Hurricane Diane was one of the worst storms to hit Pennsylvania, and it happened 60 years ago today.

Diane made landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina, as a strong tropical storm on Aug. 17, just five days after Hurricane Connie struck near the same area.Connie's water helped to relieve a drought in the Northeast, and that is part of why Diane caught forecasters off guard.The storm turned over warm waters from the Atlantic Ocean, which helped produce record rainfall.By the next day, the rains of Hurricane Diane produced the worst flooding in eastern Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey, southeastern New York, and southern New England.According to the U.S. Weather Bureau, of the 287 stream gauges in the region, 129 reported record levels.In the Northeast, an estimated 30 million people were affected by the floods. Some 813 houses were destroyed, 14,000 heavily damaged, and destruction at public utilities to the tune of $79 million.Hundreds of miles of roads and bridges also were destroyed, accounting for $82 million in damage. Damage from Diane's winds, however, was minor.But taking into account all losses, Diane is regarded as the first billion-dollar hurricane.In the Poconos, Brodhead Creek rose over its banks and nearly destroyed a camp, killing 37 people, mostly children.Others fled to a nearby lodge that was later destroyed.The Brodhead Creek washed out a bridge along Route 209 between Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg, flooding both towns.Weissport was hit particularly hard, as was Tamaqua. Walnutport and Allentown also suffered great damage, as did other municipalities.Records indicate there were 75 deaths in the Monroe County region, another 10 deaths in Greentown due to flooding along the Lackawaxen River, and one death in Tamaqua.Overall, Hurricane Diane resulted in 101 Pennsylvania deaths and damage of at least $70 million.It was the costliest hurricane in American history at the time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.In fact, the name Diane was retired from the Atlantic hurricane naming list and public outrage over storm damage led to the creation of the National Hurricane Center.