A tornado that touched down in Halifax, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, December 2, 2006, was on the ground for 1.5 miles, but caused damage over eight miles, resulted in the death of a 50-year-old Millersburg woman, Wanda Elaine Duplessie, when a sycamore tree fell on her car. The story made national news because the tornado was part of weather events that caused the deaths of thirteen people, two of whom were from Pennsylvania.
The above photo shows a metal roof twisted around a tree in Halifax. It was taken the day after the tornado and sent out by the Associated Press. The copy is from the Herald Paladium of Benton Harbor-St. Joseph, Michigan, December 2006.
Another wire service photo published around the country was of Dana Buffington, standing in the ruins of what was the machine shop at Accu-Mold and Tool Company, Halifax. [From the Pottsville Republican & Herald, December 3, 1906].
Caption for Above Photo: “Workers repair lines next to a twisted billboard Saturday in Halifax, Pennsylvania. According to Greg DeVor, at the National Weather service in State College, Pennsylvania, a tornado was on the ground Friday.” [From: The Coloradoan, Fort Collins, Colorado, December 3, 2006].
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Two people died in Pennsylvania, the Millersburg woman who was killed when a tree fell on her car, and a Lycoming County woman who was killed when a flying piece of roofing hit her while she was walking her dog. This second incident was not related to the Halifax tornado.
From the Elmira Star-Gazette, Elmira, New York, December 3, 2006:
SEVERE WEATHER KILLS 2 IN PENNSYLVANIA
HALIFAX, Pennsylvania — Two tornadoes were part of the severe weather that roared through Pennsylvania, the National Weather Service confirmed Saturday, one day after two women died in the storms.
Both the tornado that struck the Halifax area of northern Dauphin County and the one that struck the Mountain Top area of Luzerne County were classified as F-1, with winds between 73 mph and 112 mph….
Dauphin County officials said six businesses sustained about $1.3 million in damage from the Halifax tornado and damages to about 70 homes totaled about $700,000. Among the worst damage came to Accu-Mold and Tool Company and Patton Tire.
The Dauphin County tornado was blamed for the death of Wanda Elaine Duplessie, 50, of Millersburg. She was killed Friday when a Sycamore tree fell on a car in Halifax Township, Dauphin County.
Similar stories appeared in local and regional newspapers.
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News articles and photos from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.
Great article but the tornado 🌪 in Halifax happened on December 1st 2006