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Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
Fayette County, Pennsylvania, has 995 weather events in the NCEI Storm Events record since 1950, most of them damaging wind.
That is 125.8 events per 100 square miles, in line with the Pennsylvania figure of 121.6, and 78.4 per 10,000 residents against 42.0 statewide.
59 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 2 deaths and 26 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $33M and crop damage at $2.0M.
FEMA has designated the county in 18 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Covid-19 Pandemic (major disaster, 30 Mar 2020).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 722 claims since 1978, of which 569 were paid, totalling $10M (about $18K per paid claim). FEMA counts 208 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively Moderate" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively Low" ($37M a year across 18 hazards).
11 tropical storm or hurricane tracks in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 0 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.
Compared with Pennsylvania and the United States
| Measure | Fayette County | Pennsylvania | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 995 | 54,427 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 125.8 | 121.6 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 78.4 | 42.0 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 59 | 2,028 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 2 | 901 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $33M | $5.3B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 5.9 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $18K | $23K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 51.0 | 25.9 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 595 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 318 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Apr 2004 | Flood | Flood | — | $25K | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 23 Aug 2014 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $20K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 25 Aug 2023 | Tornado | Tornado | EF2 | $850K | $10K | — | 6 | County |
| 13 Jul 1971 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 4 | County |
| 25 Jun 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | 4 | County |
| 16 Nov 1965 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 3 | County |
| 1 Oct 1986 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | 2 | County |
| 6 Jun 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 70 mph | $5K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 22 Aug 1987 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 12 Jan 2024 | High Wind | Wind | 64 mph | $250K | — | — | 1 | Forecast zone |
| 6 Jun 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 58 mph | $5K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 6 Jun 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 19 Jan 1996 | Flood | Flood | — | $5.0M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 2 Jun 1998 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $3.0M | $2.0M | — | — | County |
| 28 Aug 2016 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $5.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2013 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $2.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Nov 2022 | Hail | Hail | 2.00 in | $1.2M | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Feb 2000 | Flood | Flood | — | $1.0M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 6 Oct 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 58 mph | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Nov 2003 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $530K | — | — | — | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Mar 2020 | DR-4506 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3441 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 23 Mar 2016 | DR-4267 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Public assistance |
| 1 Oct 2013 | DR-4149 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 29 Oct 2012 | EM-3356 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy | Public assistance |
| 16 Apr 2010 | DR-1898 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms | Public assistance |
| 10 Sep 2005 | EM-3235 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina | Public assistance |
| 19 Sep 2004 | DR-1557 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Tropical Depression Ivan | — |
| 19 Sep 2004 | DR-1555 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding Associated With Tropical Depression Frances | — |
| 14 Mar 2003 | EM-3180 | Emergency | Severe Storm | Snow | Public assistance |
| 21 Jan 1996 | DR-1093 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Jan 1996 | DR-1085 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Blizzard Of 96 | Public assistance |
| 10 Mar 1994 | DR-1015 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms | Public assistance |
| 16 Mar 1993 | EM-3105 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 9 Nov 1985 | DR-754 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 29 Jan 1977 | EM-3026 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Snowstorms | Public assistance |
| 23 Jun 1972 | DR-340 | Major disaster | Flood | Tropical Storm Agnes | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 18 Sep 1971 | DR-312 | Major disaster | Flood | Floods | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4 | 3 | $43,532 | $14,511 |
| 2024 | 6 | 6 | $125,849 | $20,975 |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2022 | 3 | 1 | $28,360 | $28,360 |
| 2021 | 4 | 3 | $21,934 | $7,311 |
| 2020 | 4 | 3 | $71,729 | $23,910 |
| 2019 | 27 | 22 | $1,704,951 | $77,498 |
| 2018 | 22 | 18 | $492,659 | $27,370 |
| 2017 | 35 | 31 | $1,317,395 | $42,497 |
| 2016 | 37 | 32 | $1,725,815 | $53,932 |
| 2015 | 6 | 4 | $39,572 | $9,893 |
| 2014 | 9 | 8 | $312,209 | $39,026 |
| 2013 | 7 | 4 | $72,208 | $18,052 |
| 2012 | 5 | 4 | $132,410 | $33,103 |
| 2011 | 11 | 9 | $341,308 | $37,923 |
| 2010 | 3 | 1 | $3,157 | $3,157 |
| 2009 | 2 | 2 | $13,780 | $6,890 |
| 2008 | 3 | 2 | $46,172 | $23,086 |
| 2007 | 4 | 4 | $16,438 | $4,109 |
| 2004 | 11 | 6 | $22,518 | $3,753 |
| 2003 | 38 | 25 | $665,244 | $26,610 |
| 2002 | 21 | 15 | $123,976 | $8,265 |
| 2000 | 85 | 69 | $617,177 | $8,945 |
| 1999 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1998 | 2 | 1 | $2,468 | $2,468 |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | $32,322,882 | |
| Tornado | $1,893,064 | |
| Strong wind | $674,951 | |
| Lightning | $604,720 | |
| Hail | $537,304 | |
| Earthquake | $364,262 | |
| Heat wave | $217,575 | |
| Hurricane | $166,819 | |
| Drought | $74,418 | |
| Ice storm | $70,191 | |
| Winter weather | $66,999 | |
| Cold wave | $45,748 | |
| Landslide | $30,557 | |
| Wildfire | $27,158 | |
| Avalanche | $1,099 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
| Storm | Year | Closest approach | Max wind while within 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy | 2012 | 51 mi | 58 mph |
| Isabel | 2003 | 76 mi | 58 mph |
| David | 1979 | 78 mi | 46 mph |
| Frederic | 1979 | 78 mi | 40 mph |
| Audrey | 1957 | 76 mi | 46 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1928 | 88 mi | 46 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1915 | 21 mi | 40 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1896 | 67 mi | 69 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1893 | 87 mi | 40 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1888 | 98 mi | 52 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1878 | 65 mi | 58 mph |
HURDAT2 best-track positions at tropical-storm strength (34 kt) or more, measured from the county's Census centre point; through the 2025 season. Distance from a track is not the same as the extent of the storm's wind, rain or surge.
ZIP codes with flood claims
- 15401 174
- 15012 147
- 15417 97
- 15425 73
- 15438 60
- 15474 36
- 15473 34
- 15435 20
- 15465 16
- 15631 14
- 15433 13
- 15622 11
- 15428 10
- 15458 9
- 15431 8
- 15610 7
- 15442 6
- 15462 6
- 15436 5
- 15445 5
- 15461 5
- 15478 5
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Fayette County, PA?
NCEI records 124 hail events in Fayette County since 1950, in 34 different years; that is about 1.6 recorded events a year. 19 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Fayette County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 23 tornadoes in Fayette County since 1950, 6 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Fayette County?
30 Mar 2020: Covid-19 Pandemic, a major disaster declaration for biological. The county appears in 18 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Fayette County, and how much was paid?
722 NFIP claims since 1978, 569 of them paid, for $10M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Fayette County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively Moderate" for overall risk, "Relatively Low" for expected annual loss, "Relatively High" for social vulnerability and "Relatively High" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Fayette County compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?
125.8 recorded events per 100 square miles against 121.6 statewide, and 5.7 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 5.9. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 1 Oct 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.