Perry County, Pennsylvania
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 42099 · population 45,809 · 551 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 407 records for Perry County, Pennsylvania from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 314 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (222 records). The deadliest single record is the November 13, 2003 high wind, filed for the forecast zone Perry, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 20 declarations naming the county since 1972, 18 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
- 407on 314 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 52 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $3.7Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 6strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 20latest 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 Perry County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 222 since 1963. 52% 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 | 222 | 161 | 1963-2026 | 0 | 1 | $765K | 35 of 67 |
| Winter storms | 64 | 64 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $7K | 49 of 67 |
| Floods | 41 | 35 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $191K | 46 of 67 |
| Hail | 34 | 29 | 1985-2025 | 0 | 0 | $24K | 41 of 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | 20 | 20 | 1999-2025 | 2 | 0 | $110K | 33 of 67 |
| Heat | 9 | 9 | 1999-2025 | 2 | 0 | – | 17 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 6 | 1967-2019 | 0 | 1 | $2.5M | 56 of 67 |
| Drought | 4 | 4 | 1997-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 38 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 3 | 2007-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 64 of 67 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 25 of 67 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2025-2025 | 0 | 0 | $20K | 42 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 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 Perry County had?
NOAA records 6 tornadoes in Perry County from 1967 to 2019, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 1 injury 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 6 tornadoes whose track touched Perry County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 6, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Pennsylvania.
Every tornado record filed for Perry County (6)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-29 | Newport, Perry County | EF1 4.93 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $46K |
| 2013-06-27 | New Germantown, Perry County | EF1 3.02 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2011-05-26 | Perdix, Perry County | EF1 1.29 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $98K |
| 1989-06-20 | Perry County | F2 2 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1976-06-28 | Perry County | F1 1.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-09-21 | Perry County | F2 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 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 Perry County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 14, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindPerdix, Perry County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindWila, Perry County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindAlinda, Perry County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindMarysville, Perry County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindDuncannon, Perry County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindNew Bloomfield, Perry County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindNew Bloomfield, Perry County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-01-24 | Heavy SnowPerry County · forecast zone Perry | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | Winter WeatherPerry County · forecast zone Perry | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-02 | Winter WeatherPerry County · forecast zone Perry | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-30 | HeatPerry County · forecast zone Perry | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-25 | HeatPerry County · forecast zone Perry | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-11-13 | High WindPerry County · forecast zone Perry A strong cold front swept across central Pennsylvania during the early morning hours of November 13th, 2003. Strong winds behind the cold front intensified as low pressure deepened north of the region. Reports of trees and wires down were common across all of central Pennsylvania. Earliest damage reports began around ... | 60 kt wind | 2 | 0 | – |
| 1999-07-05 | HeatPerry County · forecast zone Perry A Perry County elderly and her daughter were found dead in their Oliver Township home near Newport. The women both had pre-existing medical conditions and their deaths were listed as natural, with the heat a contributing factor. Temperatures exceeded 100 degrees for the three days from the 4th through the 6th. ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-09-06 | Flash FloodCountywide, Perry County Extremely heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane Fran caused major flooding. Roads and streams flooded. 1 fatality. Female, 79, attempted to leave her home surrounded by 4 feet of water. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-07-11 | Thunderstorm WindNewport, Perry County A severe thunderstorm with winds estimated near 60 mph brought down a tree on a van, trapping the family of nine in the van. There was one injury reported. | 52 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $11K |
| 1989-06-20 | TornadoPerry County | F2 2 mi x 23 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-05-26 | TornadoPerdix, Perry County | EF1 1.29 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $98K |
| 2008-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindNewport, Perry County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $55K |
| 2019-05-29 | TornadoNewport, Perry County | EF1 4.93 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $46K |
| 2025-06-09 | Thunderstorm WindSaville, Perry County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $40K |
| 2025-04-29 | LightningReward, Perry County | 0 | 0 | $20K | |
| 2023-09-07 | Thunderstorm WindShermans Dale, Perry County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2021-07-11 | Thunderstorm WindNewport, Perry County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $11K |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindNew Bloomfield, Perry County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
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: September 21, 1967 (tornado, Perry 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 Perry 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 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 40 | 58 | 59 | 55 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 9 | 26 | 17 | 12 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 11 | 20 | 8 | 2 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 10 | 3 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 11 | 5 | 3 |
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 1963 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 21 · Feb 32 · Mar 20 · Apr 23 · May 49 · Jun 82 · Jul 73 · Aug 47 · Sep 27 · Oct 7 · Nov 8 · Dec 18 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Perry County
FEMA's register lists 20 declarations that include Perry County: 14 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 |
| 2006-06-30 | DR-1649 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 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 Perry County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 41 flood or flash flood records for Perry County from 1996 to 2025, on 35 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Perry County ranks 400th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Depression Fran | 1996-09-06 | 1 | 1 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $7.4 million on 749 claims filed in Perry County; the most in one year was 196 in 1996. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 7 · 1979: 50 · 1980: 1 · 1981: 7 · 1982: 11 · 1983: 6 · 1984: 74 · 1986: 4 · 1987: 3 · 1989: 11 · 1990: 3 · 1993: 23 · 1994: 6 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 196 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 1 · 1999: 5 · 2000: 1 · 2003: 2 · 2004: 149 · 2005: 3 · 2006: 12 · 2008: 4 · 2009: 8 · 2010: 5 · 2011: 130 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 4 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2018: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 5; 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 Perry County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Perry County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $18.2 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 Moderate | $189K | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | 4.4 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $28K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $1.2M | once in about 15 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $1.2M | 4.3 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $13M | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $132K | 35 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $582K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Perry 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 Perry CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Perry County's FEMA declarations (CSV)20 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis