222
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
10
Direct injuries
$697K
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Columbia County, Pennsylvania: 222 recorded events between 1966 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 87. That places the county #863 nationally and #50 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Columbia County, Pennsylvania: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Columbia County is the 2020s, when 58 of the county's 222 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Columbia County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 69.6% of all recorded severe weather across 5 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #863 for this hazard and #50 within Pennsylvania, putting it in the 72.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Columbia County with 63 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 16, 2016 | ROARING CREEK | 52 | 0 | 4 | $6K |
| Jul 15, 2024 | BENTON | 52 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 13, 2005 | BENTON | 75 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 23, 2024 | GRASSMERE | 78 | 0 | 1 | $10K |
| Nov 21, 1989 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 2025 | BUCKHORN | 52 | $500 |
| Jul 3, 2025 | BRIAR CREEK | 52 | $1K |
| Jun 20, 2025 | LIGHT STREET | 52 | $10K |
| Jun 19, 2025 | STILLWATER | 52 | $1K |
| Apr 30, 2025 | NUMIDIA | 61 | $10K |
| Apr 30, 2025 | FORKS | 61 | $10K |
| Jul 17, 2024 | STILLWATER | 52 | $5K |
| Jul 15, 2024 | BENTON | 52 | $0 |
| Jul 15, 2024 | GRASSMERE | 52 | $2K |
| Jul 15, 2024 | GRASSMERE | 52 | $5K |
Other hazards here
More from Columbia County
- Hail 49
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A severe thunderstorm producing winds estimated near 100 mph knocked down numerous trees along with damaging homes and buildings in Briar Creek Township. This included multiple damaged and destroyed barns and a garage that was heavily destroyed.
Thunderstorm winds produced a swath of damage about 2 miles wide, either side of Route 487 extending from near Knobels Park to Berwick. Trees and power poles were knocked down along this path. A roof was also torn off a barn in Almedia.
A National Weather Service storm survey found that a microburst occurred in association with a severe thunderstorm at Grassmere Park in Sugarloaf Township. Maximum wind gusts were estimated at 80 to 90 mph. Numerous trees were snapped throughout the park and one person was injured at the park's campground.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Columbia County, Pennsylvania?
222 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Columbia County between 1966 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Columbia County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Columbia County measured 87.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Columbia County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Columbia County, Pennsylvania.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/pennsylvania/columbia-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.