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Adams, PA; Bedford, PA; Blair, PA; Cambria, PA; Cumberland, PA; Dauphin, PA; Franklin, PA; Fulton, PA; Huntingdon, PA; Juniata, PA; Mifflin, PA; Perry, PA; Snyder, PA; Somerset, PA; Union, PA; York, PA
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Bedford, PA; Blair, PA; Cambria, PA; Cumberland, PA; Franklin, PA; Fulton, PA; Huntingdon, PA; Juniata, PA; Mifflin, PA; Perry, PA; Somerset, PA
Cambria County, Pennsylvania severe weather history spans 473 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 75.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #971 nationally and #33 in Pennsylvania.
473
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
13
Direct injuries
$4.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Cambria County, Pennsylvania severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Cambria County, Pennsylvania severe weather history averages 6.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 126 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 61 events fall before 1990 and 412 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Cambria County, Pennsylvania record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $3.1M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Cambria County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 359 | 1 | $1.2M | 104 | 1955–2026 |
| Hail | 48 | 0 | $0 | 2.5 | 1960–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 35 | 0 | $275K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 20 | 0 | $3.1M | F2 | 1970–2023 |
| Flood | 6 | 0 | $70K | 0 | 2011–2025 |
| Lightning | 4 | 1 | $10K | 0 | 1999–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2013–2013 |
Decade by decade
Cambria County, Pennsylvania severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
22 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-07-19 | EF2 | 0 | 6 | 27.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1996-07-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-09-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-06-09 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1956-05-13 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-08-12 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-06-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-06-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-09-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-06-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Cambria County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 2005 | Lightning | PATTON | 1 | 4 | $0 |
| Aug 13, 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | PATTON | 1 | 1 | $50K |
| Jun 27, 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | JOHNSTOWN | 0 | 4 | $1K |
| Aug 31, 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | ASHVILLE | 0 | 2 | $15K |
| Aug 13, 1999 | Lightning | PATTON | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 7, 1999 | Lightning | COLVER | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Downburst winds struck Prince Gallitzin State Park on late afternoon of Friday the 13th, crossing the heart of the campground area in the park. Hundreds of trees were blown down by the strong winds, damaging trucks, cars, tents, and campers. A 20-year old male was killed by a falling tree, and a 40-year old man received a broken arm when he was struck by a tree. Several campers were destroyed and 2 vehicles crushed. An estimated 2,000 visitors were in the camp for the weekend.
Intense heavy rainfall between 4-5 inches in less than an hour produced flash flooding in Northern Cambria. The bulk of the flooding was confined in Northern Cambria Borough and Susquehanna and Barr Townships. Deveaux Street and Route 219 North ��� both state routes – were closed temporarily due to flooding. Mosscreek Road in Barr Township received considerable debris and mud collection. The Northern Cambria Middle School reported significant flood damage and was closed for the week during the cleanup. Numerous flooded basements were also reported.
Thunderstorms with torrential rains caused Flash Flooding in southern Cambria County, mainly in the Johnstown area. Along with 50 basements being flooded, extensive flooding of roads was reported. Many smaller streams and creeks in the Johnstown area were out of their banks. Area hospitals were considering evacuations because of the flooding. The county and the city of Johnstown Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) were activated.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
131,538
Population (ACS)
$121K
Median home value
18
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 8, 2011 | Flood | REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM LEE | EM |
| Apr 16, 2010 | Snowstorm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND SNOWSTORMS | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Cambria County, Pennsylvania?
473 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $4.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Cambria County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 359 recorded events — 75.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Cambria County?
22 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 21 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Cambria County?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Cambria County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Cambria County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cambria County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 76 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Cambria 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
- Butler County 903
- Cameron County 98
- Bucks County 911
- Carbon County 338
- Bradford County 620
- Centre County 565
Cite this page
“Cambria County, Pennsylvania.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/pennsylvania/cambria-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.