Beaver County, Pennsylvania
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 42007 · population 168,155 · 435 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 978 records for Beaver County, Pennsylvania from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 498 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (504 records). The deadliest day on its record was May 31, 1985: tornado and thunderstorm wind records filed for Beaver County that day count 5 deaths across 2 records. FEMA has issued 15 declarations naming the county since 1972, 13 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Sandy” on October 29, 2012.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 978on 498 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 751 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $183Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 25strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 15latest 2020
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Beaver County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 504 since 1963. 48% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1963 fell in June and July. The rank column places the county among Pennsylvania's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 504 | 259 | 1963-2026 | 2 | 1 | $14M | 5 of 67 |
| Floods | 158 | 80 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $68M | 10 of 67 |
| Hail | 153 | 90 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 3 of 67 |
| Winter storms | 80 | 74 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $10K | 26 of 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | 32 | 31 | 1996-2023 | 1 | 2 | $8.5M | 12 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 22 | 1954-2026 | 3 | 47 | $93M | 2 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 9 | 2014-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 25 of 67 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 5 | 2012-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 of 67 |
| Lightning | 6 | 5 | 1996-2011 | 0 | 1 | $72K | 14 of 67 |
| Drought | 2 | 2 | 1999-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 55 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 1996-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 67 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Beaver County had?
NOAA records 25 tornadoes in Beaver County from 1954 to 2026, the strongest rated F3, with 3 deaths and 47 injuries recorded in the county. That is 2nd of 67 Pennsylvania counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 24 tornadoes whose track touched Beaver County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 25: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 9 people, 3 of them in Beaver County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-05-31 18:10, as SPC files it | Big Beaver | F3 | 39 mi | 9 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Pennsylvania.
Every tornado record filed for Beaver County (25)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-14 | West Mayfield, Beaver County | EF0 0.73 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2024-05-25 | Kendall, Beaver County | EF0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 2024-05-08 | Kendall, Beaver County | EF0 0.38 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 2021-10-21 | Hazen, Beaver County | EF1 2.63 mi x 110 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-10-21 | New Galilee, Beaver County | EF1 1.64 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-10-16 | Stobo, Beaver County | EF1 2.11 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-10-16 | Midland, Beaver County | EF0 0.94 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-06-10 | Fairview, Beaver County | EF1 9.6 mi x 790 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-04-07 | Blackhawk, Beaver County | EF0 0.86 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-07-10 | Fombell, Beaver County | EF0 1.71 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 1998-06-02 | Shippingport, Beaver County | F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $91K |
| 1998-06-02 | Shippingport, Beaver County | F1 7 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $724K |
| 1998-04-09 | Unionville, Beaver County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 1990-07-22 | Beaver County | F1 3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1985-05-31 | Beaver County | F3 17 mi x 243 yd | 3 | 40 | $25M step |
| 1983-07-19 | Beaver County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1983-07-04 | Beaver County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1981-06-21 | Beaver County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1976-07-11 | Beaver County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1975-06-04 | Beaver County | F2 45.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1975-03-24 | Beaver County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1970-09-03 | Beaver County | F1 1.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 5 | $2.5M step |
| 1966-04-23 | Beaver County | F1 1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1956-05-12 | Beaver County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1954-06-10 | Beaver County | F2 7.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Beaver County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 14, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($3,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindDavidson Hgts, Beaver County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-14 | TornadoWest Mayfield, Beaver County | EF0 0.73 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindHookstown, Beaver County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-04-14 | Thunderstorm WindAmbridge, Beaver County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-04-14 | Thunderstorm WindDavidson Hgts, Beaver County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2026-04-14 | Thunderstorm WindNew Sheffield, Beaver County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-04-14 | Thunderstorm WindBlackhawk, Beaver County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-04-14 | HailHolt, Beaver County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-22 | Thunderstorm WindHookstown, Beaver County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-03-17 | Winter WeatherBeaver County · forecast zone Beaver | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-07 | Thunderstorm WindKoppel, Beaver County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-03-07 | Thunderstorm WindHighland, Beaver County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-05-31 | TornadoBeaver County | F3 17 mi x 243 yd | 3 | 40 | $25M step |
| 1985-05-31 | Thunderstorm WindBeaver County | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2009-12-13 | Winter WeatherBeaver County · forecast zone Beaver Icy roads played a role in a traffic accident in Beaver Falls after 7 AM that resulted in the death of a 77 year old male driver. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2003-11-13 | Strong WindBeaver County · forecast zone Beaver An 84-year-old woman was knocked down on the sidewalk, and died, in front of a beauty shop, in Patterson Twp by a gust of wind estimated at 55 mph (48 kt). | 48 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 1970-09-03 | TornadoBeaver County | F1 1.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 5 | $2.5M step |
| 2011-05-14 | LightningIndustry, Beaver County A 49-year old male was injured when lightning struck a tree near he was standing while working to clear Boy Scouts and camping supplies off a camp site. The camp site was located off of Wolf Run Road and Kelly Road in the town of Industry. No other injuries were reported. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2004-03-05 | High WindBeaver County · forecast zone Beaver Numerous trees down county-wide. In Lawrence County, trees were reported blown down around Ellwood City and Slippery Rock. In Venango, the trees fell near Franklin. A tree fell across Route 51 near Beaver, striking a pick-up truck on the highway. (1 injured) | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $16K |
| 1997-05-01 | High WindBeaver County · forecast zone Beaver High winds toppled trees and downed power lines throughout Beaver County. A tree fell onto a car in Chippewa Township on Blackhawk Road. The driver suffered head and face injuries. Rescuers had to cut the car open to rescue her. | 0 | 1 | $18K |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-01-19 | FloodBeaver County · forecast zone Beaver | 0 | 0 | $18M | |
| 2007-07-05 | Flash FloodAliquippa, Beaver County | 0 | 0 | $14M | |
| 1996-06-19 | Flash FloodFreedom, Beaver County | 0 | 0 | $14M | |
| 2008-09-14 | High WindBeaver County · forecast zone Beaver | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $6.9M |
| 2004-09-08 | FloodBeaver County · forecast zone Beaver | 0 | 0 | $6.2M | |
| 2004-09-17 | FloodBeaver County · forecast zone Beaver | 0 | 0 | $6.2M | |
| 2004-05-22 | FloodBeaver County · forecast zone Beaver | 0 | 0 | $4.7M | |
| 2024-10-06 | Thunderstorm WindBeaver Falls Co Airport, Beaver County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.9M |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 31, 1985 (tornado, Beaver County, 3 killed).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Beaver County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 5 | 6 | 32 | 91 | 83 | 148 | 139 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 14 | 38 | 83 | 23 |
| Hail | 1 | 0 | 7 | 15 | 31 | 30 | 46 | 23 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 15 | 18 | 40 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 17 | 4 | 4 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
48% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1963 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 41 · Feb 42 · Mar 56 · Apr 89 · May 96 · Jun 213 · Jul 155 · Aug 120 · Sep 81 · Oct 17 · Nov 27 · Dec 41 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Beaver County
FEMA's register lists 15 declarations that include Beaver County: 10 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (3) and snowstorm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-30 | DR-4506 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3441 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2012-10-29 | EM-3356 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2010-04-16 | DR-1898 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3235 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2004-09-19 | DR-1555 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding Associated With Tropical Depression Frances |
| 2004-09-19 | DR-1557 | Hurricane | Tropical Depression Ivan |
| 1998-06-08 | DR-1219 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes,and Flooding |
| 1996-06-18 | DR-1120 | Flood | Flooding, Severe Storms |
| 1996-01-21 | DR-1093 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1994-03-10 | DR-1015 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 1993-03-16 | EM-3105 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
| 1985-06-03 | DR-737 | Tornado | Severe Storms, High Winds & Tornadoes |
| 1977-01-29 | EM-3026 | Snowstorm | Snowstorms |
| 1972-06-23 | DR-340 | Flood | Tropical Storm Agnes |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Beaver County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 158 flood or flash flood records for Beaver County from 1996 to 2025, on 80 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Beaver County ranks 367th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Depression Ivan | 2004-09-17 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Depression Frances | 2004-09-08 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $13.7 million on 832 claims filed in Beaver County; the most in one year was 260 in 2004. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 8 · 1979: 11 · 1980: 4 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 6 · 1983: 2 · 1984: 3 · 1985: 8 · 1986: 1 · 1989: 3 · 1990: 48 · 1991: 1 · 1994: 22 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 116 · 1997: 13 · 1998: 12 · 1999: 2 · 2000: 2 · 2001: 1 · 2003: 4 · 2004: 260 · 2005: 23 · 2007: 29 · 2008: 5 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 73 · 2011: 24 · 2013: 4 · 2014: 2 · 2015: 9 · 2016: 2 · 2017: 4 · 2018: 41 · 2019: 41 · 2022: 11 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 31 · 2026: 2; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Beaver County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Beaver County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $35.5 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $30M | 2.7 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | 2.5 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $649K | 41 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $678K | 4.1 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $154K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $21K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.6M | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $308K | 1.9 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Beaver County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in PennsylvaniaEvery Pennsylvania tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in PennsylvaniaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Pennsylvania recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Beaver CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Beaver County's FEMA declarations (CSV)15 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis