Sullivan County, Pennsylvania
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 42113 · population 5,840 · 450 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 329 records for Sullivan County, Pennsylvania from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 272 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (111 records). The deadliest single record is the August 16, 1997 tornado: 1 death. FEMA has issued 25 declarations naming the county since 1972, 23 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Tropical Storm Debby” on September 11, 2024.
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
- 329on 272 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 13 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $15Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 13strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 25latest 2024
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 Sullivan County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 111 since 1996. 55% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 111 | 111 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $56K | 14 of 67 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 109 | 81 | 1960-2025 | 0 | 1 | $305K | 55 of 67 |
| Floods | 37 | 31 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $14M | 43 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 19 | 19 | 2004-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 10 of 67 |
| Hail | 19 | 16 | 1977-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 56 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 13 | 11 | 1954-2019 | 1 | 1 | $1.4M | 27 of 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | 12 | 12 | 1999-2019 | 0 | 0 | $39K | 50 of 67 |
| Drought | 4 | 4 | 1997-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2019-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 21 of 67 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2025-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 of 67 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2018-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 67 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 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 Sullivan County had?
NOAA records 13 tornadoes in Sullivan County from 1954 to 2019, the strongest rated EF2, with 1 death and 1 injury recorded in the county. That is 27th 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 13 tornadoes whose track touched Sullivan County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 13, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-08-16 13:10, as SPC files it | Laporte | F1 | 0.5 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Pennsylvania.
Every tornado record filed for Sullivan County (13)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-29 | Dushore, Sullivan County | EF0 0.42 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-04-15 | Millview, Sullivan County | EF1 10.43 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $577K |
| 2014-07-08 | Cherry Mills, Sullivan County | EF2 2.18 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2005-08-12 | Hillsgrove, Sullivan County | F1 0.7 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $23K |
| 2000-06-16 | Eagles Mere, Sullivan County | F0 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-07-01 | Hugos Corners, Sullivan County | F1 5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $354K |
| 1997-08-16 | Nordmont, Sullivan County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 1 | 0 | – |
| 1997-08-16 | Eagles Mere, Sullivan County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-08-16 | Eagles Mere, Sullivan County | F1 5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1986-07-13 | Sullivan County | F1 9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1977-04-23 | Sullivan County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1974-04-14 | Sullivan County | F2 12.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1954-09-19 | Sullivan County | F2 12.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $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 Sullivan County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 19, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-25 | Heavy SnowSullivan County · forecast zone Sullivan | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-11 | Winter WeatherSullivan County · forecast zone Sullivan | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | Winter WeatherSullivan County · forecast zone Sullivan | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-14 | FloodHemlock Grove, Sullivan County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-14 | FloodSonestown, Sullivan County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-14 | FloodHemlock Grove, Sullivan County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-13 | Flash FloodSonestown, Sullivan County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-23 | HeatSullivan County · forecast zone Sullivan | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-19 | Thunderstorm WindColley, Sullivan County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-06-19 | Thunderstorm WindHillsgrove, Sullivan County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-03-05 | FloodEldersville, Sullivan County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-28 | Winter WeatherSullivan County · forecast zone Sullivan | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-08-16 | TornadoNordmont, Sullivan County 41/20/13N, 76/19/37W to 41/20/06N, 76/18/43W. The Ricketts Glen tornado was another example of tornadic winds embedded within a wider area of downburst damage. Downburst damage covered an area of about 3 miles wide from Ganoga Lake southeast to Lake Jean. An eyewitness at Ganoga Lake described a cloud of water being ... | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2022-11-18 | Winter WeatherSullivan County · forecast zone Sullivan SNOW SQUALL. A broken line of snow squalls accompanied by gusty winds produced brief whiteout conditions as it crossed Sullivan County during that late afternoon of November 18, 2022. This led to a three-vehicle accident on US Route 220 that closed the road in both directions (for over 2 hours) between PA Route 87 and ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2012-07-26 | Thunderstorm WindMillview, Sullivan County Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees along SR3009 and 154 near Worlds End State Park. Firefighters had to rescue a man who was injured and trapped when a tree fell onto his tent. The man was rescued and transported to a nearby hospital. His injuries were not life-threatening. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $6K |
| 1997-08-16 | TornadoEagles Mere, Sullivan County 41/24/39N, 76/40/51W to 41/25N, 76/35W. Woman age 45 was injured by falling tree while hiking near High Knob in Wyoming State Forest. | F1 5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-10-21 | Flash FloodHillsgrove, Sullivan County | 0 | 0 | $8.6M | |
| 2011-08-28 | Flash FloodColley, Sullivan County | 0 | 0 | $2.6M | |
| 2011-04-26 | Flash FloodDushore, Sullivan County | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | |
| 2019-04-15 | TornadoMillview, Sullivan County | EF1 10.43 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $577K |
| 1999-07-01 | TornadoHugos Corners, Sullivan County | F1 5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $354K |
| 2005-08-12 | TornadoHillsgrove, Sullivan County | F1 0.7 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $23K |
| 2023-07-29 | Thunderstorm WindLaporte, Sullivan County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 2023-07-29 | Thunderstorm WindLaporte, Sullivan County | 65 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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: September 19, 1954 (tornado, Sullivan County); April 14, 1974 (tornado, Sullivan 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 Sullivan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 21 | 50 | 21 | 19 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 28 | 21 | 26 | 24 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 5 | 10 | 14 | 8 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 8 | 9 | 2 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 2 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
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 winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 46 · Feb 35 · Mar 29 · Apr 14 · May 23 · Jun 29 · Jul 47 · Aug 34 · Sep 19 · Oct 7 · Nov 14 · Dec 32 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Sullivan County
FEMA's register lists 25 declarations that include Sullivan County: 19 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (7) and flood (7).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-11 | DR-4815 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 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 |
| 2016-12-02 | DR-4292 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2013-01-10 | DR-4099 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 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 |
| 2011-09-03 | DR-4025 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2011-08-29 | EM-3339 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2011-07-13 | DR-4003 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2004-08-06 | DR-1538 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 Sullivan County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 37 flood or flash flood records for Sullivan County from 1996 to 2025, on 31 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Sullivan County ranks 1156th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irene | 2011-08-28 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $3.9 million on 134 claims filed in Sullivan County; the most in one year was 59 in 2011. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1984: 1 · 1988: 1 · 1993: 1 · 1996: 21 · 1998: 2 · 2004: 16 · 2005: 1 · 2006: 2 · 2010: 11 · 2011: 59 · 2016: 4 · 2018: 11 · 2025: 3; 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 Sullivan County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sullivan County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $3K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $151K | once in about 29 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $3.6M | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $25K | 15 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Very Low | $2K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $34K | once in about 1,490 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very Low | $43K | 31 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | $84K | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Sullivan 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
- Winter storms in PennsylvaniaThe state's winter storm records, 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 Sullivan CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Sullivan County's FEMA declarations (CSV)25 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis