Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 42107 · population 142,966 · 779 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 519 records for Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 374 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (256 records). The deadliest single record is the March 28, 2022 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Schuylkill, which covers the county: 6 deaths and 24 injuries. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1965, 22 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Remnants of Hurricane Ida” on September 10, 2021.
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
- 519on 374 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1132 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $15Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 15strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 2021
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 Schuylkill County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 256 since 1961. 46% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1961 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 | 256 | 165 | 1961-2026 | 1 | 2 | $961K | 47 of 67 |
| Winter storms | 92 | 92 | 1996-2026 | 9 | 25 | $12K | 48 of 67 |
| Floods | 58 | 53 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 1 | $5.5M | 44 of 67 |
| Hail | 51 | 34 | 1970-2025 | 0 | 0 | $623 | 50 of 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | 20 | 19 | 1999-2025 | 0 | 0 | $135K | 51 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 15 | 1953-2024 | 0 | 3 | $8.7M | 36 of 67 |
| Drought | 14 | 14 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 5 | 2007-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 61 of 67 |
| Heat | 4 | 4 | 2006-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2019-2025 | 0 | 1 | – | 28 of 67 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 29 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 Schuylkill County had?
NOAA records 15 tornadoes in Schuylkill County from 1953 to 2024, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 3 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 Schuylkill 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 Schuylkill County (15)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-27 | Mahanoy City, Schuylkill County | EF1 1.53 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2021-08-18 | Valley View, Schuylkill County | EF0 0.13 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $22K |
| 2011-05-26 | Cressona, Schuylkill County | EF1 17 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $328K |
| 2011-05-23 | Lewistown, Schuylkill County | EF1 0.22 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $26K |
| 1996-05-11 | Pottsville, Schuylkill County | F1 10 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-07-15 | Schuylkill County | F2 1.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.5M step |
| 1981-07-26 | Schuylkill County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1979-11-26 | Schuylkill County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1979-06-29 | Schuylkill County | F1 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1978-08-07 | Schuylkill County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1975-11-10 | Schuylkill County | F1 2 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1975-07-24 | Schuylkill County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1957-11-19 | Schuylkill County | F1 4.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1954-09-19 | Schuylkill County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1953-05-23 | Schuylkill County | F1 0.5 mi x 27 yd | 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 Schuylkill 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 WindNuremburg, Schuylkill County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindRingtown, Schuylkill County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindBig Mine Run, Schuylkill County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindPine Glen, Schuylkill County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindFrackville, Schuylkill County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2026-05-20 | Thunderstorm WindSchuykill Haven, Schuylkill County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-05-20 | Thunderstorm WindOrwin, Schuylkill County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtSchuylkill County · forecast zone Schuylkill | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Winter WeatherSchuylkill County · forecast zone Schuylkill | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtSchuylkill County · forecast zone Schuylkill | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Heavy SnowSchuylkill County · forecast zone Schuylkill | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-13 | DroughtSchuylkill County · forecast zone Schuylkill | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-03-28 | Winter WeatherSchuylkill County · forecast zone Schuylkill SNOW SQUALL. A snow squall passed over I-81 in Schuylkill County shortly after 10:30am (EDT) on March 28, 2022, causing an 80 vehicle pileup at mile marker 116 on the northbound lanes that resulted in 6 fatalities, an additional 24 injuries, and closed the northbound lanes between mile markers 107 and 119 for more ... | 6 | 24 | – | |
| 2017-03-13 | Winter StormSchuylkill County · forecast zone Schuylkill A winter storm produced 14-22 inches of snow across Schuylkill County. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-03-10 | FloodMarstown, Schuylkill County Flooding on the Swatara Creek resulted in one fatality when a 74 year-old man drove around a flood barrier on Route 645 (Geary Wolfe Road) just south of Pine Grove and was swept away in the flood waters. A swift water rescue was attempted, but the man had already drowned in his truck. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1992-07-15 | Thunderstorm WindSchuylkill County | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1992-07-15 | TornadoSchuylkill County | F2 1.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.5M step |
| 2025-06-17 | Dense FogSchuylkill County · forecast zone Schuylkill An extended period of dense fog was observed on Interstate 81 during the early morning hours of June 17, 2025. Low visibilities on the Interstate caused a three-vehicle incident, causing one injury and closing the roadway for an extended period of time. A speed restriction was in place for portions of Interstate 81 in ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2022-11-15 | Winter WeatherSchuylkill County · forecast zone Schuylkill A period of moderate snow led to slick roads, leading to a two tractor trailer accident at MM 107 on I-81 southbound in Frailey Township. One truck went over an embankment, and the other jackknifed across both southbound lanes. One minor injury was reported. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2011-09-07 | FloodTamaqua, Schuylkill County Heavy rainfall from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee caused extensive flooding across Schuylkill County. The county made a Declaration of Disaster Emergency, along with the municipalities of Pine Grove Borough, Hegins Township, Tower City Borough, Porter Township, Port Clinton Borough, and Pine Grove Township. The ... | 0 | 1 | $5.2M |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-09-07 | FloodTamaqua, Schuylkill County | 0 | 1 | $5.2M | |
| 2011-05-26 | TornadoCressona, Schuylkill County | EF1 17 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $328K |
| 2013-04-19 | Thunderstorm WindTremont, Schuylkill County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $63K |
| 2011-05-23 | TornadoLewistown, Schuylkill County | EF1 0.22 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $26K |
| 2011-05-23 | Thunderstorm WindLewistown, Schuylkill County | 83 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $26K |
| 2024-05-27 | TornadoMahanoy City, Schuylkill County | EF1 1.53 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2021-08-18 | TornadoValley View, Schuylkill County | EF0 0.13 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $22K |
| 2025-07-25 | Thunderstorm WindKlingerstown, Schuylkill County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 15, 1992 (tornado, Schuylkill 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 Schuylkill 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 | 8 | 9 | 45 | 64 | 73 | 55 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 12 | 35 | 22 | 23 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 11 | 20 | 19 | 8 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 1 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 9 | 5 | 4 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
46% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1961 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 38 · Feb 38 · Mar 29 · Apr 17 · May 73 · Jun 94 · Jul 78 · Aug 60 · Sep 32 · Oct 9 · Nov 21 · Dec 30 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Schuylkill County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Schuylkill County: 17 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (7) and severe storm (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-09-10 | DR-4618 | Hurricane | Remnants of Hurricane Ida |
| 2020-03-30 | DR-4506 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3441 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-11-27 | DR-4408 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2007-02-23 | DR-1684 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 1996-01-21 | 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 |
| 1977-01-29 | EM-3026 | Snowstorm | Snowstorms |
| 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 |
| 1969-08-19 | DR-273 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 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 Schuylkill County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 58 flood or flash flood records for Schuylkill County from 1996 to 2025, on 53 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Schuylkill County ranks 324th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Lee | 2011-09-07 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $26.3 million on 1,041 claims filed in Schuylkill County; the most in one year was 365 in 2006. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 8 · 1979: 20 · 1980: 2 · 1981: 7 · 1982: 16 · 1983: 19 · 1984: 3 · 1986: 2 · 1989: 3 · 1992: 3 · 1993: 17 · 1994: 2 · 1996: 45 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 2 · 1999: 3 · 2000: 5 · 2001: 2 · 2002: 1 · 2003: 1 · 2004: 80 · 2005: 1 · 2006: 365 · 2007: 3 · 2008: 5 · 2010: 17 · 2011: 202 · 2012: 11 · 2013: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 6 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 163 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2021: 15 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 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 Schuylkill County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Schuylkill County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $48.9 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 | $727K | 14 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $1.8M | 4.7 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $821K | 35 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $36M | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $50K | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $2.5M | once in about 20 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.8M | 1.6 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $1.9M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Schuylkill 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 Schuylkill CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Schuylkill County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis