Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 42041 · population 259,125 · 545 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 592 records for Cumberland County, Pennsylvania from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 398 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (292 records). The deadliest single record is the March 11, 2024 strong wind, filed for the forecast zone Cumberland, which covers the county: 1 death and $38,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 19 declarations naming the county since 1972, 17 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm” on March 23, 2016.
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
- 592on 398 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 826 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $10Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 17strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 19latest 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 Cumberland County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 292 since 1962. 53% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1962 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 | 292 | 196 | 1962-2026 | 0 | 7 | $1.3M | 21 of 67 |
| Floods | 82 | 61 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 0 | $1.7M | 22 of 67 |
| Winter storms | 73 | 72 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 15 | $78K | 43 of 67 |
| Hail | 63 | 39 | 1962-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 30 of 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | 33 | 28 | 1998-2025 | 3 | 0 | $292K | 24 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 17 | 14 | 1961-2022 | 0 | 3 | $4.9M | 25 of 67 |
| Heat | 11 | 11 | 1999-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 67 |
| Drought | 9 | 9 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 3 | 2007-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 63 of 67 |
| Lightning | 4 | 4 | 2000-2023 | 1 | 1 | $18K | 18 of 67 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2025-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | 10 of 67 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2007-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 32 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 Cumberland County had?
NOAA records 17 tornadoes in Cumberland County from 1961 to 2022, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 3 injuries recorded in the county. That is 25th 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 17 tornadoes whose track touched Cumberland County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 17, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961-04-16 08:00, as SPC files it | Shippensburg | F3 | 0.1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Pennsylvania.
Every tornado record filed for Cumberland County (17)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-05-27 | Carlisle Spgs, Cumberland County | EF0 0.15 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2018-05-15 | Summerdale, Cumberland County | EF1 0.08 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2011-05-26 | Wertzville, Cumberland County | EF1 2.64 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2006-09-28 | Wormleysburg, Cumberland County | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $110K |
| 2005-08-31 | Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County | F1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-09-17 | Oakville, Cumberland County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-08-04 | Lemoyne, Cumberland County | F0 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $31K |
| 2004-08-04 | Newville, Cumberland County | F1 2.5 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $78K |
| 2000-06-21 | Carlisle Spgs, Cumberland County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-07-30 | Shippensburg, Cumberland County | F1 3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-04-09 | Cumberland County | F1 0.4 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1991-04-09 | Cumberland County | F0 3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1985-07-31 | Cumberland County | F1 3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1976-03-21 | Cumberland County | F1 4.9 mi x 90 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1976-03-21 | Cumberland County | F0 3 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1964-06-03 | Cumberland County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-04-16 | Cumberland County | F3 | 0 | 0 | $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.
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 Cumberland County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 14, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-14 | HailWertzville, Cumberland County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindGettysburg Jct, Cumberland County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-06-14 | HailGettysburg Jct, Cumberland County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindMiddlesex, Cumberland County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindCarlisle, Cumberland County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtCumberland County · forecast zone Cumberland | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-12 | DroughtCumberland County · forecast zone Cumberland | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtCumberland County · forecast zone Cumberland | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Heavy SnowCumberland County · forecast zone Cumberland | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtCumberland County · forecast zone Cumberland | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Heavy SnowCumberland County · forecast zone Cumberland | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-13 | DroughtCumberland County · forecast zone Cumberland | 0 | 0 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-03-11 | Strong WindCumberland County · forecast zone Cumberland Strong winds knocked a tree down onto a house on the 800 block of Baltimore Pike (Route 94) in South Middleton Township, causing significant damage to the home along with one fataility inside the home. | 48 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $38K |
| 2021-03-14 | Strong WindCumberland County · forecast zone Cumberland Gusty west winds (40mph) following a cold frontal passage knocked down a single tree from a steep embankment across the 3800 block of Lisburn Road in Cumberland County. The tree brought down power lines and struck a truck that was traveling southbound on Lisburn Road. There were two occupants in the truck, one of whom ... | 35 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $16K |
| 2017-02-12 | Strong WindCumberland County · forecast zone Cumberland A 22-year-old man died after a tree branch downed by strong winds crashed through his windshield. The man was driving on Route 944 in Silver Spring Township when the branch struck him in the chest around 2340 EST. He was taken to West Shore Hospital where he died from his injuries. | 43 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2016-01-22 | Winter StormCumberland County · forecast zone Cumberland Heavy snowfall amounts of 23 to 31 inches were observed across the county. A 66-year old Mount Holly Springs man died of hypothermia and heart disease in a snowbank outside of a store. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2014-02-04 | Winter StormCumberland County · forecast zone Cumberland Snow accumulations ranged from 1 to 3 inches. Ice accumulations from sleet and heavy freezing rain averaged between 0.25 and 0.50 inch. A six-mile section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike was closed following a crash that killed a truck driver and closed the toll highway for about 14 hours. The eastbound and westbound ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2000-10-04 | LightningNewville, Cumberland County A six year old girl was fatally injured when lightning struck her while she was playing outside her Upper Mifflin Township home on the evening of October 4th. Children were out picking up pumpkins for Halloween when the lightning struck. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-09-06 | Flash FloodNewville, Cumberland County Many areas of western Cumberland County were hard hit. Newville had 9.8 inches of rain. 1 fatality. Female 26. Vehicle. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-01-19 | Flash FloodCountywide, Cumberland County One flood related death occurred in Cumberland County. A 32 year old male drove aroud a barricade near Middlesex. He abandoned his car in the water and was on foot when he fell through ice on the north side of a flooded roadway around 330 am in the morning of January 21st, nearly two days after the onset of the rapid ... | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-23 | WildfireCumberland County · forecast zone Cumberland | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 2025-05-01 | WildfireCumberland County · forecast zone Cumberland | 0 | 0 | $800K | |
| 2007-08-25 | Thunderstorm WindCarlisle, Cumberland County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 5 | $178K |
| 2006-09-28 | TornadoWormleysburg, Cumberland County | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $110K |
| 2025-05-31 | Strong WindCumberland County · forecast zone Cumberland | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2004-08-04 | TornadoNewville, Cumberland County | F1 2.5 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $78K |
| 2018-05-15 | Thunderstorm WindBonny Brook, Cumberland County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $59K |
| 2025-12-26 | Winter WeatherCumberland County · forecast zone Cumberland | 0 | 3 | $50K |
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: April 9, 1991 (tornado, Cumberland County); April 16, 1961 (tornado, Cumberland County); July 31, 1985 (tornado, Cumberland 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 Cumberland 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 | 6 | 7 | 24 | 60 | 58 | 85 | 52 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 11 | 44 | 22 | 5 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 9 | 28 | 17 | 19 |
| Hail | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 23 | 23 | 5 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 10 | 6 | 14 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
53% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1962 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 31 · Feb 34 · Mar 32 · Apr 27 · May 76 · Jun 117 · Jul 109 · Aug 78 · Sep 39 · Oct 14 · Nov 13 · Dec 22 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Cumberland County
FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Cumberland County: 13 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (7) and snowstorm (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-30 | DR-4506 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3441 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016-03-23 | DR-4267 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2012-10-29 | EM-3356 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2011-09-12 | DR-4030 | Flood | Tropical Storm Lee |
| 2011-09-08 | EM-3340 | Flood | Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee |
| 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 |
| 2003-03-14 | EM-3180 | Severe Storm | Snow |
| 1996-09-13 | DR-1138 | Flood | Flooding Associated With Tropical Depression Fran |
| 1996-01-21 | DR-1093 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1085 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 |
| 1994-03-10 | DR-1015 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 1993-03-16 | EM-3105 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
| 1976-10-20 | DR-523 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1975-09-26 | DR-485 | Flood | Severe Storms, Heavy Rains & Flooding |
| 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 Cumberland County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 82 flood or flash flood records for Cumberland County from 1996 to 2025, on 61 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Cumberland County ranks 231st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Depression Fran | 1996-09-06 | 1 | 1 |
| Tropical Storm Lee | 2011-09-07 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $16.9 million on 1,600 claims filed in Cumberland County; the most in one year was 274 in 2011. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 28 · 1979: 207 · 1980: 4 · 1981: 9 · 1982: 25 · 1983: 36 · 1984: 234 · 1985: 4 · 1986: 10 · 1987: 22 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 4 · 1990: 1 · 1993: 48 · 1994: 24 · 1995: 6 · 1996: 263 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 29 · 1999: 8 · 2000: 5 · 2001: 2 · 2003: 16 · 2004: 208 · 2005: 7 · 2006: 26 · 2007: 7 · 2008: 3 · 2009: 15 · 2010: 4 · 2011: 274 · 2012: 4 · 2013: 11 · 2014: 6 · 2015: 6 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 17 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2021: 3 · 2024: 9 · 2025: 4 · 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 Cumberland County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cumberland County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $68.7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $697K | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $2.8M | 5.1 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $50M | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $6.0M | once in about 14 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.4M | 4.6 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $741K | 37 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.7M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $2.3M | once in about 949 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Cumberland 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 Cumberland CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Cumberland County's FEMA declarations (CSV)19 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis