Tioga County, Pennsylvania
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 42117 · population 41,034 · 1,134 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 499 records for Tioga County, Pennsylvania from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 348 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (238 records). The most damaging was the November 8, 1996 flash flood ($4.7 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 20 declarations naming the county since 1972, 18 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
- 499on 348 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 020 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $16Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 7strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 20latest 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 Tioga County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 238 since 1971. 51% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1971 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 | 238 | 142 | 1971-2026 | 0 | 14 | $2.1M | 65 of 67 |
| Winter storms | 103 | 100 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 5 | $21K | 57 of 67 |
| Hail | 54 | 37 | 1967-2025 | 0 | 0 | $16K | 57 of 67 |
| Floods | 50 | 40 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $5.7M | 59 of 67 |
| Extreme cold | 22 | 22 | 2004-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 of 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | 14 | 14 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $56K | 66 of 67 |
| Drought | 7 | 7 | 1997-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 45 of 67 |
| Tornadoes | 7 | 7 | 1970-2019 | 0 | 0 | $7.7M | 63 of 67 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2025-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 45 of 67 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 39 of 67 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2005-2005 | 0 | 1 | – | 50 of 67 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2018-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 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 Tioga County had?
NOAA records 7 tornadoes in Tioga County from 1970 to 2019, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 0 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 7 tornadoes whose track touched Tioga County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 7, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Pennsylvania.
Every tornado record filed for Tioga County (7)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-29 | Whitneyville, Tioga County | EF0 1.05 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $29K |
| 2018-07-23 | Nauvoo, Tioga County | EF1 2.12 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2011-05-30 | Knoxville, Tioga County | EF1 2.54 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 2005-06-06 | Tioga County | F0 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-07-08 | Tioga County | F1 8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1983-05-02 | Tioga County | F2 9.8 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1970-08-30 | Tioga County | F1 0.3 mi x 200 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 Tioga County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 14, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindBlackwell, Tioga County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindWhitneyville, Tioga County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindCharleston, Tioga County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2026-03-06 | FloodWestfield, Tioga County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-03 | Winter WeatherTioga County · forecast zone Tioga | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Strong WindTioga County · forecast zone Tioga | 39 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2026-02-07 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillTioga County · forecast zone Tioga | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Heavy SnowTioga County · forecast zone Tioga | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Winter WeatherTioga County · forecast zone Tioga | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-11 | Winter WeatherTioga County · forecast zone Tioga | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | Winter WeatherTioga County · forecast zone Tioga | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | Winter WeatherTioga County · forecast zone Tioga | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-05-26 | Thunderstorm WindBlossburg, Tioga County Thunderstorm winds estimated between 75 and 80 mph knocked down dozens of large trees and produced minor damage to several residential homes in Blossburg. Very large trees up to 5 feet in diameter were uprooted and fell in Island Park, near a crowd of 2,000 participants attending the Tioga County Coal Festival. The ... | 70 kt wind | 0 | 9 | $7K |
| 2024-03-20 | Winter WeatherTioga County · forecast zone Tioga Previous snowfall melted on the road and temperatures dipped below freezing during the early morning hours of March 20, 2024. This led to freezing on bridges and overpasses in Tioga County, where a two-vehicle accident occurred closing State Route 49 in Westfield Township for approximately two hours. There were three ... | 0 | 3 | $14K | |
| 2022-02-03 | Winter StormTioga County · forecast zone Tioga A winter storm produced 3 to 6 inches of snow and sleet, and around a tenth of an inch of freezing rain, across Tioga County on February 3-4, 2022. | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 1989-11-20 | Thunderstorm WindTioga County | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2012-09-21 | Thunderstorm WindCharleston, Tioga County Thunderstorm winds estimated near 80 mph knocked down several trees and caused a partial roof collapse on Niles Road just east of Wellsboro. One woman was injured as a result of the damage. | 65 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $13K |
| 2005-08-13 | LightningCovington, Tioga County Lightning struck and injured a person at the Tanglewood Campground near the town of Covington. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2005-07-31 | Thunderstorm WindCovington, Tioga County Thunderstorm winds knocked down trees in Covington Township. One person was injured from fallen power lines. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1986-06-16 | Thunderstorm WindTioga County | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-11-08 | Flash FloodWellsboro, Tioga County | 0 | 0 | $4.7M | |
| 1994-08-02 | Thunderstorm WindMiddlebury Ctr, Tioga County | 0 | 0 | $998K | |
| 2011-09-07 | FloodEast Lawrence, Tioga County | 0 | 0 | $590K | |
| 2021-07-12 | Flash FloodRoseville, Tioga County | 0 | 0 | $327K | |
| 2025-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindBalsam, Tioga County | 87 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2008-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindLiberty, Tioga County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $41K |
| 2011-05-30 | TornadoKnoxville, Tioga County | EF1 2.54 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 2026-02-22 | Strong WindTioga County · forecast zone Tioga | 39 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $30K |
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: May 2, 1983 (tornado, Tioga 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 Tioga 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 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 53 | 56 | 63 | 48 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 16 | 39 | 18 | 30 |
| Hail | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 24 | 4 | 2 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 19 | 14 | 10 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 9 | 10 | 3 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 8 | 3 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
51% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1971 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 44 · Feb 37 · Mar 34 · Apr 17 · May 55 · Jun 81 · Jul 94 · Aug 52 · Sep 21 · Oct 11 · Nov 24 · Dec 29 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Tioga County
FEMA's register lists 20 declarations that include Tioga County: 14 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (7) and severe storm (5).
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2011-07-13 | DR-4003 | 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 |
| 2003-08-23 | DR-1485 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 1996-12-23 | DR-1150 | Flood | Severe Thunderstorms, High Winds,Rain, Flooding |
| 1996-01-21 | DR-1093 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1993-03-16 | EM-3105 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
| 1977-01-29 | EM-3026 | Snowstorm | Snowstorms |
| 1976-07-07 | DR-513 | Flood | High Winds, Flash Floods |
| 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 Tioga County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 50 flood or flash flood records for Tioga County from 1996 to 2026, on 40 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Tioga County ranks 865th 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 $3.5 million on 234 claims filed in Tioga County; the most in one year was 50 in 1996. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 5 · 1979: 15 · 1980: 1 · 1981: 2 · 1982: 2 · 1984: 7 · 1989: 1 · 1993: 1 · 1994: 23 · 1996: 50 · 1999: 2 · 2003: 2 · 2004: 24 · 2006: 1 · 2007: 1 · 2008: 1 · 2010: 4 · 2011: 17 · 2014: 1 · 2018: 13 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 19 · 2024: 35 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 4; 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 Tioga County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Tioga County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $18.6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $16M | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $150K | 15 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $281K | 31 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $558K | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $18K | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $620K | once in about 28 years (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | $4K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $28K | 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 Tioga 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 Tioga CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Tioga County's FEMA declarations (CSV)20 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis