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Adams, PA; Cumberland, PA; Dauphin, PA; Lancaster, PA; Perry, PA; York, PA
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Dauphin, PA; Perry, PA
Severe Thunderstorm Watch
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
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Huntingdon; Mifflin; Juniata; Fulton; Franklin; Perry; Dauphin; Lebanon; Cumberland; Adams; York; Lancaster
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania severe weather history spans 553 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 68.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #714 nationally and #28 in Pennsylvania.
553
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
25
Direct injuries
$159.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Dauphin County, Pennsylvania severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania severe weather history averages 7.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 167 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 61 events fall before 1990 and 492 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Dauphin County, Pennsylvania record is flood, responsible for 5 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $150.0M 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 Dauphin County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 381 | 0 | $3.0M | 85 | 1960–2026 |
| Hail | 90 | 0 | $0 | 2.5 | 1958–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 42 | 0 | $700K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 19 | 1 | $6.0M | F2 | 1950–2023 |
| Flood | 16 | 5 | $150.0M | 0 | 2006–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2007–2023 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $20K | 0 | 2024–2024 |
Decade by decade
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
21 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-04-05 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1970-03-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-10-18 | EF2 | 0 | 11 | 10.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1950-07-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-12-01 | EF1 | 1 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-08-09 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-08-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-05-29 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-06-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-05-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Dauphin County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 7, 2011 | Flood | DEODATE | 4 | 0 | $150.0M |
| Jul 24, 2018 | Flood | DEODATE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Dec 1, 2006 | Tornado | HALIFAX | 1 | 0 | $2.0M |
| Oct 18, 1967 | Tornado | 0 | 11 | $250K | |
| Apr 5, 1952 | Tornado | 0 | 6 | $250K | |
| Sep 7, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | HARRISBURG | 0 | 4 | $0 |
| Jul 6, 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Harrisburg | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 12, 1987 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A thunderstorm spawned an F1 tornado south of the town of Halifax in Dauphin county, as determined by a National Weather Service storm survey team. The tornado was embedded within a much larger area of downburst wind damage.|The tornado touched down near Route 147 about 1.3 miles south of Halifax. The tornado traveled northeast about 1.5 miles, before dissipating in a wooded area. Major damage was sustained by 4 businesses and 1 home. Moderate damage was sustained by 4 additional residences. Minor damage occurred to several dozen homes. Top winds were estimated between 100 and 110 mph, categorizing the storm as an F1.|Damages from the tornado were estimated at nearly 2 million dollars. There was one fatality caused by a tree falling onto a car.
At 9pm, A 19 year old female attempted to swim across Conewago Creek with her 22 year old relative. She was unable to cross the creek due to the fast current and was swept away. She was found downstream several days later deceased.
A complex of severe thunderstorms caused considerable wind damage, especially within the city of Harrisburg. Damage estimates in Harrisburg were around $ 1 million as wind gusts reached 80 mph. Falling trees damaged twenty-five cars. The golf concession on City Island was destroyed. Fallen trees blocked thirty-four streets. At least two trees fell on houses. The fencing on the Walnut Street Bridge was damaged. The cupola 160 feet above the ground on the Payne Shoemaker Building was left leaning at a 45-degree angle. They removed it a couple of days later. Wind damage was not confined to Harrisburg. Near Middletown the two story high, 80-feet long cinder block wall of the Kunkel Elementary School addition was flattened. Numerous trees were downed in Hershey and Hummelstown and blocked at least two roads. About 40,000 Pennsylvania Power and Light customers lost power in Dauphin and Lancaster Counties.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
289,593
Population (ACS)
$236K
Median home value
22
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 10, 2021 | Hurricane | REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IDA | DR |
| 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 |
| Jan 10, 2013 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | DR |
| Oct 29, 2012 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania?
553 events are on record between 1950 and 2026, causing 6 direct deaths and $159.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Dauphin County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 381 recorded events — 68.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Dauphin County?
21 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 20 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Dauphin County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Dauphin County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Dauphin County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Dauphin County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 91 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Dauphin 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
- Cumberland County 429
- Delaware County 671
- Crawford County 784
- Elk County 239
- Columbia County 319
- Erie County 711
Cite this page
“Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/pennsylvania/dauphin-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.