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Chester, PA
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Western Monmouth; Eastern Monmouth; Mercer; Ocean; Southeastern Burlington; Berks; Western Chester; Eastern Chester; Western Montgomery
Chester County, Pennsylvania severe weather history spans 1,281 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 60.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #66 nationally and #4 in Pennsylvania.
1,281
Recorded events
11
Direct deaths
48
Direct injuries
$79.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Chester County, Pennsylvania severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Chester County, Pennsylvania severe weather history averages 17.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 496 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 76 events fall before 1990 and 1,205 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Chester County, Pennsylvania record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $46.7M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Chester County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 769 | 3 | $6.4M | 87 | 1957–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 223 | 2 | $46.7M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Hail | 101 | 0 | $100 | 2.75 | 1967–2024 |
| Flood | 67 | 0 | $9.7M | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Lightning | 46 | 3 | $2.7M | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 39 | 1 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2022 |
| Tornado | 29 | 2 | $13.8M | F3 | 1953–2023 |
| Funnel Cloud | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2023 |
| Marine High Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–1997 |
Decade by decade
Chester County, Pennsylvania severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
30 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 29 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-03-22 | EF3 | 1 | 0 | 9.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-07-27 | EF3 | 0 | 11 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1979-09-05 | EF2 | 1 | 4 | 4.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2021-09-01 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-07-17 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-08-28 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-06-09 | EF1 | 1 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-06-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-06-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Chester County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 18, 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | GLENMOORE | 2 | 1 | $0 |
| Sep 6, 1979 | Tornado | 1 | 4 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 15, 2023 | Lightning | PARKESBURG | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Sep 16, 1999 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 1 | 1 | $3.0M |
| Sep 1, 2021 | Flash Flood | NOTTINGHAM | 1 | 0 | $40.0M |
| Jun 9, 2005 | Lightning | CHATHAM | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2000 | Lightning | GUTHRIESVILLE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 25, 1997 | Heavy Rain | COUNTYWIDE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Widespread flash flooding occurred in Chester County with many road closures and vehicles stranded. There was a flood related fatality in Downingtown. Numerous waterways in the county flooded, including the Schuylkill River, the West Branch of the Brandywine Creek, the East Branch of the Brandywine Creek, White Clay Creek, Red Clay Creek, French Creek and Valley Creek. There were many reports of water entering buildings and homes.
A lightning strike and the ensuing fire seriously damaged a farm house on the Sunny High Farm off of Pennsylvania State Route 100 in North Coventry Township. The fire began on the first floor in the front of the house. Flames were through the windows when fire fighters arrived. Five fire companies helped battle the blaze. The family dog died; no additional injuries were reported. Damage was estimated at $300,000.
An EF-1 tornado touched down in Honey Brook Township. No injuries were reported, although several homes as well as numerous trees were damaged. The tornado touched down near Given Road and moved northeast lifting near Talbotville Road. Roof panels were torn from one home. A mobile home was unseated from its moorings. Two uninjured people were trapped within the mobile home and had to be rescued by the local fire department. A barn along Talbotville Road had its roof torn off and wall damaged during the storm. Farmstands were damaged along Talbotville Road. Numerous trees were uprooted or snapped along the damage path. Debris was scattered across roadways and farm fields and included pieces of tin roofs as well as insulation. Several roads were impassable because of downed trees and power lines. The path length was approximately 0.7 of a mile, the maximum path width was estimated to be 100 yards and the estimated peak wind gust was 95 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
547,840
Population (ACS)
$486K
Median home value
26
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 10, 2021 | Hurricane | REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IDA | DR |
| Mar 30, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Mar 23, 2016 | Snowstorm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
| Feb 6, 2014 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Oct 29, 2012 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Chester County, Pennsylvania?
1,281 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 11 direct deaths and $79.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Chester County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 769 recorded events — 60.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Chester County?
30 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 29 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Chester County?
26 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Chester County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Chester County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Chester County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 92 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Chester 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
- Centre County 565
- Clarion County 452
- Carbon County 338
- Clearfield County 487
- Cameron County 98
- Clinton County 350
Cite this page
“Chester County, Pennsylvania.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/pennsylvania/chester-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.