WHEATLAND, Pa. —

May 31 is an infamous weather day around western Pennsylvania. The 1889 Johnstown Flood killed 2,209 people, and a macroburst carved a path of destruction across Allegheny and Westmoreland counties on this date. This year commemorates 40 years since Pennsylvania's strongest and deadliest tornado outbreak.

Remembering the 1985 tornado outbreak: See video from the WTAE archives in the video player above Advertisement

Big, strong, violent tornadoes don't happen that often in the Great Lakes or Northeast regions. That all changed on May 31, 1985. At the time, the National Severe Storms Forecast Center noted that the atmosphere was ready for an explosive day.

An unprecedented 44 tornadoes ripped across Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and Ontario, Canada. Nine of those twis

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