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Pennsylvania · County tornado history

Lycoming County, Pennsylvania tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 29 tornadoes in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.6 years. That ranks it 7 of 67 counties in Pennsylvania with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on March 31, 2022.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
29
Since 2000
11
Strongest
F3, May 31, 1985
Most recent
EF1, March 31, 2022
Peak month
May (9)
Per 1,000 sq mi
23
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Lycoming County

May has brought the most, 9 of 29. About 69% touched down between 12 pm and 6 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 6
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 19
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 2
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Lycoming County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 31, 1985 F3 19 mi 910 yd 6 60
July 29, 1976 F3 25 mi 150 yd
August 16, 1966 F2 4.5 mi 100 yd 1
October 2, 2018 EF2 2.2 mi 300 yd
March 31, 2022 EF1 9.1 mi 500 yd 1
May 10, 1973 F1 1.6 mi 67 yd
August 2, 1979 F1 0.8 mi 13 yd
July 13, 1986 F1 17 mi 100 yd
August 13, 1990 F1 3.7 mi 70 yd
July 8, 1996 F1 1 mi 30 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Lycoming County was an F3 on May 31, 1985. It killed 6 people and injured 60 along its 19-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 31, 2022 EF1 9.1 mi 500 yd 1
October 2, 2018 EF2 2.2 mi 300 yd
July 9, 2015 EF1 0.9 mi 225 yd
May 26, 2011 EF1 2 mi 100 yd
May 26, 2011 EF1 5.6 mi 150 yd
June 19, 2007 EF0 1 mi 70 yd
August 31, 2005 F1 0.8 mi 100 yd
June 6, 2005 F1 1.5 mi 75 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Lycoming County as relatively low, with a score of 50 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.39 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,244,841 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Lycoming County had?

29 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 11 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Lycoming County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on March 31, 2022. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Lycoming County?

An F3 on May 31, 1985, with a 19-mile path.

When is tornado season in Lycoming County?

May has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.