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Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Adams, PA; Cumberland, PA; Dauphin, PA; Lancaster, PA; Perry, PA; York, PA
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
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
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
Heat Advisory
Huntingdon; Mifflin; Juniata; Fulton; Franklin; Perry; Dauphin; Lebanon; Cumberland; Adams; York; Lancaster
Perry County, Pennsylvania severe weather history spans 287 recorded events between 1963 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 74.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,851 nationally and #53 in Pennsylvania.
287
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$1.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Perry County, Pennsylvania severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Perry County, Pennsylvania severe weather history averages 4.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 81 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 17 events fall before 1990 and 270 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Perry County, Pennsylvania record is flash flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $581K 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 Perry County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 215 | 0 | $581K | 83 | 1963–2025 |
| Hail | 34 | 0 | $15K | 1.75 | 1985–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 18 | 1 | $100K | 0 | 1996–2015 |
| Flood | 12 | 0 | $26K | 0 | 2006–2025 |
| Tornado | 6 | 0 | $418K | F2 | 1967–2019 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $20K | 0 | 2025–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2023–2023 |
Decade by decade
Perry 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: 8 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-06-20 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-09-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1955-08-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-05-29 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-06-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-05-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-07-21 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-06-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.9 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Perry County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 7, 1996 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 12, 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | NEWPORT | 0 | 1 | $10K |
| Jun 20, 1989 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rain from thunderstorms caused extensive flash flooding across central and western portions of Perry County. Numerous roads were flooded throughout the county, including Route 233, Route 850, Route 274, Route 34 and Route 74. Approximately 25 to 30 homes along Sherman Creek were evacuated due to rising flood waters. Five water rescues were performed. Over 100 basements were flooded. Much of the flooding occurred between Landisburg and Loysville.
A National Weather Service survey team confirmed an EF1 tornado near Losh Run in Perry County Pennsylvania on May 29, 2019.||An EF1 tornado touched down southeast of Newport near the intersection of Route 849 and Narrows Road and progressed nearly due east for approximately 5 miles, finally lifting just east of the Juniata River near Route 322.||The most extensive damage was along Mahanoy Road, where it meets Newport Road (Route 849). In this area, the tornado downed hundreds of trees, including one tree that fell onto and destroyed a pickup truck. Some tree limbs also fell onto rooftops, but little other property damage was observed. East of this location, damage was mainly confined to sporadic trees being toppled. The tornado increased in intensity briefly before dissipating, as it crossed the Juniata River, River Road, and Route 322. Route 322 was closed for a time due to downed trees. Peak winds were estimated at 105 mph.
A NWS storm survey team along with Perry County emergency management viewed the thunderstorm wind damage (wet microburst) in Howe Township, approximately one mile east of Newport near the intersection of Juniata Parkway East and Gypsy Hollow Road. Eight homes sustained minor damage to siding and awnings. An additional two homes had significant damage due to a tree falling on one and another with half the metal roof removed. Up to 100 trees were knocked down in an area near the Juniata River. Estimated wind speeds ranged from 65 to 90 mph. There were no injures.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
46,239
Population (ACS)
$236K
Median home value
20
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Oct 29, 2012 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | EM |
| Sep 12, 2011 | Flood | TROPICAL STORM LEE | DR |
| Sep 8, 2011 | Flood | REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM LEE | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Perry County, Pennsylvania?
287 events are on record between 1963 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths and $1.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Perry County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 215 recorded events — 74.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Perry County?
8 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 8 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Perry County?
20 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Perry County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Perry County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Perry County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 53 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Perry 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
- Northumberland County 331
- Philadelphia County 643
- Northampton County 700
- Pike County 219
- Montour County 113
- Potter County 247
Cite this page
“Perry County, Pennsylvania.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/pennsylvania/perry-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.