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Franklin County, Pennsylvania
Tornadoes, hail, floods and severe storms recorded here between 1963 and 2026, from NOAA's Storm Events Database. Search an address to see which tornadoes came closest to it.
15
Tornado reports
87
Hail reports
60
Floods since 1996
597
All events
1
Deaths
$3.5M
Property damage
Tornado paths in Franklin County
The part of each tornado’s path NOAA recorded in this county, 13 in all. Zoom in and the paths widen to their surveyed width.
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Year by year
All storm eventsTornadoes
NOAA's storm database records tornadoes back to 1950 and hail and thunderstorm wind back to 1955, but floods only from 1996 on. Older floods are missing here. For those, the U.S. Geological Survey's stream gauge records and flood reports are the place to look.
Most significant events
The strongest tornadoes, deadliest events and biggest damage here, up to 50.
High winds took down a tree and killed a woman while she was mowing her lawn on a riding lawn mower in Greencastle.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked trees and wires down on Bain Rd.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked a tree down on Williamson Road northwest of Greencastle.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked trees and wires down in Mont Alto.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked wires down on church road northwest of Mont Alto.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A line of severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked wires down on N Fayette Street in Mercersburg.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A line of severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked wires down on Talhelm Road.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A line of severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked wires down on Villa View Drive near Rouzerville.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm, producing wind gusts estimated near 60 mph, formed ahead of the line that produced widespread tree damage in Somerset, Bedford, and Fulton Counties. This storm knocked a tree down in Saint Thomas.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm, producing wind gusts estimated near 70 mph, formed ahead of the line that produced widespread tree damage across Somerset, Bedford, and Fulton Counties. This storm knocked down multiple large trees across the western side of Chambersburg before also knockin…
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A line of severe thunderstorms, producing wind gusts estimated near 70 mph, knocked down multiple trees and limbs onto wires in Waynesboro.
Drought Drought
Severe (D2) drought persisted for Franklin County through the month of June 2026, and a Drought Warning was in effect for the county from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked down multiple trees and wires along Welsh Run Road and Mercersburg Road approximately 3 miles east-southeast of Claylick.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked down trees and wires in Upton along Lemar Road and Buchanan Trail West.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked down multiple large trees along Grant Shook Road between Filer Road and Worleytown Road.
Drought Drought
Severe (D2) drought conditions persisted across south-central Franklin County through May 2026. Precipitation for the month of May 2026 largely remains near climatological averages for much of the county; however, prolonged dry conditions over many months allowed for drought cond…
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm, producing wind gusts estimated near 60 mph, knocked down multiple trees near residences on Snider Road west-southwest of Chambersburg. Reports also indicated a small building collapse in the vicinity.
Drought Drought
Severe (D2) drought conditions persisted across south-central Franklin County through April 2026. Some light rainfall through the middle of month allowed for slight expansion of the severe drought with more beneficial rainfall not coming until the final week of April 2026. A Drou…
Drought Drought
Severe (D2) drought conditions persisted across central Franklin County through March 2026. Some light rainfall throughout the month allowed for little expansion of the severe drought but the lack of more widespread rainfall maintained the severe drought across the county, where …
Drought Drought
D2 (severe) drought conditions continued through the month of February 2026. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) upgraded Franklin County from a Drought Watch to a Drought Warning on February 18, 2026.
Heavy Snow Heavy Snow
Heavy snow began in the evening of January 24 and continued into the evening of January 25, with most of Franklin County seeing 6-8 inches of snow and sleet. The highest snowfall total in the county occurred near Chambersburg, where 9 inches was measured.
Drought Drought
D2 (severe) drought conditions began across southern Franklin County on January 13, 2026 with dry conditions continuing through the end of January 2026. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued a Drought Watch for Franklin County on January 8th.
Flash Flood Flash Flood
Heavy rain from a slow-moving thunderstorm produced flash flooding in Waynesboro, with high water rising over roadways. Locations impacted included North Welty Road on the east side of town along the East Branch of Antietam Creek. Vehicles were stranded due to flash flooding.
Heat Heat
Well-above average temperatures, coupled with humid conditions, allowed for heat index values to range between 100 and 105 degrees during the afternoon hours of July 30, 2025 across Franklin County.
Lightning Lightning
Lightning struck a house in the 4000 block of Heckman Drive, causing a house fire with no injuries reported.
Heat Heat
Well-above average temperatures, coupled with humid conditions, allowed for heat index values to range between 100 and 105 degrees during the afternoon and evening hours of July 25, 2025 across Franklin County.
Flash Flood Flash Flood
Heavy rain from thunderstorms produced flash flooding in Chambersburg with water rescues occurring on Hollywell Avenue, Kohler Road, and West Commerce Street.
Excessive Heat Excessive Heat
Well-above average temperatures, coupled with humid conditions, allowed for multiple days of heat index values over 100 degrees beginning during the afternoon hours of June 22nd and continuing through the late evening hours of June 25, 2025 across Franklin County. Heat index valu…
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked trees down onto powerlines approximately 5 miles south of Greencastle.
Flood Flood
Flooding led to 10 road closures across Franklin County across Lurgan, Southampton, Warren, and Montgomery townships.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm, producing estimated wind gusts near 70 mph, knocked down multiple trees near Rutledge Road in Mercersburg. This severe thunderstorm also produced damage to powerlines throughout Mercersburg.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm, producing estimated wind gusts near 70 mph, knocked down multiple trees and wires down throughout Greencastle.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm, producing estimated wind gusts near 70 mph, knocked down the awning of State Line Methodist Church in State Line.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm, producing estimated wind gusts near 70 mph, knocked down multiple trees and wires in Waynesboro.
Cold/Wind Chill Cold/Wind Chill
An extended period of well-below average temperatures across Franklin County allowed for wind chills to generally range between -10 to -15 degrees. The lowest wind chill of -19 degrees in Chambersburg occurred in the early morning hours of January 22, 2025.
Heavy Snow Heavy Snow
A winter storm produced 5 to 7 inches of snow across Franklin County, with snowfall beginning during the early morning hours of January 19, 2025 and continuing through the evening.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm producing winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down a large tree at Chambersburg Hospital, totaling one car and damaging two others.
Drought Drought
D2 (severe) drought conditions developed in south-central Franklin County on July 2, 2024 and continued through the end of July.
Heavy Snow Heavy Snow
A winter storm moving into Franklin County on the late evening hours of February 12 and into the morning hours of February 13, 2024 brought a period of initial rain before producing 5 to 6 inches of snowfall.
Flood Flood
Heavy rain and snowmelt led to flooding on Leafmore Road to the southeast of Saint Thomas, closing the road.
Heavy Snow Heavy Snow
A winter storm produced 5 to 6 inches of snowfall across Franklin County, with localized amounts of 7 to 8 inches on the highest ridgetops, as snow began in the morning hours of January 6, 2024 and continued through the evening hours. The northbound lanes of Interstate 81 were cl…
Hail Hail
A thunderstorm produced nickel-sized hail northeast of Waynesboro.
Hail Hail
A severe thunderstorm produced quarter-sized hail near Fort Loudon.
Hail Hail
A severe thunderstorm produced golf ball sized hail near Metal.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm producing winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down power poles and trees across Path Valley Road and Main Street in Fort Loudon.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm producing winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down multiple trees along Anthony Highway south of Quincy.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm producing winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and wires throughout Hamilton Township.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm producing winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down multiple trees and wires around Shippensburg.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm producing winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down numerous trees onto wires east of Fayetteville.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A severe thunderstorm producing winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down wires near Mont Alto.
Events by year, as a table
| Year | Events | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 21 | 0 |
| 2025 | 14 | 0 |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 |
| 2023 | 9 | 0 |
| 2022 | 12 | 1 |
| 2021 | 14 | 0 |
| 2020 | 23 | 0 |
| 2019 | 22 | 1 |
| 2018 | 9 | 0 |
| 2017 | 13 | 0 |
| 2016 | 7 | 0 |
| 2015 | 7 | 0 |
| 2014 | 17 | 0 |
| 2013 | 16 | 0 |
| 2012 | 24 | 1 |
| 2011 | 36 | 1 |
| 2010 | 19 | 0 |
| 2009 | 19 | 0 |
| 2008 | 16 | 0 |
| 2007 | 21 | 0 |
| 2006 | 15 | 0 |
| 2005 | 14 | 0 |
| 2004 | 20 | 3 |
| 2003 | 13 | 0 |
| 2002 | 16 | 0 |
| 2001 | 12 | 0 |
| 2000 | 14 | 0 |
| 1999 | 12 | 0 |
| 1998 | 14 | 0 |
| 1997 | 13 | 0 |
| 1996 | 34 | 2 |
| 1995 | 16 | 0 |
| 1994 | 6 | 2 |
| 1993 | 5 | 0 |
| 1992 | 7 | 1 |
| 1991 | 12 | 0 |
| 1990 | 4 | 0 |
| 1989 | 5 | 1 |
| 1988 | 6 | 0 |
| 1987 | 1 | 0 |
| 1983 | 3 | 0 |
| 1982 | 1 | 0 |
| 1981 | 2 | 0 |
| 1980 | 4 | 0 |
| 1978 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977 | 3 | 0 |
| 1976 | 5 | 1 |
| 1974 | 3 | 1 |
| 1973 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971 | 2 | 0 |
| 1970 | 4 | 0 |
| 1969 | 2 | 0 |
| 1965 | 2 | 0 |
| 1963 | 1 | 0 |
Search your address
See every tornado that passed within 25 miles of a place in Franklin County, measured to its path.
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