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Lancaster County, Pennsylvania severe weather history spans 989 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 61.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #146 nationally and #7 in Pennsylvania.
989
Recorded events
9
Direct deaths
52
Direct injuries
$42.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania severe weather history averages 13.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 290 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 138 events fall before 1990 and 851 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania record is flood, responsible for 4 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $26.3M 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 Lancaster County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 608 | 3 | $10.1M | 85 | 1955–2026 |
| Hail | 192 | 0 | $5K | 2.75 | 1960–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 106 | 0 | $5.7M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 38 | 0 | $26.3M | F3 | 1950–2025 |
| Flood | 29 | 4 | $810K | 0 | 2006–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 8 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2007–2025 |
| Lightning | 6 | 2 | $30K | 0 | 2000–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2010 |
Decade by decade
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
38 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 34 touched down inside it and 4 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950-11-04 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 15.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-05-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2016-02-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-05-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-05-29 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1991-05-06 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-06-15 | EF2 | 0 | 6 | 16.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1975-10-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 17.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-08-17 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1970-07-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Lancaster County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 7, 2011 | Flood | DENVER | 3 | 0 | $800K |
| Aug 31, 2014 | Lightning | OAKRYN | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Nov 1, 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pleasant Grove | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 1, 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | CHRISTIANA | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Dec 18, 2023 | Flood | HINKLETOWN | 1 | 0 | $10K |
| Apr 22, 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | NEW PROVIDENCE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 9, 2011 | Lightning | NINEPOINTS | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 20, 2012 | Tornado | FISHING CREEK | 0 | 15 | $6.0M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rainfall led to flooding along Cabin Drive near Ephrata during the early morning hours of December 18, 2023. A direct fatality was reported when a 73-year old male drove into the flood waters and drowned during the pre-dawn hours.
Two boys were struck by lightning while running across a field after getting out of the Little Conowingo Creek in Fulton Township near Peach Bottom in Lancaster County. Authorities said the boys were swimming with friends near Nottingham and Soapstone Roads when a thunderstorm moved through the area. One boy was killed while the other sustained minor injuries.
A 13-year-old boy was killed by lightning in Lancaster County. The lightning death occurred around 1915 EDT in a farm field along the 1100 block of Bartsville Road in Sadsbury Township. The Lancaster County Coroner���s Office reported the boy was baling hay with his father, who was driving a team of horses. The boy was walking along side the baler when his father reported hearing a loud clap. When he turned around, he saw his son on the ground unresponsive. The coroner said the boy's death was the result of electrocution due to a lightning strike.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively High
FEMA NRI risk rating
557,931
Population (ACS)
$301K
Median home value
22
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Sep 12, 2011 | Flood | TROPICAL STORM LEE | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania?
989 events are on record between 1950 and 2026, causing 9 direct deaths and $42.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lancaster County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 608 recorded events — 61.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Lancaster County?
38 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 34 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Lancaster County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lancaster County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lancaster County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lancaster County as relatively high risk, placing it in the 95 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lancaster 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
- Lackawanna County 444
- Lawrence County 594
- Juniata County 152
- Lebanon County 427
- Jefferson County 592
- Lehigh County 694
Cite this page
“Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/pennsylvania/lancaster-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.