Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 3-26-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–16 AP. “Storm Victims in Western PA. Sixteen Reported Dead…” Bradford Era, PA. 6-30-1924, 1.

–11 Gelber, Ben. The Pennsylvania Weather Book. Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers Univ. Press, 2002.

Narrative Information

June 29, AP: “(By the Associated Press.) Pittsburgh, Pa, June 29 – Gradually blowing itself out the tornado which wrought such great havoc Saturday night in Ohio continued its work of destruction over a score of Western Pennsylvania counties, causing the death of at least sixteen persons and injury to scores of others and property damage that will run into the millions.[1] From Lake Erie the twister turned southeast, wrecking 39 houses at Lawrence Park, a suburban town of Erie, causing much damage at Kane, Meadville, Butler, Beaver and many other towns in its path. Houses were unroofed, trees uprooted and roads strewn with tangled wires. Communication throughout the district was crippled Saturday night and the full extent of the damage was not known until after service had been restored today.

Rivers are Flooded

“The high wind which had fallen to a velocity of 40 miles an hour when the storm reached Pittsburgh was accompanied by a heavy downpour which fell continuously for three hours, the weather bureau reporting a rainfall of 2.45 inches in that period. Tributaries of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers began pouring their flood waters into the Ohio during the day. The stage had reached 17 feet tonight with 21 feet, approaching the flood stage, expected tomorrow.

“The fatalities were caused by drowning, collapse of houses, electrocution, and fires started by lightning. Three deaths were reported in Pittsburgh, three at Waynesburg, three at Erie and others at Beaver, New Castle, Greensburg, Meadville and Clymer.

______

One Man Drowns

“Indiana, Pa., June 29. One man was drowned and property damage estimated at $200,000 was caused by a cloud burst in the Clymer-Dixonville section, near here last night. Max Katzen, a merchant of Clymer, was drowned while attempting to rescue a family marooned in their house by flood water. The body was recovered today and sent to Altoona.

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Three Burn To Death. Victims are all Members of Single Family

“Waynesburg, Pa., June 29. – Three members of one family were burned to death early today at Davistown, near here, when the home of George Thomas was destroyed by fire after having been struck by lightning. The victims were Mrs. Margaret Thomas, his wife; Mrs. Rachel Thomas, his mother, and Sheldon Thomas, six, a son. Thomas and a daughter escaped.

“Thomas was awakened by the fire and rushed outside for aid. The open door provided a draught which fanned the blaze in the stairway and trapped the three members of the family upstairs. The bodies were recovered after the fire had burned out.”

_______

Two Dead In Storm. Geneva Girl and Erie R.R. Conductor Victims

“Meadville, Pa., June 29. – Dorothy Anthony, nine, of Geneva, near here, and C. L. Reynolds, 47, a conductor on the Erie Railroad are dead and damage to houses, barns and crops amounting to thousands of dollars followed the trail of the second terrific wind storm in a week which covered the district Saturday night.

“Six houses and barns at Geneva were flattened to the ground, their occupants in most cases narrowly escaping death as they fled to the cellars. A brick church in Union township was blown to the ground and Erie train six between Chicago and New York was delayed several hours while the crew cut their way through fallen trees for a mile or more.

“The Anthony girl was killed by falling timbers when the Anthony home collapsed, and Reynolds died in the city hospital from injuries sustained when his caboose was blown from the tracks near Cambridge Springs.

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“$1,000,000 Damage Caused by Storm in Venango County Saturday

“Oil City, Pa., June 29. – Preliminary estimates of damage done in Venango county and on the areas bordering it, range higher than $1,000,000 as a result of the most intense and devastating storm that has ever hit this section of the country. The storm lashed the territory for several hours Saturday night. So far there has been no loss of life reported but wire communication with the smaller towns and villages of the county has been completely disrupted and the full damage done can not even be estimated. The damage in Oil City is estimated at from a quarter of a million to a half million dollars and in Franklin it runs high into the thousands.” (Associated Press. “Storm Victims in Western PA. Sixteen Reported Dead in Various Sections. Rivers Are Flooded.” Bradford Era, PA. 6-30-1924, p. 1.)

June 30, Daily News, Huntingdon PA: “Pittsburgh, June 30. – The death toll of this section today added the names of Clarence Brusick, 2, and Helen Brusick, to the list. They were drowned. George Somers, 42, was also drowned. Mrs. Adelaide Todd, 35 and her son William, 5, killed when they stepped on a live wire that had been blown down.” (Daily News, Huntingdon, PA. “Storms Death Toll In Pittsburgh.” 6-30-1924, p. 1.)

Western Pennsylvania Severe Weather Fatalities (22)

(Though there are 22 entries, the unnamed entries gives one pause; we suspect double listings.)

Anthony, Dorothy, 9 Geneva Crawford County Crushed/home collapsed/tor.

Brusick, Clarence, 2 Pittsburgh Allegheny County Drowning

Brusick, Helen Pittsburgh Allegheny County Drowning

Katzen, Max Clymer Indiana County Drowning

Reynolds, C. L., 47 Cambridge Springs area, Crawford Train caboose derailed

Somers, George, 41 Pittsburgh Allegheny County Drowning

Thomas, Mrs. Margaret Davistown Greene County Burning/lightning fire

Thomas, Mrs. Rachel Davistown Greene County Burning/lightning fire

Thomas, Sheldon, 6 Davistown Greene County Burning/lightning fire

Todd, Mrs. Adelaide, 35 Pittsburgh Allegheny County Electrocuted/downed wire

Todd, William, 5 Pittsburgh Allegheny County Electrocuted/downed wire

Unnamed person Beaver Beaver County Cause not noted.

Unnamed person Clymer Indiana County Cause not noted.

Unnamed person Erie Erie County Cause not noted.

Unnamed person Greensburg Westmoreland Co. Cause not noted.

Unnamed person Meadville Crawford County Cause not noted

Unnamed person New Castle Lawrence County Causse not noted.

Unnamed person Waynesburg Greene County Cause not noted.[2]

Unnamed person Waynesburg Greene County Cause not noted.[3]

Unnamed person Waynesburg Greene County Cause not noted.[4]

Sources

Associated Press. “Storm Victims in Western PA. Sixteen Reported Dead in Various Sections. Rivers Are Flooded.” Bradford Era, PA. 6-30-1924, p. 1. Accessed 3-26-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/bradford-era-jun-30-1924-p-1/

Daily News, Huntingdon, PA. “Storms Death Toll In Pittsburgh.” 6-30-1924, p. 1. Accessed 3-26-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/the-daily-news-jun-30-1924-p-1/

Gelber, Ben. The Pennsylvania Weather Book. Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2002. Google preview accessed 1-4-2018 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=34RKv9fMFo4C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VE: Environmental Films, 1993, 1,326 pages.

[1] Grazulis reports one tornado with one death near Geneva in Crawford County, northeast PA. There were high winds, thunderstorms and lightning (leading to a fire and deaths), a downpour and drowning deaths.

[2] Waynesburg is 19 miles to NW from Davistown. It is possible that this refers to a Davistown death.

[3] Waynesburg is 19 miles to NW from Davistown. It is possible that this refers to a Davistown death.

[4] Waynesburg is 19 miles to NW from Davistown. It is possible that this refers to a Davistown death.

1924 – June 28, severe weather/lightning, downpour/flash flooding, tornado, western PA – 16