked down trees and lines in two areas of Northampton County. The first was across the northeast corridor from Bushkill Township northeast through Wind Gap, Plainfield Township and Bangor. The second area extended from Palmer Township southeast into Easton. In Palmer Township, a large tree split in half and outdoor furniture was tossed from the porch of one home. The combination of damaging winds and lightning caused about 5,000 Pennsylvania Power and Light homes and businesses to lose power in Northampton County. Metropolitan Edison reported about 12,000 homes and businesses lost power in their service area including Northampton County. All power was restored by the evening of the 11th.
A severe thunderstorm dropped penny to half dollar size hail across southern Monroe County from Brodheadsville east into East Stroudsburg.
A severe thunderstorm tore down numerous trees and power lines across Chester County and caused one injury. About 55,000 homes and businesses lost power in the county and 18,000 still were without power the next day. A state of emergency was declared in West Vincent Township because of the numerous blocked roads. Ten roads were still closed on the 11th. In West Brandywine Township, a man was knocked unconscious after a downed tree cut a mobile home in half. In Phoenixville, a downed tree was on a house on Pothouse Road. About 80 percent of the borough lost power. Pennsylvania State Route 29 was blocked south of the borough. Roadways were also closed in East Brandywine Township and in Honeybrook (Pennsylvania State Route 10).
A 19-year-old woman was injured after she was struck by lightning near her Church Road home. The lightning strike struck a tree and then her.
Damage from a squall line of severe thunderstorms in the northwest Philadelphia suburbs peaked in Montgomery County. A swath of wind damage (downed trees) occurred from around Collegeville southeast into Abington Township and Hatboro. PECO Energy reported about 78,500 homes and businesses lost power, 16,000 were still without power on the evening of the 11th. Pennsylvania Power and Light reported about 2,000 of its customers also lost power in the county. Power was not fully restored until the 12th.
Abington, Collegeville, Royersford, Trappe and Upper Providence were among the municipalities that suffered the most damage. About 40 percent of Lansdale Borough lost power. Downed trees damaged vehicles in Whitpain and Montgomery Townships. Other municipalities that reported downed trees and some road closures included Hatboro, Pottstown, Jenkintown, Lower Gwynedd, Lower Providence and Lower Salford. The Salford Hills Elementary School dismissed children early because of lost power.
A 61-year-old man died in Upper Merion Township of carbon monoxide poisoning after running a generator in his home. His wife survived.
A lightning strike started a house fire in Exeter Township. Lightning struck the roof and the fire began in the upper portion of the house. About seventy-five fire fighters from a half dozen companies helped battle the blaze and contained it in the upper portion of the house. The family and pets escaped unharmed.
The gust front from a severe thunderstorm produced wind damage across the southern or lower part of Bucks County from Warminster and Warwick Townships east to Yardley and in locations farther to the south. The largest power outages occurred in Levittown, Lower Southampton and Newtown. PECO Energy reported about 10,000 of its customers lost power in Bucks County.
A severe thunderstorm tore down trees in Plumstead Township. A few roads were closed because of downed trees. Pennsylvania Power and Light reported about 2,000 homes and businesses lost power in upper Bucks County.
The gust front from a severe thunderstorm caused wind damage mainly in the northern half of Philadelphia. Several trees were knocked down. SEPTA Regional Commuter Rail Service had to suspend service that headed north of Market East station because downed trees blocked the rail lines in the East Mount Airy section of the city. Commuters were bused home. The thunderstorms also caused about 50 incoming and outgoing flights from Philadelphia International Airport to be canceled. PECO Energy reported about 10,000 of its customers within the city lost power. A peak wind gust to 54 mph was measured at the Northeast Philadelphia Airport.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind, Montgomery | 2008-06-11 | 61 | Male | Permanent Home | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, June 2008
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 116275, 116420, 116302, 116418, 116454, 116429, 116477, 116482, 116427, 116487, 116494, 116564, 116518, 116601, 116545, 116623, 116630, 116652, 116440, 116706, 116707, 116711.