Pike County, Pennsylvania severe weather history spans 219 recorded events between 1989 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 58.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,325 nationally and #57 in Pennsylvania.
219
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$48.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Pike County, Pennsylvania severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Pike County, Pennsylvania severe weather history averages 5.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 78 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 1 events fall before 1990 and 218 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flash flood, with $40.3M 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 Pike County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 129 | 0 | $1.1M | 83 | 1989–2026 |
| Hail | 61 | 0 | $15K | 1.75 | 1990–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 17 | 0 | $40.3M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 8 | 0 | $1.7M | F3 | 1998–2010 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $20K | 0 | 2000–2004 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $5.0M | 0 | 2000–2006 |
Decade by decade
Pike County, Pennsylvania severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
8 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 6 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-05-31 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 20.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-07-23 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 25.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1998-05-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-05-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-07-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2006-12-01 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-11-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-12-01 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Pike County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 1998 | Tornado | PECKS POND | 0 | 2 | $1.0M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rain with amounts of 3.5 to 6 inches caused flash flooding. The rain which fell from the 16th to the 18th was due to the remnants of hurricane Ivan. Most creeks and streams went out of their banks. In addition, the Delaware and Lackawaxen Rivers had major flooding. About a dozen rescues were performed. Over 100 roads were closed. The entire borough of Newfoundland in western Pike County was evacuated. 6 bridges were closed. 2 businesses were closed.
Numerous road washouts from flash flooding reported in the towns of Shohola, Lackawaxen, Porter, and Blooming Grove. This included the settlements of Lords Valley and Pecks Pond. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation reported that State Route 4006, also known as Towpath Road, was closed in Lackawaxen Township. This road parallels the Lackawaxen River. One area of the road was completely washed away leaving a 10 foot deep crater. Localized rainfall amounts were 2 to 4 inches.
A severe thunderstorm became tornadic just south of Interstate 84 and east of Tarey Hill in Blooming Grove township around 8:20 pm EDT. The tornado cut approximately a 3 mile by 200 yard path paralleling Interstate 84. The twister moved through heavily forested areas and mowed down hundreds of trees in its path. Again, many of the trees were quite sizeable and appeared to be toppled easily. The damage pattern was circular in spots as viewed by aerial surveys. Fortunately, little in the way of houses or populated regions were in the path of this particular tornado. The tornado's intensity seemed to fluctuate between F1 and F2. The tornado lifted back up just east of route 739 near Cranberry Ridge as little in the way of damage was seen downstream of this point. Several local roads were closed for up to 24 hours from fallen trees.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
60,621
Population (ACS)
$273K
Median home value
18
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 30, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jan 10, 2013 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | DR |
| Oct 29, 2012 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | EM |
| Sep 3, 2011 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IRENE | DR |
| Aug 29, 2011 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IRENE | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Pike County, Pennsylvania?
219 events are on record between 1989 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $48.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Pike County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 129 recorded events — 58.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Pike County?
8 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 6 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Pike County?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Pike County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Pike County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Pike County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 66 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Pike 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
- Philadelphia County 643
- Potter County 247
- Perry County 287
- Schuylkill County 364
- Northumberland County 331
- Snyder County 205
Cite this page
“Pike County, Pennsylvania.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/pennsylvania/pike-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.