Elk County, Pennsylvania severe weather history spans 239 recorded events between 1963 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 79.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,185 nationally and #56 in Pennsylvania.
239
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
36
Direct injuries
$5.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Elk County, Pennsylvania severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Elk County, Pennsylvania severe weather history averages 3.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 78 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 19 events fall before 1990 and 220 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $2.9M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Elk County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 189 | 0 | $2.5M | 87 | 1968–2026 |
| Hail | 23 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1974–2025 |
| Tornado | 16 | 0 | $2.9M | F4 | 1963–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 7 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2014 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $250K | 0 | 2005–2008 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $200K | 0 | 2010–2010 |
Decade by decade
Elk County, Pennsylvania severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
17 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 11 touched down inside it and 6 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-05-31 | EF4 | 7 | 30 | 29.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1985-05-31 | EF4 | 4 | 40 | 29.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1963-09-03 | EF3 | 0 | 20 | 8.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-05-01 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1985-05-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 19.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-10-16 | EF1 | 1 | 1 | 1.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-03-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-05-04 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-08-21 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2017-05-01 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.7 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Elk County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 3, 1963 | Tornado | 0 | 20 | $2.5M | |
| Aug 13, 2005 | Lightning | ST MARYS | 0 | 15 | $0 |
| Oct 16, 2021 | Tornado | HALLTON | 0 | 1 | $20K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An EF1 tornado occurred along North Fork Road in Elk County during the afternoon hours of March 16, 2025 with maximum estimated winds at 100 mph. The tornado was on the ground for less than one minute, but downed, snapped, and uprooted hundreds of trees and power lines. A local resident indicated that a window was blown in at their residence along with a barn roof being partially lifted due to the tornado. The damage was concentrated within a swath about 200 yards wide.
The Elk County 911 Center sustained a lightening strike that disrupted nearly all communications and damaged or destroyed key equipment. EMA officials said they lost several computers and dispatchers were using portable radios to dispatch emergency crews. There were no injuries.
Rainfall amounts between 2 and 4 inches produced extensive flooding. The heavy rainfall over the headwaters of the Allegheny basin caused the Clarion River to rise into moderate flood stage at Johnsonburg and Ridgway, cresting at 9.72 and 19.21 feet respectively. Both crests were in the top five all-time. The Main Street bridge in Ridgway was impassable. Numerous state, county and municipal roads were closed with many residents affected along Penn Avenue. Several basements were flooded with up to 5 feet of water. SR 948 and and SR 66 were closed along Spring Creek.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
30,506
Population (ACS)
$134K
Median home value
10
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM DEBBY | DR |
| Mar 30, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Oct 29, 2012 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | EM |
| Sep 10, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA | EM |
| Sep 19, 2004 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL DEPRESSION FRANCES | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Elk County, Pennsylvania?
239 events are on record between 1963 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $5.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Elk County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 189 recorded events — 79.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Elk County?
17 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 11 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Elk County?
10 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Elk County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Elk County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Elk County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 45 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Elk 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
- Delaware County 671
- Erie County 711
- Dauphin County 553
- Fayette County 767
- Cumberland County 429
- Forest County 166
Cite this page
“Elk County, Pennsylvania.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/pennsylvania/elk-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.