Pennsylvania tornadoes
Every recorded tornado since 1950 · 67 counties with a record
Pennsylvania has recorded 993 tornadoes from 1950 through 2025, about 17 a year since 2000, with 37 rated F3/EF3 or stronger (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). The deadliest was the May 31, 1985 Sugarcreek tornado (16 deaths in Pennsylvania). Pennsylvania ranks 26th of 52 states and territories by count and 30th of 51 per square mile.
Tornadoes in Pennsylvania, 1950 to 2025
Tornadoes per year (SPC; a tornado that crossed a state line counts in each state it touched).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1996: tornado reports rose with NEXRAD Doppler radar, mid-1990s (SPC)
- Tornadoes
- 9931950 to 2025
- A year since 2000
- 17average
- Deaths
- 851,311 injuries
- F3/EF3 or stronger
- 374% of tornadoes
- Busiest year
- 199859 tornadoes
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025 (state segments). SPC severe weather database.
Are tornadoes common in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania averages about 17 tornadoes a year since 2000, 26th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 1998 (59). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Pennsylvania records 222 tornadoes since 1950, 30th of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA SPC, tornadoes 1950-2025, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in Pennsylvania have the most tornadoes?
Per square mile, Philadelphia County leads Pennsylvania: 10 days with a tornado record since 1950, 74.4 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Westmoreland County has the most tornado records (50 since 1950); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1950 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is tornado season in Pennsylvania?
41% of its tornadoes since 1950 fell in June and July. The busiest month is July (212 tornadoes).
The values, month by month
Jan 7 · Feb 6 · Mar 32 · Apr 89 · May 177 · Jun 192 · Jul 212 · Aug 116 · Sep 80 · Oct 42 · Nov 35 · Dec 5 (records).
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments by the month they began, 1950-2025.
What were the deadliest tornadoes in Pennsylvania?
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Killed | Injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-05-31 | Sugarcreek · Mercer, Crawford, Venango, ForestWhole track: OH, PA; 16 deaths | F4 | 56 mi | 16 | 125 |
| 1985-05-31 | Albion · ErieWhole track: OH, PA; 12 deaths | F4 | 12 mi | 12 | 82 |
| 1985-05-31 | Big Beaver · Beaver, Butler | F3 | 39 mi | 9 | 120 |
| 1985-05-31 | Niles · MercerWhole track: OH, PA; 18 deaths | F5 | 14 mi | 8 | 60 |
| 1985-05-31 | Tionesta · Venango, Forest | F4 | 29 mi | 7 | 30 |
| 1985-05-31 | Dewart · Lycoming, Union, Northumberland | F3 | 19 mi | 6 | 60 |
| 1985-05-31 | St. Marys · Warren, McKean, Elk | F4 | 29 mi | 4 | 40 |
| 1994-07-27 | Royersford · Montgomery | F3 | 2 mi | 3 | 25 |
| 1963-08-03 | Glassport · Allegheny | F3 | 0.1 mi | 2 | 70 |
| 1998-06-02 | Meshoppen to Factoryville · Wyoming | F3 | 26 mi | 2 | 15 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (state segments: deaths and path inside Pennsylvania), 1950-2025; counties are the first four the SPC lists for the segment. SPC severe weather database.
Where have the strongest tornadoes tracked in Pennsylvania?
- F2/EF2
- F3/EF3
- F4/EF4
- F5/EF5
- no end point filed
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, start and end points of each track; county lines: Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (2017), via us-atlas. SPC severe weather database. Census cartographic boundary files.
The strongest tornadoes in Pennsylvania
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-05-31 | Niles · Mercer | F5 | 14 mi | 450 yd | 8 |
| 1985-05-31 | Sugarcreek · Mercer, Crawford, Venango, Forest | F4 | 56 mi | 350 yd | 16 |
| 1985-05-31 | Albion · Erie | F4 | 12 mi | 400 yd | 12 |
| 1985-05-31 | Tionesta · Venango, Forest | F4 | 29 mi | 800 yd | 7 |
| 1985-05-31 | St. Marys · Warren, McKean, Elk | F4 | 29 mi | 1,000 yd | 4 |
| 1985-05-31 | Treasure Lake · Clearfield, Clinton, Centre | F4 | 69 mi | 3,330 yd | 0 |
| 1998-06-02 | Meyersdale · Somerset | F4 | 26 mi | 1,760 yd | 0 |
| 1985-05-31 | Waterford to Panama · Erie, Warren | F4 | 20 mi | 440 yd | 0 |
| 1980-06-03 | Vandergrift · Allegheny, Westmoreland, Armstrong | F4 | 11.8 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
| 1985-05-31 | Big Beaver · Beaver, Butler | F3 | 39 mi | 243 yd | 9 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database; F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after.
The longest tornado paths in Pennsylvania
| Date | Tornado and counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-05-31 | Treasure Lake · Clearfield, Clinton, Centre | F4 | 69 mi | 3,330 yd | 0 |
| 1985-05-31 | Sugarcreek · Mercer, Crawford, Venango, Forest | F4 | 56 mi | 350 yd | 16 |
| 1975-06-04 | Pittsburgh · Beaver, Allegheny, Westmoreland | F2 | 45.3 mi | 30 yd | 0 |
| 1985-05-31 | Big Beaver · Beaver, Butler | F3 | 39 mi | 243 yd | 9 |
| 1983-05-22 | Jefferson Hills · Allegheny, Westmoreland, Indiana | F2 | 38 mi | 200 yd | 0 |
| 1998-06-02 | Allegheny, Westmoreland | F1 | 32 mi | 700 yd | 0 |
| 1971-06-02 | Edinboro to Corry · Erie, Warren | F3 | 29.3 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
| 1985-05-31 | St. Marys · Warren, McKean, Elk | F4 | 29 mi | 1,000 yd | 4 |
| 1985-05-31 | Tionesta · Venango, Forest | F4 | 29 mi | 800 yd | 7 |
| 1976-07-11 | Brookville · Jefferson | F2 | 28.7 mi | 33 yd | 1 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments: path length and width inside the state. SPC severe weather database.
Tornadoes in every Pennsylvania county
All 67 counties: tornadoes whose track touched each, and the strongest
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database: whole tornadoes whose track touched the county (any state segment listing it). SPC severe weather database.
The costliest tornadoes in Pennsylvania
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-07-27 | TornadoMontgomery County The parent thunderstorm that produced two tornadoes and downburst wind damage in eastern Chester County split in two near Spring City in Chester County. The left or western thunderstorm entered Montgomery County in Royersford and wind related damage intensified as the thunderstorm moved northeast through Royersford. ... | F3 2 mi x 100 yd | 3 | 25 | $100M |
| 2003-07-21 | TornadoMt Jewett, McKean County A team from the National Weather Service office in State College surveyed damage and interviewed residents and emergency management officials in McKean county. The team determined that an F1 tornado touched down in McKean county between 315 pm and 330 pm local time on July 21st 2003.The thunderstorm which spawned the ... | F1 5.5 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | $73M |
| 2004-07-14 | TornadoCampbelltown, Lebanon County Thunderstorms spawned a strong F3 tornado in southern Lebanon County during the afternoon of July 14. The tornado first touched down in far western Lebanon County at 3:05 pm EDT, about 1 mile west of the town of Campbelltown. The tornado traveled east, and struck a housing development about one quarter mile south of ... | F3 7.5 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $28M |
| 1998-06-02 | TornadoCarnegie, Allegheny County An F1 tornado touched down 5 miles northwest of Carnegie in Allegheny County and moved east-southeast across the southern and eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh into Westmoreland County. The total path length of this tornado was estimated to be 32 miles, and damage was reported in Mount Washington, Hazelwood, and Rankin in ... | F1 26 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 50 | $24M |
| 1994-06-06 | TornadoKantz, Snyder County A large macroburst produced damaging wind gusts in an eight square mile area that included parts of Washington, Penn, Union and Middlecreek Townships. Within this macroburst a tornado touched down in Kantz and exacerbated the wind related damage. The Mennonite Community in Kantz bore the brunt of the damage with 30 to ... | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $20M |
| 1993-09-27 | TornadoSpringfield, Delaware County A funnel cloud was first spotted by two police officers about 700 feet above the ground in Media. The tornado then touched down 1 mile north of the intersection of the US Route 1 bypass and Route 320. It moved northeast toward Drexel Hill and northern Springfield where apparently dissipated. The storm uprooted and ... | F1 3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $10M |
| 1994-07-27 | TornadoTo 2 Se, Chester County A rare (with respect to both time of day and intensity) tornado outbreak affected eastern Chester County the evening of the 27th. Tornadic thunderstorms affected portions of the Middle Atlantic States south of Pennsylvania earlier that evening. As the first thunderstorm moved into southeast Chester County, it dropped ... | F3 4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 11 | $10.0M |
| 2016-02-24 | TornadoGap, Lancaster County A survey team from the National Weather Service in State College confirmed an EF-2 tornado near White Horse in Salisbury Township, Lancaster County on February 24, 2016. The tornado touched down one-half mile southwest of the intersection of Amish Road and Spring Garden Road then travelled to the northeast at a speed ... | EF2 4.87 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $9.8M |
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 $250M, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 3, 1980 (tornado, Armstrong County); June 3, 1980 (tornado, Allegheny County); July 21, 1980 (tornado, Crawford County); June 3, 1980 (tornado, Westmoreland County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are tornadoes becoming more frequent in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. The Storm Prediction Center notes that tornado reports rose especially around the installation of the NEXRAD Doppler radar network in the mid-1990s, so a rising count is partly better detection; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Pennsylvania | United States | Pennsylvania's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 61 | 4,837 | 1.3% |
| 1960s | 40 | 6,863 | 0.6% |
| 1970s | 116 | 8,633 | 1.3% |
| 1980s | 124 | 8,250 | 1.5% |
| 1990s | 223 | 12,205 | 1.8% |
| 2000s | 106 | 12,892 | 0.8% |
| 2010s | 194 | 12,232 | 1.6% |
| 2020-25 | 129 | 8,234 | 1.6% |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments.
The most recent tornadoes in Pennsylvania
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-22 | TornadoElm Grove, Fayette County | EF1 1.12 mi x 140 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2026-06-14 | TornadoElora, Butler County | EF0 2.61 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-06-14 | TornadoWest Liberty, Butler County | EF1 2.45 mi x 175 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-06-14 | TornadoWest Mayfield, Beaver County | EF0 0.73 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2026-06-14 | TornadoPark View, Butler County | EF1 3.21 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 2026-06-14 | TornadoDiamond, Venango County | EF0 0.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2026-06-14 | TornadoOliveburg, Jefferson County | EF2 3.76 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $95K |
| 2026-06-14 | TornadoConneautville, Crawford County | EF0 0.52 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2026-06-14 | TornadoPettis, Crawford County | EF1 2.18 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $150K |
| 2026-06-14 | TornadoWoodcock, Crawford County | EF1 0.52 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-14 | TornadoWoodcock, Crawford County | EF1 0.76 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-14 | TornadoKirkwood, Lancaster County | EF1 2.87 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for tornadoes in Pennsylvania
FEMA has declared 6 disasters in Pennsylvania for tornadoes, counting its incident type and declarations that name tornado in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 5 were major disasters, the latest on October 1, 2013.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-10-01 | DR-4149 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 11 |
| 2003-08-23 | DR-1485 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 15 |
| 1998-06-08 | DR-1219 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes,and Flooding | 7 |
| 1996-07-26 | DR-1130 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes | 10 |
| 1985-06-03 | DR-737 | Severe Storms, High Winds & Tornadoes | 11 |
| 1980-06-13 | EM-3081 | Severe Storms & Tornadoes | 4 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Philadelphia County: the county's whole recordThe Pennsylvania county with the most tornadoes per square mile
- Tornadoes across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in PennsylvaniaTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
- Severe thunderstorm wind in Pennsylvania23,711 records
- Winter storms in Pennsylvania9,299 records
- Floods in Pennsylvania7,057 records