Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 42077 · population 373,891 · 345 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,342 records for Lehigh County, Pennsylvania from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 937 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (398 records). The deadliest single record is the January 25, 2026 winter storm, filed for the forecast zone Lehigh, which covers the county: 3 deaths. FEMA has issued 17 declarations naming the county since 1965, 15 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
- 1,342on 937 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 2877 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $163Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 15strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 17latest 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 Lehigh County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 398 since 1964. 55% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1964 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 | 398 | 211 | 1964-2026 | 0 | 4 | $2.2M | 4 of 67 |
| Winter storms | 312 | 307 | 1996-2026 | 13 | 16 | $6.5M | 4 of 67 |
| Floods | 126 | 91 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 3 | $52M | 6 of 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | 119 | 117 | 1996-2025 | 4 | 0 | $7.3M | 4 of 67 |
| Hail | 93 | 49 | 1962-2024 | 0 | 0 | $235K | 8 of 67 |
| Heat | 70 | 69 | 1996-2025 | 7 | 50 | – | 4 of 67 |
| Heavy rain | 49 | 40 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 47 | 44 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 of 67 |
| Drought | 43 | 43 | 1997-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 34 | 33 | 1996-2022 | 3 | 0 | – | 4 of 67 |
| Lightning | 27 | 24 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 2 | $2.3M | 6 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 13 | 1950-2023 | 0 | 2 | $92M | 6 of 67 |
| Wildfires | 7 | 7 | 2002-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 of 67 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 2 | 2011-2020 | 0 | 0 | $656K | 6 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 Lehigh County had?
NOAA records 15 tornadoes in Lehigh County from 1950 to 2023, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 2 injuries recorded in the county. That is 6th 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 16 tornadoes whose track touched Lehigh 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 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Pennsylvania.
Every tornado record filed for Lehigh County (15)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-08-07 | Lehigh Valley International Airport, Lehigh County | EF1 0.3 mi x 160 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-07-29 | Emerald, Lehigh County | EF1 1.15 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-07-29 | Stines Corner, Lehigh County | EF1 2.28 mi x 90 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-29 | Hosensack, Lehigh County | EF0 2.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-07-22 | Saegersville, Lehigh County | EF0 0.81 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-07-14 | Lynnville, Lehigh County | EF0 2.17 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $677K |
| 2008-09-06 | East Penn Jct, Lehigh County | EF1 0.56 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.1M |
| 1995-05-29 | Hosensack, Lehigh County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-07-05 | Lehigh County | F2 2.5 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1984-07-05 | Lehigh County | F2 2.5 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1983-08-11 | Lehigh County | F1 3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $25M step |
| 1982-04-03 | Lehigh County | F1 0.2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1976-03-21 | Lehigh County | F1 2.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-08-07 | Lehigh County | F0 0.3 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1950-07-05 | Lehigh County | F2 12.9 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 2 | $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 Lehigh County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the January 25, 2026 winter storm (3 deaths).
Storm total snow and sleet accumulation totals mainly ranged from 10-14. The highest report received was 14.2 in Germansville.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1310019)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindAllentown Municipal, Lehigh County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindFullerton, Lehigh County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-25 | Dense FogLehigh County · forecast zone Lehigh | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-20 | Thunderstorm WindLimeport, Lehigh County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindCenter Vly, Lehigh County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindEast Penn Jct, Lehigh County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindEast Penn Jct, Lehigh County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-03 | Winter WeatherLehigh County · forecast zone Lehigh | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter WeatherLehigh County · forecast zone Lehigh | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormLehigh County · forecast zone Lehigh | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter WeatherLehigh County · forecast zone Lehigh | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-17 | Winter WeatherLehigh County · forecast zone Lehigh | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormLehigh County · forecast zone Lehigh Storm total snow and sleet accumulation totals mainly ranged from 10-14. The highest report received was 14.2 in Germansville. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2012-10-29 | High WindLehigh County · forecast zone Lehigh Post Tropical Storm Sandy caused an initial estimate of $20 million dollars in damage in Pennsylvania and directly or indirectly caused 15 deaths across the state. Most of the damage in the eastern part of the state was wind related as wind gusts reached as high as 81 mph. Some moderate creek flooding occurred in the ... | 70 kt wind | 3 | 0 | $3.9M |
| 2012-07-04 | HeatLehigh County · forecast zone Lehigh Both excessive heat and more humidity returned to most of Eastern Pennsylvania starting on Independence Day and lasted until the 7th. The excessive heat claimed the lives of eight people, five within Philadelphia and three in Lehigh County. High temperatures on the 2nd and 3rd were between 90 and 95 degrees in most ... | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2014-02-05 | Winter StormLehigh County · forecast zone Lehigh A major winter storm brought heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain to the Poconos, a heavy wintry mixture to the Lehigh Valley and Berks County and a crippling ice storm to Philadelphia and in particular its western suburbs. Snowfall reached as high as ten inches in the Poconos and ice accumulations were as high as half ... | 2 | 1 | – | |
| 2016-01-22 | Winter StormLehigh County · forecast zone Lehigh Snow began during the late afternoon hours on Friday, January 22nd, and continued through the overnight hours, through Saturday, into Saturday night. Winds gusting over 35 mph late Friday night and Saturday reduced visibilities to under one-quarter mile at times. Lehigh County saw some of highest snowfall totals in ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-10-29 | Heavy SnowLehigh County · forecast zone Lehigh An unprecedented winter storm for late October not only dropped heavy snow across most of Eastern Pennsylvania, but caused widespread power outages and road closures as many deciduous trees still had foliage. Nearly one million utility customers in Eastern Pennsylvania lost power and power was not fully restored until ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2007-12-15 | Winter StormLehigh County · forecast zone Lehigh A strong area of high pressure was anchored over southeastern Canada on December 15th. This high gradually moved eastward during the day, however it wedged itself down into the Mid Atlantic region, which is known as cold air damming. Meanwhile, a storm system became more organized across the Gulf Coast states. This ... | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2021-02-01 | Winter StormLehigh County · forecast zone Lehigh Snow began in the county on January 31. It became heavy on February 1 as intense banding developed over the Lehigh Valley. Lighter snow continued into February 2 before the storm finally departed. By the end of the event, a report was received from Coopersburg of 31.0 inches of snow. Numerous other reports of 24 to 30 ... | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-08-11 | Flash FloodSoutheast Portion, Lehigh County | 0 | 0 | $17M | |
| 2004-09-18 | Flash FloodCountywide, Lehigh County | 0 | 0 | $7.8M | |
| 2012-10-29 | High WindLehigh County · forecast zone Lehigh | 70 kt wind | 3 | 0 | $3.9M |
| 2006-06-27 | FloodCoplay, Lehigh County | 0 | 0 | $2.9M | |
| 2008-09-06 | TornadoEast Penn Jct, Lehigh County | EF1 0.56 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.1M |
| 1996-01-19 | FloodLehigh County · forecast zone Lehigh | 0 | 1 | $1.9M | |
| 2003-09-18 | High WindLehigh County · forecast zone Lehigh | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 2003-02-16 | Heavy SnowLehigh County · forecast zone Lehigh | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
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: August 11, 1983 (tornado, Lehigh 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 Lehigh 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 | 5 | 19 | 39 | 68 | 136 | 126 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 31 | 116 | 116 | 49 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 12 | 41 | 49 | 24 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 17 | 66 | 34 | 2 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 15 | 44 | 22 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 21 | 28 | 17 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
55% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1964 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 156 · Feb 135 · Mar 94 · Apr 60 · May 104 · Jun 150 · Jul 226 · Aug 134 · Sep 60 · Oct 32 · Nov 64 · Dec 127 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Lehigh County
FEMA's register lists 17 declarations that include Lehigh County: 10 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (5) and snowstorm (3).
| 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 |
| 2011-09-08 | EM-3340 | Flood | Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee |
| 2011-09-03 | DR-4025 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2011-08-29 | EM-3339 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 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 |
| 1996-01-21 | 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 |
| 1972-06-23 | DR-340 | Flood | Tropical Storm Agnes |
| 1965-08-18 | DR-206 | Drought | Water Shortage |
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 Lehigh County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 126 flood or flash flood records for Lehigh County from 1996 to 2025, on 91 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Lehigh County ranks 338th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ida | 2021-09-01 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Irene | 2011-08-27 | 2 | 0 |
| Tropical Depression Ivan | 2004-09-18 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $12.4 million on 967 claims filed in Lehigh County; the most in one year was 131 in 1979. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 54 · 1979: 131 · 1980: 3 · 1981: 9 · 1982: 70 · 1983: 20 · 1984: 31 · 1985: 21 · 1986: 8 · 1987: 91 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 3 · 1992: 2 · 1993: 14 · 1994: 10 · 1996: 59 · 1997: 2 · 1999: 11 · 2000: 1 · 2001: 4 · 2002: 1 · 2003: 5 · 2004: 80 · 2005: 64 · 2006: 17 · 2007: 2 · 2008: 3 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 17 · 2011: 74 · 2013: 3 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2016: 2 · 2018: 26 · 2019: 5 · 2020: 88 · 2021: 18 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 5 · 2025: 2 · 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 Lehigh County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lehigh County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $128 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Very High | $30M | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very High | $1.4M | 14 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.8M | 35 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $2.8M | 6.3 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $68M | 3.2 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $7.3M | 6.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $6.9M | once in about 17 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $5.2M | 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 Lehigh 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 Lehigh CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Lehigh County's FEMA declarations (CSV)17 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis