Erie County, Pennsylvania severe weather history spans 711 recorded events between 1952 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 55.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #383 nationally and #15 in Pennsylvania.
711
Recorded events
15
Direct deaths
155
Direct injuries
$74.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Erie County, Pennsylvania severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Erie County, Pennsylvania severe weather history averages 9.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 185 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 104 events fall before 1990 and 607 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Erie County, Pennsylvania record is tornado, responsible for 12 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $30.5M 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 Erie County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 394 | 1 | $5.8M | 74 | 1956–2026 |
| Hail | 204 | 0 | $1.6M | 4 | 1959–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 60 | 2 | $30.5M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 24 | 12 | $30.2M | F4 | 1952–2025 |
| Waterspout | 16 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2001 |
| Flood | 6 | 0 | $5.8M | 0 | 2009–2022 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2011 |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 2 | 0 | $120K | 0 | 1997–1997 |
| Winter Weather | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–1998 |
Decade by decade
Erie County, Pennsylvania severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
23 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-05-31 | EF4 | 12 | 82 | 14.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1985-05-31 | EF4 | 0 | 0 | 28.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-06-02 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 29.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-06-09 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-08-16 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-05-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-09-18 | EF2 | 0 | 7 | 4.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1953-11-22 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1952-07-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-05-28 | EF1 | 0 | 5 | 1.7 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Erie County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1985 | Tornado | 12 | 82 | $25.0M | |
| Nov 6, 2017 | Flash Flood | EAGLEHURST | 2 | 0 | $270K |
| Jun 6, 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | NORTH SPRINGFIELD | 1 | 0 | $150K |
| Jan 13, 1998 | Winter Weather | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 29 | $0 |
| Apr 12, 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 12 | $800K |
| Sep 18, 1977 | Tornado | 0 | 7 | $2.5M | |
| May 28, 2013 | Tornado | IVAREA | 0 | 5 | $75K |
| Jul 30, 1988 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 4 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Warm humid air over the region supported strong thunderstorms and torrential rainfall. A rain gauge network in Mill Creek Township measured an instantaneous rainfall rate of over 7 inches per hour around 630 pm. The storms produced a measured 3.85 inches of rainfall in the Erie/Mill Creek area. The intensity of the rainfall ultimately overwhelmed storm drainage systems causing significant overland flooding. In Mill Creek some roads were reported to have as much as five feet of water with numerous water rescues conducted. Some structures sustained damage and the Mill Creek Fire Department had to evacuate. The most significant damage occurred in on East 30th Street in Erie where a basement wall collapsed from the water pooling on the outside, trapping and ultimately drowning two residents. The flooding was likely exasperated by the poor drainage, but ultimately it was the torrential nature of the rainfall that caused the damages.
A thunderstorm downburst with wind gusts estimated to be at least 60 mph caused damage at a campground in western Erie County. The campground is located along Lake Erie northwest of North Springfield. Several trees were knocked down and a camper trailer overturned at the campground. A 36 year old man was killed when the overturned camper landed on him. A damage path containing dozens of downed trees continued east from the campground for at least a mile. The same thunderstorm that produced this downburst later produced a weak tornado that caused damage from northeast of North Springfield to near Girard.
Lake Erie continued its seasonal rise from February to March, rising about 2 inches to a level of 573.98 feet. This level was a new record high monthly mean water level for March, surpassing its previous record set in 1986 by 3 inches. The March 2020 level was also 12 inches above the March 2019 level and 34 inches above its long term average level. Lack of lake ice supported higher and more repetitive wave action along the shoreline, resulting in continued beach and cliff erosion.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
269,052
Population (ACS)
$177K
Median home value
11
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 |
| Sep 10, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA | EM |
| Sep 19, 2004 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL DEPRESSION FRANCES | DR |
| Sep 19, 2004 | Hurricane | TROPICAL DEPRESSION IVAN | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Erie 106
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Erie County, Pennsylvania?
711 events are on record between 1952 and 2026, causing 15 direct deaths and $74.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Erie County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 394 recorded events — 55.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Erie County?
23 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 22 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Erie County?
11 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Erie County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Erie County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Erie County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 84 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Erie 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
- Elk County 239
- Fayette County 767
- Delaware County 671
- Forest County 166
- Dauphin County 553
- Franklin County 465
Cite this page
“Erie County, Pennsylvania.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/pennsylvania/erie-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.