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Armstrong County, Pennsylvania severe weather history spans 510 recorded events between 1951 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 68.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #840 nationally and #31 in Pennsylvania.
510
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
128
Direct injuries
$260.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Armstrong County, Pennsylvania severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania severe weather history averages 6.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 190 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 42 events fall before 1990 and 468 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Armstrong County, Pennsylvania record is heavy rain, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $253.2M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Armstrong County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 348 | 0 | $5.6M | 85 | 1968–2025 |
| Hail | 72 | 0 | $5K | 1.75 | 1983–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 51 | 0 | $1.2M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 20 | 0 | $164K | 0 | 2010–2026 |
| Tornado | 11 | 0 | $253.2M | F4 | 1951–2022 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 1 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2022 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 1998–1998 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2018–2018 |
Decade by decade
Armstrong County, Pennsylvania severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
12 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 9 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-06-03 | EF4 | 0 | 140 | 11.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2022-03-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-07-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1986-09-23 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1966-04-23 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-06-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1998-06-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-07-20 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-06-07 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-07-23 | EF1 | 0 | 2 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Armstrong County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 19, 1997 | Heavy Rain | KITTANNING | 1 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 3, 1980 | Tornado | 0 | 120 | $250.0M | |
| Jul 23, 1978 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Jul 17, 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | ALADDIN | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 2, 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | ELDERTON | 0 | 1 | $250K |
| Sep 23, 1986 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 8, 1978 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy thunderstorm rain and some wind weakened the roots of a large tree and the tree fell onto a pickup truck's windshield travelling on Route 66. A 13 year-old passenger was killed by the falling tree. The boy's father was seriously injured and the mother was treated overnight and released.
Widespread flooding of roads and 200 basements. 12 families were evacuated. Flooded started in South Buffalo Twp around noon, then moved into Ford City and Kittanning. Between 7 AM EDT and 1130 AM, 4.2 inches of rain fell in Kittanning. It reached 5 inches by 4 PM EDT. By 215 PM EDT, flooding was reported in Ford City and 2 miles south of Kittanning. By 413 PM EDT, flooding was widespread.By 723 PM EDT, Glade Run overflowed and flooded Skinall Rd near the Villa Restaurant on SR 1285. By 935 PM EDT, several roads were still flooded in Ford City and Kittanning. Skywarn spotter in Kittanning reported total rainfall in the storm was 5.9 inches. Manor Twp Fire Dept reported some families were evacuated from homes along Garretts Run Rd (old Rte 66) because of flooding.Hawk Hollow and Ping Wing Hollow Roads were washed out. Thirty feet of Scout Run Rd washed out. Restaurant on Rte 66 had extensive flooding. Nearly 100 basements flooded in Manorville and Garretts Run. 136 more basements flooded in Ford City. Animal shelter off Rte 85 flooded by 1130 AM EDT; over 100 animals rescued.
A microburst with winds estimated to around 100 MPH blew a 3-mile long swath across the Elderton area. One house was completely destroyed, with one person receiving minor injuries. Four other homes suffered structural damage, and another ten homes in the area received minor damage. Two cars were also damaged. Most of the affected homes were in the area off Route 210 just northeast of Elderton, near the Keystone Dam. A few homes on the outskirts of Atwood also reported minor damage. Numerous trees in the area were blown down, either uprooted or snapped off.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
64,622
Population (ACS)
$157K
Median home value
17
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 30, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Oct 29, 2012 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | EM |
| Apr 16, 2010 | Snowstorm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND SNOWSTORMS | DR |
| Jun 30, 2006 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Sep 10, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania?
510 events are on record between 1951 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $260.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Armstrong County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 348 recorded events — 68.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Armstrong County?
12 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 9 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Armstrong County?
17 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Armstrong County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Armstrong County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Armstrong County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 69 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Armstrong County, Pennsylvania severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Allegheny County 2,357
- Beaver County 840
- Adams County 397
- Bedford County 267
- Berks County 1,349
- Blair County 304
Cite this page
“Armstrong County, Pennsylvania.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/pennsylvania/armstrong-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.