249
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$1.4M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania: 249 recorded events between 1958 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 75. That places the county #697 nationally and #43 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Lackawanna County is the 2020s, when 86 of the county's 249 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Lackawanna County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 56.1% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #697 for this hazard and #43 within Pennsylvania, putting it in the 77.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Lackawanna County with 60 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2011 | SCRANTON | 65 | 0 | 1 | $10K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2026 | MOSCOW | 50 | $1K |
| Apr 15, 2026 | FELLS CORNERS | 58 | $0 |
| Apr 15, 2026 | DALTON | 50 | $1K |
| Apr 15, 2026 | WALLSVILLE | 50 | $1K |
| Nov 6, 2025 | WAVERLY | 50 | $2K |
| Jun 20, 2025 | MOSCOW | 50 | $1K |
| Jun 20, 2025 | SCRANTON | 50 | $1K |
| Jun 20, 2025 | CHINCHILLA | 50 | $1K |
| Apr 19, 2025 | SCRANTON | 50 | $5K |
| Apr 19, 2025 | MAYFIELD | 50 | $5K |
Other hazards here
More from Lackawanna County
- Flash Flood 84
- Hail 74
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A line of thunderstorms brought strong winds to the area Thanksgiving morning. In Archbald a NWS survey team found straight line storm damage in an area 50 yards wide and 150 yards long. A small garage collapsed. Shingles were blown off house roofs. Several trees were uprooted or snapped. Wires also were downed. In Carbondale, damage was similar. Trees and wires were downed. A swath of hardwood trees 300 yards long and 100 yards wide at it maximum were either uprooted or snapped. Close to 1000 electric customers lost power.
The same line of severe storms that produced widespread damage in Luzerne county moved through Lackawanna county between 845 pm EDT and 930 pm, producing additional wind damage. At 845 pm, numerous trees and power lines were downed just east of Dalton. At 855 pm, more trees and power lines were toppled in Taylor. From 900 to 905 pm, the storm moved through downtown Scranton, downing trees and power lines throughout the city. The most concentrated area of damage was on Adams street where large trees were blocking the road. At 905 pm, more trees and power lines came down in Throop. At 915 pm, three homes sustained damage from falling trees in Scott township, just north of Montdale. One of the houses also had their chimney blown off.
A strong cold front moved through northeastern Pennsylvania early in the afternoon on the 1st. A band of heavy rain and isolated thunderstorms developed along the front. One thunderstorm cell became severe as it ripped through central and northern sections of the county. Several large trees were uprooted in the city of Scranton. Minor home damage was reported in this area as falling tree branches smashed windows, tore off shingles, and removed gutters. A couple of vehicles also sustained minor damage from the falling debris. As the storm moved northeast towards Scott and Greenfield townships, it continued to produce damaging winds. A small barn in Greenfield was flattened by the gusty winds while an adjacent house suffered major damage to the porch area as a large tree was toppled.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania?
249 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Lackawanna County between 1958 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Lackawanna County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Lackawanna County measured 75.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Lackawanna County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/pennsylvania/lackawanna-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.