337
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
33
Direct injuries
$2.9M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania: 337 recorded events between 1961 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 83. That places the county #337 nationally and #28 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Luzerne County is the 2020s, when 98 of the county's 337 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 Luzerne County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 56.3% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #337 for this hazard and #28 within Pennsylvania, putting it in the 89.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Luzerne County with 92 recorded events, while Dec 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 15, 1992 | 0 | 0 | 25 | $0 | |
| Jun 22, 2012 | PLAINS | 61 | 0 | 2 | $10K |
| Sep 12, 2002 | LEHMAN | 0 | 0 | 2 | $5K |
| Aug 17, 1988 | 0 | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| May 20, 2019 | LEHMAN | 50 | 0 | 1 | $10K |
| Mar 10, 2002 | COUNTYWIDE | 60 | 0 | 1 | $10K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 6, 2025 | ORANGE | 50 | $3K |
| Jul 3, 2025 | HARDING | 50 | $3K |
| Jun 20, 2025 | CHASE | 50 | $1K |
| Aug 6, 2024 | SOUTHDALE | 50 | $6K |
| Jul 17, 2024 | STODDARTSVILLE | 50 | $5K |
| Jul 17, 2024 | PENOBSCOT | 50 | $5K |
| Jul 17, 2024 | GLEN LYON | 50 | $5K |
| Jul 15, 2024 | DURYEA | 50 | $1K |
| Jul 15, 2024 | KINGSTON | 50 | $3K |
| Jul 15, 2024 | LAKETON | 50 | $3K |
Other hazards here
More from Luzerne County
- Flash Flood 111
- Hail 93
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A thunderstorm intensified over extreme southern portions of the county early in the afternoon. Severe downburst winds caused extensive damage in a swath from Conyngham southeastward towards West Hazleton. Several dozen homes sustained damage as the storm ripped through the region. Most suffered roof and siding damage as trees were toppled onto them. A couple of homes in Hazle Township just west of Interstate 81 had their roofs completely torn off and one also had a storage garage flattened by the strong wind gusts. Many vehicles in the parking lot of Laurel Mall in West Hazleton took on damage as large light poles were blown down. Pennsylvania Power and Light Company estimates that thousands of customers in the area were without power for a 2 to 3 hour period that afternoon. Post storm damage surveys indicate that a 3 to 4 mile long swath of straight line wind damage resulted. From the character of the damage, it is estimated that wind speeds fell within the 70 to 90 mph range.
A complex of severe thunderstorms moved across southern sections of the county and produced widespread wind damage from late in the afternoon into the early evening. Trees and wires were first knocked down in Salem township around 545 pm EDT. Two houses also sustained siding and roof damage in Salem as trees fell upon them. The swath of wind damage continued eastward as numerous trees were uprooted or otherwise toppled throughout the towns of Union, Conyngham, Nanticoke, and Glen Summit. The most severe damage occurred in Conyngham where windows were blown out of several store front areas and power was knocked out to the majority of the town. East of Glen Summit, the damage path became indiscernable as the cell apparently weakened shortly after 600 pm.
A line of severe thunderstorms moved across Luzerne County knocking down trees and wires countywide between 5:45 and 6:05 pm EDT. Trees and wires were downed in Dallas at 5:45 pm and inKingston at 5:55 pm EDT. Several roofs were also blown off with a few large trees uprooted in and near Mountain Top.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania?
337 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Luzerne County between 1961 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Luzerne County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Luzerne County measured 83.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Luzerne 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 Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/pennsylvania/luzerne-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.