Lightning Risk in Pennsylvania
All Pennsylvania counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index lightning score
Lightning risk — electrical discharges from storms that ignite fires and cause casualties — is rated for 67 of 67 Pennsylvania counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Monroe County carries the state's highest lightning score at 96.8, with $2M in expected annual lightning losses.
31 Pennsylvania counties are rated High or Very High for lightning, and expected annual losses from lightning total roughly $55M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Lightning
| # | County | Lightning Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monroe County | Very High | 32.12 / yr | $2M | |
| 2 | Lancaster County | High | 36.02 / yr | $2M | |
| 3 | Philadelphia County | High | 35.74 / yr | $2M | |
| 4 | Erie County | High | 36.62 / yr | $2M | |
| 5 | Lehigh County | High | 35.22 / yr | $2M | |
| 6 | Delaware County | High | 35.98 / yr | $2M | |
| 7 | Berks County | High | 34.92 / yr | $2M | |
| 8 | Westmoreland County | High | 42.37 / yr | $2M | |
| 9 | Luzerne County | High | 33.11 / yr | $2M | |
| 10 | Allegheny County | High | 42.59 / yr | $2M | |
| 11 | York County | High | 37.01 / yr | $2M | |
| 12 | Northampton County | High | 34.58 / yr | $2M | |
| 13 | Bucks County | High | 33.98 / yr | $2M | |
| 14 | Chester County | High | 35.75 / yr | $2M | |
| 15 | Bradford County | High | 31.03 / yr | $1M | |
| 16 | Lackawanna County | High | 31.32 / yr | $1M | |
| 17 | Forest County | High | 37.01 / yr | $834K | |
| 18 | Butler County | High | 40.37 / yr | $1M | |
| 19 | Centre County | High | 34.54 / yr | $1M | |
| 20 | Washington County | High | 42.71 / yr | $1M | |
| 21 | Dauphin County | High | 35.24 / yr | $1M | |
| 22 | Carbon County | High | 34.04 / yr | $1M | |
| 23 | Mercer County | High | 39.56 / yr | $926K | |
| 24 | Lebanon County | High | 35.06 / yr | $1M | |
| 25 | Jefferson County | High | 37.87 / yr | $717K | |
| 26 | Schuylkill County | High | 34.62 / yr | $821K | |
| 27 | Cambria County | High | 38.14 / yr | $798K | |
| 28 | Clearfield County | High | 36.16 / yr | $770K | |
| 29 | Indiana County | High | 40.27 / yr | $712K | |
| 30 | Crawford County | High | 37.78 / yr | $645K | |
| 31 | Venango County | High | 37.79 / yr | $692K | |
| 32 | Fayette County | Medium | 43.41 / yr | $605K | |
| 33 | Clarion County | Medium | 38.45 / yr | $670K | |
| 34 | Somerset County | Medium | 39.66 / yr | $657K | |
| 35 | Elk County | Medium | 35.47 / yr | $747K | |
| 36 | Lawrence County | Medium | 40.36 / yr | $632K | |
| 37 | Cumberland County | Medium | 36.63 / yr | $741K | |
| 38 | Blair County | Medium | 36.55 / yr | $574K | |
| 39 | Montgomery County | Medium | 34.57 / yr | $756K | |
| 40 | Beaver County | Medium | 41.15 / yr | $649K | |
| 41 | McKean County | Medium | 33.89 / yr | $494K | |
| 42 | Northumberland County | Medium | 34.16 / yr | $485K | |
| 43 | Armstrong County | Medium | 40.54 / yr | $517K | |
| 44 | Lycoming County | Medium | 32.77 / yr | $472K | |
| 45 | Mifflin County | Medium | 34.60 / yr | $281K | |
| 46 | Warren County | Medium | 35.86 / yr | $357K | |
| 47 | Columbia County | Medium | 33.35 / yr | $389K | |
| 48 | Clinton County | Medium | 33.39 / yr | $285K | |
| 49 | Franklin County | Medium | 36.94 / yr | $360K | |
| 50 | Tioga County | Medium | 30.89 / yr | $281K | |
| 51 | Adams County | Low | 37.28 / yr | $301K | |
| 52 | Pike County | Low | 30.45 / yr | $280K | |
| 53 | Greene County | Low | 43.49 / yr | $258K | |
| 54 | Union County | Low | 33.70 / yr | $208K | |
| 55 | Wayne County | Low | 30.89 / yr | $238K | |
| 56 | Susquehanna County | Low | 30.55 / yr | $189K | |
| 57 | Bedford County | Low | 37.22 / yr | $163K | |
| 58 | Potter County | Low | 31.37 / yr | $148K | |
| 59 | Snyder County | Low | 33.82 / yr | $136K | |
| 60 | Huntingdon County | Low | 35.74 / yr | $128K | |
| 61 | Wyoming County | Low | 31.23 / yr | $123K | |
| 62 | Perry County | Low | 35.11 / yr | $132K | |
| 63 | Montour County | Low | 33.95 / yr | $107K | |
| 64 | Juniata County | Low | 34.52 / yr | $74K | |
| 65 | Cameron County | Very Low | 33.74 / yr | $49K | |
| 66 | Sullivan County | Very Low | 31.03 / yr | $43K | |
| 67 | Fulton County | Very Low | 36.86 / yr | $39K |
67 Pennsylvania counties with measurable lightning risk. See the national lightning ranking or all Pennsylvania counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Pennsylvania county has the highest lightning risk?
Monroe County has the highest FEMA lightning risk score in Pennsylvania at 96.8 (Very High), with $2M in expected annual losses and about 32.12 events per year.
How many Pennsylvania counties face significant lightning risk?
67 Pennsylvania counties record measurable lightning risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 31 of them are rated High or Very High.