Clarion County, Pennsylvania
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 42031 · population 37,191 · 601 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 610 records for Clarion County, Pennsylvania from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 371 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (296 records). The deadliest single record is the January 7, 2015 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Clarion, which covers the county: 2 deaths and 10 injuries. FEMA has issued 14 declarations naming the county since 1972, 12 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
- 610on 371 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 436 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $153Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 15strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 14latest 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 Clarion County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 296 since 1958. 52% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1958 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 | 296 | 169 | 1958-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.6M | 38 of 67 |
| Winter storms | 109 | 103 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 10 | $81K | 25 of 67 |
| Floods | 70 | 48 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 1 | $146M | 39 of 67 |
| Hail | 69 | 39 | 1983-2026 | 0 | 0 | $12K | 34 of 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | 24 | 24 | 1997-2023 | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | 29 of 67 |
| Heavy rain | 15 | 10 | 2010-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 11 | 1954-2025 | 1 | 25 | $3.1M | 39 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 10 | 2009-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 31 of 67 |
| Drought | 2 | 2 | 1999-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 58 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 Clarion County had?
NOAA records 15 tornadoes in Clarion County from 1954 to 2025, the strongest rated F2, with 1 death and 25 injuries recorded in the county. 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 16 tornadoes whose track touched Clarion County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 15: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978-07-23 15:05, as SPC files it | East Brady | F1 | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Pennsylvania.
Every tornado record filed for Clarion County (15)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-09 | Waterson, Clarion County | EF0 0.23 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2017-07-11 | Huey, Clarion County | EF0 1 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2017-06-19 | Fern, Clarion County | EF0 0.75 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2017-06-19 | Fern, Clarion County | EF0 0.75 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 2017-05-01 | Frills Corners, Clarion County | EF1 1.83 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2017-05-01 | Scotch Hill, Clarion County | EF0 0.75 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2017-05-01 | Scotch Hill, Clarion County | EF0 0.54 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2017-05-01 | Wentlings Corners, Clarion County | EF0 0.88 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 2014-06-18 | Frogtown, Clarion County | EF0 4.57 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $31K |
| 2002-07-26 | Scotch Hill, Clarion County | F0 2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $49K |
| 1996-07-19 | New Bethlehem, Clarion County | F2 7.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $56K |
| 1985-05-31 | Clarion County | F0 2 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1978-07-23 | Clarion County | 1 | 24 | $250K step | |
| 1973-10-04 | Clarion County | F1 1 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1954-06-01 | Clarion County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Clarion 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 WindKnox, Clarion County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindCrown, Clarion County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindClarion Parker Airport, Clarion County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-05-13 | HailClarion County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-22 | HailNew Bethlehem, Clarion County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-22 | HailClarion Parker Airport, Clarion County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-22 | HailWilliamsburg, Clarion County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-17 | Winter WeatherClarion County · forecast zone Clarion | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-17 | Winter StormClarion County · forecast zone Clarion | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-07 | Thunderstorm WindCottage Hill, Clarion County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2026-03-07 | Thunderstorm WindRimersburg, Clarion County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2026-03-07 | Thunderstorm WindRimersburg, Clarion 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-01-07 | Winter WeatherClarion County · forecast zone Clarion Two people were killed and several injured when a 17-car pileup occurred due to white-out conditions on Interstate 80 in Clarion County, PA. The two individuals were killed when they got out of their vehicles to help other people. | 2 | 10 | – | |
| 1978-07-23 | TornadoClarion County | 1 | 24 | $250K step | |
| 1996-07-19 | Flash FloodShippenville, Clarion County Widespread heavy rain caused extensive flooding throughout Clarion County. Numerous roads and creeks were flooded. Around 4 am EST a 73 year-old woman died and her husband injured when their mobile home was swept away along Deer Creek near Shippenville. Flooding was also quite extensive along the Red Bank Creek in New ... | 1 | 1 | $141M | |
| 1973-10-04 | TornadoClarion County | F1 1 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-07-19 | Flash FloodShippenville, Clarion County | 1 | 1 | $141M | |
| 2004-09-17 | FloodClarion County · forecast zone Clarion | 0 | 0 | $3.1M | |
| 1996-01-19 | FloodClarion County · forecast zone Clarion | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 2008-09-14 | High WindClarion County · forecast zone Clarion | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 2024-10-06 | Thunderstorm WindEaston, Clarion County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $941K |
| 1996-07-19 | TornadoNew Bethlehem, Clarion County | F2 7.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $56K |
| 2002-07-26 | TornadoScotch Hill, Clarion County | F0 2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $49K |
| 2014-06-18 | TornadoFrogtown, Clarion County | EF0 4.57 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $31K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 23, 1978 (tornado, Clarion County, 1 killed); October 4, 1973 (tornado, Clarion County).
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 Clarion 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 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 21 | 45 | 39 | 87 | 90 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 8 | 31 | 23 | 47 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 10 | 20 | 25 | 15 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 31 | 15 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 15 | 3 | 3 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
52% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1958 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 60 · Feb 36 · Mar 35 · Apr 44 · May 78 · Jun 101 · Jul 117 · Aug 56 · Sep 25 · Oct 13 · Nov 17 · Dec 28 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Clarion County
FEMA's register lists 14 declarations that include Clarion County: 9 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (5) and hurricane (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 |
| 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 |
| 2003-08-23 | DR-1485 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 1996-07-26 | DR-1130 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 1996-01-21 | DR-1093 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1993-03-16 | EM-3105 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
| 1981-06-15 | DR-641 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1980-08-19 | DR-629 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 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 Clarion County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 70 flood or flash flood records for Clarion County from 1996 to 2025, on 48 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Clarion County ranks 969th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Depression Ivan | 2004-09-17 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.9 million on 189 claims filed in Clarion County; the most in one year was 57 in 1996. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 11 · 1979: 3 · 1980: 10 · 1981: 20 · 1982: 5 · 1984: 4 · 1985: 2 · 1986: 3 · 1989: 2 · 1996: 57 · 2002: 1 · 2003: 11 · 2004: 47 · 2012: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 6 · 2023: 1 · 2026: 1; 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 Clarion County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clarion County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $8.7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $670K | 38 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $5K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $266K | once in about 37 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.2M | 1.5 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $415K | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $479K | 3.8 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $28K | 16 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $414K | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Clarion 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 Clarion CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Clarion County's FEMA declarations (CSV)14 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis