A decade later, on June 2, 1998, sixteen people were injured by a twister that touched down west of the city, then proceeded down the path of the Parkway West towards Mount Washington. The tornado soon reached the city, and the hillside was blanketed in a large black cloud. Moments later, when the cloud dissipated, stunned residents emerged to find many homes damaged along Grandview Avenue and the surrounding streets. Roofs and walls were torn from several structures, trees were uprooted, and debris littered the area. Several of the large trees lining Herschel Field were just sheared away, broken in half like twigs. The tornado was the first known twister to breach the city limits, and it registered as an F1 on the Fujita Scale.

Governor Tom Ridge and Mayor Tom Murphy
inspect damage to a home on Mount Washington.

The following links to Post-Gazette articles describe the Mount Washington twister.

<Fronts created Tornado Alley> <> <Residents Weather Stormy Evening>
<Region Torn Asunder By Hard-Hitting Storms>

On June 1, 2002, Kennywood Park in West Mifflin was the scene of a macro-burst that ripped the roof off of the pavilion covering The Whip, a ride in the Lost Kennywood section, hurling the structure onto a crowd of frightened onlookers. The powerful storm produced wind gusts registering over 80 mph. One person was killed and over 50 injured in the tragedy. Several trees in the historic Trolley Park were damaged or destroyed. The fierce storm also damaged buildings in the Lawrenceville, Homestead, East End and Bloomfield areas.

Firefighters inspect storm damage in Kennywood Park.

The following links to Post-Gazette articles describe the Kennywood macroburst.

<Kennywood Park Witnesses Describe Chaos at Whip Ride>
<Woman Dies in Kennywood Collapse as Fierce Storms Tear Through Region>

Most recently, on June 12, 2003, a thunderstorm over Pittsburgh produced funnel clouds. The vortex traveled from the Southside to downtown, as seen from Flagstaff hill in Schenley Park. The following day the National Weather Service confirmed that the funnel cloud was indeed an F-0 tornado with 75 mph winds, the first tornado in Pittsburgh in five years. The rare twister is shown in the photos below.

Last, but not least, who ever thought that the city of Pittsburgh was in an earthquake prone area? Well, it is not. But, on March 1, 1935 the city did experience a slight tremor. That's one for the record books.

And Finally ... A Rainbow Over Pittsburgh

Not all inclement Pittsburgh weather is bad, andsometimes a spring rain can have fascinating results.

* Compiled from multiple sources - December 2004 *