Thunderstorm Wind — Delaware, Pennsylvania

2015-06-23 · near Chester, Delaware, Pennsylvania

Event narrative

Chester City was also hard hit by the powerful macroburst associated with the line of severe thunderstorms. About twenty homes and buildings were condemned because of wind damage including fallen trees. Buildings along the Avenue Of The States as well as trees within city parks were particularly hard hit. A tractor-trailer along Interstate 95 was overturned by the severe thunderstorm. the driver was not injured. Wind damage in the city was estimated at 2.5 million dollars.

Wider weather episode

The combination of an unseasonably hot and humid air mass, an approaching cold front and strong winds aloft caused a squall line of severe thunderstorms to move through southeast Pennsylvania during the late afternoon and early evening of the 23rd. Estimated wind gusts as high as around 85 mph knocked down hundreds and hundreds of trees and caused some structural damage to homes and vehicles, mainly from fallen trees. Four people were injured in Philadelphia. Hardest hit were Philadelphia, Chester and in particular central and western Delaware County. Delaware County declared a state of emergency and suffered an estimated five million dollars in property damage. Five people were injured. While there were multiple reports of funnel clouds, no confirmed tornadoes occurred. Numerous homes and vehicles were damaged, mainly by fallen trees. Many roads were impassable through the next day because of downed trees. SEPTA had to suspend all of its commuter regional rail service on the 23rd in the Philadelphia Metropolitan area because of debris on the tracks and downed wires. Full service was back on the 25th. Amtrak suspended both Northeast Corridor Service between Philadelphia and Washington D.C. and Keystone service between Philadelphia and Harrisburg. That service was restored on the 24th. PECO Energy reported about 250,000 of its customers lost power in southeastern Pennsylvania: close to 100,000 in Delaware County, close 75,000 in Chester County and nearly 50,000 within Philadelphia. Mutual assistance repair crews from Ohio, Kentucky, Maryland, West Virginia and New York helped with repairs. At 6 a.m. EDT on the 24th, about 161,000 customers (half in Delaware County) were still without power. That number dropped to 121,000 on the evening of the 24th, 50,000 on the 25th and 16,000 on the 26th. Full restoration occurred on the 28th. In Chester County, Verizon Wireless cell phone service was also lost on the 23rd and the 24th. Commuters were stuck on a train after power was lost on the 23rd. County courts remained closed on the 24th. In Delaware County, PPL Park was used to distribute ice, cell phone recharge and showers. County offices re-opened on the 25th.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (39.8507, -75.3608)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 591352. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.