Thunderstorm Wind in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania

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.