Campus Alert Archive
Penn State

8:42 PM PSUAlert: Tornado-Capable Storm Over Boalsburg Sends University Park Community to Shelter

PAtornadoemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On the evening of June 9, 2025, a PSUAlert was issued at 8:42 PM after the National Weather Service in State College announced a tornado warning for multiple counties in central Pennsylvania, including southeastern Centre County where the University Park campus is located. A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was tracked over nearby Boalsburg, moving northeast at 30 mph.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
The Pennsylvania State University
Public R1 · PA
~88,000 studentsPSUAlert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Verified verbatimVerbatim excerpt of the PSUAlert message as quoted in the Penn State Collegian108 chars
A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Boalsburg, moving northeast at 30 mph.
Verbatim sentence from the PSUAlert quoted by the Penn State Collegian; the publicly archived Collegian article preserves only this excerpt of the 8:42 PM EDT alert
The warning covered Southeastern Centre County, Northeastern Huntingdon County, and Northern Mifflin County
The storm was tracked over Boalsburg, approximately 5 miles east of the University Park campus
ALL CLEARSMS+33 min
Approximate reconstruction187 chars
PSUAlert UPDATE: The tornado warning for the University Park area has expired. No tornado confirmed. You may resume normal activities. Stay weather-aware as storms continue in the region.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed based on the reported warning expiration time of 9:15 PM EDT
No tornado touchdown was confirmed in the warned area during the event
Context

Background

On the evening of Monday, June 9, 2025, the National Weather Service office in State College issued a tornado warning covering southeastern Centre County, northeastern Huntingdon County, and northern Mifflin County. Penn State's emergency notification system, PSUAlert, was activated at 8:42 PM to warn the University Park campus community of the threat. A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Boalsburg, approximately 5 miles east of campus, and was moving northeast at 30 mph. The warning remained in effect until 9:15 PM EDT. PSUAlert messages were sent via text, voice, and email to enrolled students, faculty, and staff. The alert directed the community to seek shelter immediately in a sturdy building, moving to an interior room on the lowest floor. No tornado was confirmed in the warned area, and the warning expired without significant damage to campus.
Analysis

Key Findings

PSUAlert was issued at 8:42 PM EDT, coinciding precisely with the NWS tornado warning issuance
The storm was tracked over Boalsburg, approximately 5 miles east of the University Park campus
The warning expired at 9:15 PM with no confirmed tornado touchdown in the area
Outcome
The tornado warning expired at 9:15 PM. No tornado touchdown was confirmed on or near campus. The storm moved through the area without causing significant damage to university facilities.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Student Paper
    Penn State issues tornado warning alert (Penn State Collegian)
    psucollegian.com
  2. Official
    PSUAlert system information (Penn State Police)
    police.psu.edu
  3. Source
    National Weather Service State College
    weather.gov
Tags
tornado-warningsevere-stormpennsylvaniashelter-in-placeno-damagesummer-session
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion