72
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$52.0M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Venango County, Pennsylvania: 72 recorded events between 1996 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #322 nationally and #23 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Venango County, Pennsylvania: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Venango County is the 2020s, when 23 of the county's 72 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 Venango County archive, flash flood makes up 12.0% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #322 for this hazard and #23 within Pennsylvania, putting it in the 89.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for flash flood in Venango County with 29 recorded events, while Mar 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.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 19, 2026 | OIL CITY | — | $5K |
| Jun 18, 2025 | LISBON | 0 | $5K |
| Jun 18, 2025 | BARKEYVILLE | 0 | $2K |
| Jun 18, 2025 | CHERRYTREE | 0 | $5K |
| Jun 18, 2025 | CLINTONVILLE | 0 | $20K |
| Jun 18, 2025 | ROCKY GROVE | 0 | $5K |
| Jun 18, 2025 | DEMPSEYTOWN | 0 | $5K |
| Jun 18, 2025 | CHERRYTREE | 0 | $2K |
| Jun 18, 2025 | FRANKLIN FISHER ARPT | 0 | $5K |
| Jun 17, 2025 | CRANBERRY | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Venango County
- Thunderstorm Wind 386
- Hail 92
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
By 713 AM EDT, Sage Run overflowed and flooded Rte 62 near Oil City; and buildings were flooded in Franklin. By 920 AM EDT, the town of Polk was flooded; about 50 homes received major damage. People were chest deep in water and had to be rescued. When water began spilling over the top of the earthen Piffer Dam, 250 people were evacuated. Other roads in the southwest part of Venango County were closed or washed out. By 8 AM EDT, the city of Franklin declared a disaster: the water treatment plant was flooded. Rte 62 remained closed, because of flooding, from Franklin to the Mercer County line. A manufacturing plant was flooded by 830 AM EDT. A gas station was flooded. A bridge was washed out on Deep Hollow Rd. 20 people had to be rescued. Polk and other parts of Venango County remained flooded until at least 5 PM EDT. Rain gauge in Polk recorded 3.2 inches of rain in 2 hours.
Strong thunderstorms dropped over 2 inches of rain in around one hour, which produced flooding in the Franklin area. Several main roadways in the area, including State Routes 8, 322 and 417 were closed due to flooding. Nearly 2 feet of water was reported on SR 322 just west of Franklin. In the Franklin area, dozens of homes and several businesses reported basement flooding. Up to 6 feet of water flooded some of the urban roadways, stranding motorists.
Parts of Routes 8 and 62, and other roads, flooded. Pizza business on 15th Street hill flooded twice during this storm. Chubb Run overflowed, flooded at least 3 homes. Three homes evacuated. At least a dozen basements flooded. Route 257 near Oil City flooded. Doppler radar estimated 3.7 inches of rain fell.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Venango County, Pennsylvania?
72 flash flood events are recorded in Venango County between 1996 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Venango County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Venango County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Venango 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
“Flash Flood in Venango County, Pennsylvania.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/pennsylvania/venango-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.