Sunday marks 30 years since the deadliest tornado outbreak in Pennsylvania. Six people from our area died from that severe weather in 1985.
"We had no idea what had happened. You know, we had no idea it was a tornado. I'm not sure we knew it was a tornado until the next morning," said Barbara Russell of Delaware Township.
In the daylight, heavy damage is what was left after an F4 tornado ripped through central Pennsylvania on May 31, 1985. It was just one of 21 tornadoes in Pennsylvania that day. Near Watsontown, a twister took a 19 mile path through three counties with winds reaching well over 200 miles per hour.
Russell added, "Sirens started blowing and they just blew and blew so I knew that something terrible was wrong."
80-year-old Barbara Russell has been a member at St.Johns Lutheran Church Delaware Run nearly her entire life. She remembers the days after the twister, as community members helped clean up the church and repair the roof that ripped right off.
The church is now nearly 200 years old, with just one lasting memory of that scary night.
"The church steeple, the cross was turned parallel to the road and after the tornado it was half turned around the other way," said Carl Snyder of Delaware Township.
Marian Gordner of Gregg Township said, "I of course told my husband, he was still coming up the stairs, I said 'oh my, your mother's house is gone.'"
She says she'll never forget that Friday night in 1985. Her family business, Hidden Creek Campground, outside of Allenwood, was a mess. Strong winds tossed trailers and cars around like toys. More than half of them were destroyed, others missing.
"They went and took the divers down to make sure someone wasn't in the pond. Something you never forget," Gordner added.
