1,013
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
17
Direct injuries
$10.1M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania: 1,013 recorded events between 1958 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 95. That places the county #7 nationally and #2 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Westmoreland County is the 2020s, when 302 of the county's 1,013 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 Westmoreland County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 59.3% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #7 for this hazard and #2 within Pennsylvania, putting it in the 99.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Westmoreland County with 247 recorded events, while Feb 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 12, 2002 | COUNTYWIDE | 65 | 1 | 2 | $100K |
| May 18, 1987 | 0 | 1 | 1 | $0 | |
| Jun 29, 2008 | SOUTH GREENSBURG | 50 | 1 | 0 | $150K |
| Sep 28, 2019 | MURRYSVILLE | 48 | 0 | 6 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 1998 | LATROBE | 0 | 0 | 2 | $20K |
| Apr 1, 2023 | SEWARD | 55 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 3, 2022 | BRADENVILLE | 50 | 0 | 1 | $50K |
| Apr 16, 2010 | IRWIN | 50 | 0 | 1 | $15K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2026 | WILLOW SPGS | 50 | $5K |
| Mar 31, 2026 | WILLOW SPGS | 50 | $5K |
| Mar 31, 2026 | WILLOW SPGS | 50 | $6K |
| Mar 11, 2026 | ALVERTON | 56 | $0 |
| Mar 7, 2026 | LONGBRIDGE | 50 | $500 |
| Mar 7, 2026 | GREENSBURG | 50 | $10K |
| Mar 7, 2026 | GREENSBURG | 50 | $6K |
| Mar 7, 2026 | MC CULLOUGH | 50 | $1K |
| Mar 7, 2026 | MERWIN | 50 | $5K |
| Aug 24, 2025 | RECTOR | 50 | $1K |
Other hazards here
More from Westmoreland County
- Hail 291
- Flash Flood 238
- Flood 84
- Tornado 49
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Emergency management reported large trees down in Unity township south of Greensburg. One large tree fell on a moving vehicle driven by a 37 year old male. The tree trapped the driver in the vehicle. Rescue crews removed him from the vehicle and he was pronouned dead at 5:47 PM EST.
A thunderstorm microburst passed across Westmoreland County, leaving a path of damage along its entire route. The greatest amount of damage occurred in the Irwin and North Huntington areas. However, damage also occurred in Jeanette, Greensburg, Latrobe and Derry. Just a few miles west of Greensburg in the Hempfield Township area, a man was killed when a tree was uprooted and fell on the car he was riding in. The driver and another passenger in the care were also injured. The width of the microburst appeared to be the widest through the Irwin area where it reached close to 700 yards. Hundreds of trees were either uprooted or snapped. Many utility poles and wires were also knocked down or snapped. There was damage to several roofs, porches and decks. One roof over the back porch of a house was lifted up and over the house and deposited in the front yard. there were many houses that lost shingles, siding and awnings. Maximum winds were estimated to be around 75 MPH.
Thunderstorm winds downed numerous trees and power lines. Major damage was reported to around ten homes, with numerous other homes in the area receiving minor damage. A new concrete block was at a car dealership was knocked over.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania?
1,013 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Westmoreland County between 1958 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Westmoreland County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Westmoreland County measured 95.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Westmoreland 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 Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/pennsylvania/westmoreland-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.