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Lawrence County, Pennsylvania severe weather history spans 594 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 59.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #602 nationally and #25 in Pennsylvania.
594
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
14
Direct injuries
$8.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Lawrence County, Pennsylvania severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania severe weather history averages 8.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 184 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 35 events fall before 1990 and 559 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $3.2M 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 Lawrence County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 354 | 0 | $2.9M | 90 | 1958–2026 |
| Hail | 105 | 0 | $5K | 2 | 1973–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 96 | 0 | $2.3M | 0 | 1996–2026 |
| Flood | 26 | 0 | $331K | 0 | 2008–2026 |
| Tornado | 12 | 0 | $3.2M | F2 | 1954–2021 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 1998–1998 |
Decade by decade
Lawrence County, Pennsylvania severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
13 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-08-08 | EF2 | 0 | 11 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-08-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-09-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1954-06-10 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 7.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2013-07-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-07-19 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-05-03 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2001-04-09 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1992-07-12 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1991-07-23 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Lawrence County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 8, 1992 | Tornado | 0 | 11 | $250K | |
| Jun 11, 1954 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Jul 17, 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | BRENT | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Three to five inches of rain fell in southwest Lawrence over a 3 hour period. At least eight homes were impacted by flooding in Wayne and Shenango Townships. Numerous roads were closed in the area and several water rescues from houses and cars were performed by local firefighters. The most significant damage in Shenango Township occurred around Union Valley, Snake Run, and Lower Boyd School Roads, the latter of which was undermined, creating damage to the asphalt. Roads impacted in Wayne Township included Shenango Stop, Union Valley, Snake Run, Chewton-West Pittsburg, Fletcher Hill, Boyd School, Lower Boyd School, Old Pittsburgh, and Union Valley Roads. McKee Run was reported to overflow its banks.||The Lawrence County Commissioners issued a disaster declaration for the entire county, with the Shenango and Wayne Township supervisors adopting similar measures for their respective municipalities.
Thunderstorm rains procuded street and basement flooding across the county. Several vehicles became stranded in flooded roadways. In New Castle, several businesses reported up to a foot of water in their stores, ruining carpeting and inventory. An assisted-living center in Neshannock Township reported several inches of water through their first floor. No residents were injured. In addition, many homes across the area reported basement flooding.
Thunderstorms moving across the county dumped over 3 inches of rainfall, producing widespread flash flooding across the county. Numerous reports of basement flooding were reported. In New Castle, the water roared down one street with such force it lifted the blacktop off of the road. Many motorists were trapped inside their vehicles in flooded intersections, with one vanload of children trapped on a New Castle street. Despite the widespread flooding, no injuries were reported.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
85,024
Population (ACS)
$147K
Median home value
12
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 30, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Oct 1, 2013 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| 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 |
Within the county
Most affected places
- New Castle 144
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania?
594 events are on record between 1954 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $8.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lawrence County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 354 recorded events — 59.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Lawrence County?
13 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 10 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Lawrence County?
12 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lawrence County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lawrence County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lawrence County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 66 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lawrence 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
- Lancaster County 989
- Lebanon County 427
- Lackawanna County 444
- Lehigh County 694
- Juniata County 152
- Luzerne County 599
Cite this page
“Lawrence County, Pennsylvania.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/pennsylvania/lawrence-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.