389
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$3.4M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Northampton County, Pennsylvania: 389 recorded events between 1958 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 87. That places the county #234 nationally and #21 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Northampton County, Pennsylvania: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Northampton County is the 2010s, when 118 of the county's 389 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 Northampton County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 55.6% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #234 for this hazard and #21 within Pennsylvania, putting it in the 92.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Northampton County with 115 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 1991 | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| May 20, 2019 | GLENDON | 52 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2026 | HELLERTOWN | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 16, 2026 | NAZARETH | 50 | $0 |
| Dec 19, 2025 | SANDTS EDDY | 55 | $0 |
| Jul 25, 2025 | HIGHLAND PARK | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 25, 2025 | STEEL CITY | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 25, 2025 | HELLERTOWN | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 25, 2025 | BETHLEHEM | 50 | $0 |
| May 6, 2025 | STIER | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 18, 2024 | NORTH BANGOR | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 30, 2024 | NAZARETH | 50 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Northampton County
- Flash Flood 99
- Hail 69
- Lightning 60
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A severe thunderstorm knocked down numerous trees and wires in Hanover Township. Airport Road (Pennsylvania State Route 987) was closed because of downed trees between Schoenersville Road and Orchard Lane. The township suffered the most tree damage of any municipality within the county.
A squall line of severe showers and thunderstorms caused wind damage across Northampton County, especially the southeast half of the county. Trees fell onto homes in Bethlehem and Easton. A plane flipped over at Braden Airpark in Forks Township. Trees were knocked down in Palmer Township. Trees and wires were also knocked down in Bath, Lower Saucon, Lower Mount Bethel and Lower Nazareth Townships. ||A SKYWARN Spotter in Forks Township measured a wind gust to 61 mph.
A severe thunderstorm wind gust knocked down numerous trees, wires, and power poles in East Allen Township at 4:08 pm EDT on the 22nd. The township had to declare a disaster emergency because of the wind damage. The Red Cross was assisting one resident with housing.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Northampton County, Pennsylvania?
389 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Northampton County between 1958 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Northampton County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Northampton County measured 87.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Northampton 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 Northampton County, Pennsylvania.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/pennsylvania/northampton-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.