Columbia

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Flood insurance figures are for Lancaster County, the county that contains Columbia.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

River crests

River gauges in Lancaster County, the county that contains Columbia.

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

The drought index is for Lancaster County, the county that contains Columbia.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the city centre.
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Mapped landslides

Landslides mapped in Lancaster County.

Mapped by NASA (1).

1. Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.

USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Feb 24, 2016Tornado$8.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A survey team from the National Weather Service in State College confirmed an EF-2 tornado near White Horse in Salisbury Township, Lancaster County on February 24, 2016. The tornado touched down one-half mile southwest of the intersection of Amish Road and Spring Garden Road then travelled to the northeast at a speed of around 50 mph, staying on the ground for 7 minutes. An estimated 50 buildings sustained damage along the path of the tornado. Two large farm outbuildings and one two-story residence sustained major roof damage near the intersection of Amish Road and Spring Garden Road. This marked the transition of the tornado from EF-1 to EF-2. A van with several passengers…

2. Oct 19, 2012Tornado$6.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The National Weather Service in State College, PA along with Lancaster County Emergency Management officials conducted a storm survey in the southwestern part of Lancaster County. The survey confirmed an EF1 tornado affected portions of southwest and south-central Lancaster County during the late evening on October 19, 2012. Maximum winds were estimated between 100 and 110 mph. The path length was approximately 16 miles and the maximum width was 200 yards. ||The tornado first touched down near Fern Glen in southwest Lancaster County, then|traveled northeast to near Paradise. The tornado damage was sporadic and embedded within a larger area of straight line wind damage that…

3. Feb 25, 2017Thunderstorm Wind$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A microburst produced straight line winds of 70 to 90 mph, producing a 9 mile path of wind damage that was about 1/2 a mile in width.

4. Sep 29, 2015Tornado$4.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The National Weather Service in State College confirmed an EF-1 tornado, with peak winds around 95 mph, near Rohrerstown in East Hempfield Township, Lancaster County. The tornado touched down around 12:40 am on September 30, 2015. ||The tornado tracked from southeast to northwest along a 2.5-mile path, with two segments of concentrated damage. The first segment covered an approximate one-half mile stretch from the Limespring Farm across US Route 30 and up a nearby hill-side before lifting. The circulation traveled aloft for about 1 mile with a second touchdown just southeast of Centerville Road on Stonebridge Drive. The tornado then crossed Nolt Road and then dissipated just…

5. Jun 25, 2000Flash Flood$4.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rains struck many parts of Lancaster County, causing flooding of many areas. Hardest hit were northern sections of the county. Five to six inches of rain fell late Sunday afternoon and evening in Lititz, the community hardest hit by flooding. Scores of homes and businesses flooded Sunday night as thunderstorms stalled over the area. At one time, all roads in and out of Lititz were closed. Many motorists were trapped in their cars by the fast rising waters. All were rescued by firefighters and police without injury. A fire chief said that they had 15 stranded vehicles, with people in them, all at one time. East Petersburg reported 6 inches of rain, and the Lancaster Airport…

6. Sep 16, 1999Flash Flood$1.6 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Floyd moved inland across North Carolina before sunrise on Thursday, September 16th, accelerated northward over eastern Virginia during the morning, crossed eastern Maryland by Thursday afternoon, and reached Long Island by evening. In its wake, heavy rains fell across North Carolina and Virginia into Pennsylvania. Although not nearly as severe as the destruction across areas to the south and east, the middle and lower Susquehanna region of central Pennsylvania endured 24-hour rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches that flooded roads, fields, basements, small streams, and the Conestoga River that flows through the city of Lancaster. President Clinton declared Lancaster and…

7. Oct 8, 2005Flood, Lancaster$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain, up to 12+ inches in some locations, caused devastating flooding acrossLancaster County. Heavy rain began during the evening of October 7th, with significant floodingbeginning in the morning hours of the 8th. A total of 34 water rescues were performed, and anumber of dwellings had partial or total basement collapses due to the heavy rain. Many roadsthroughout the county were flooded and impassable, including Route 322 from Ephrata to NewHolland. In West Earl Township, 2 homes sustained significant damage, and one was totallydestroyed. Another home in East Lampeter Township sustained significant damage. Substantialwater damage occurred in two apartments in West Lampeter…

8. Mar 29, 2009Tornado$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An EF1 Tornado with peak winds between 85 and 95 mph touched down near Lititz, and lifted a few minutes later between Lititz and Ephrata. While the tornado path length was 1.25 miles, widespread downburst wind damage associated with the parent thunderstorm continued for an additional eight to nine miles toward the town of Denver. Overall, over 200 structures sustained damage. Significant tornado damage affected eight trailer homes, six of which were totally destroyed. Approximately thirty barns also sustained either moderate or major damage. Three minor injuries were reported as a result of the tornado damage.

9. Mar 29, 2009Thunderstorm Wind$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Widespread downburst winds of 70 to 80 mph produced damage from a few miles east-northeast of Lititz to the town of Denver. Several hundred homes and structures sustained moderate to major damage.

10. Sep 7, 2011Flood$800,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The Susquehanna River at Marietta crested in major flood stage at 58.16 feet. Flood stage is 49.0 feet. This is the 4th highest crest on record. The Conestoga River at Lancaster crested in major flood stage at 21.30 feet. Flood stage is 11.0 feet. This is the 2nd highest crest on record.||Life-threatening flash flooding affected a large part of western Lancaster County, inlcuding Elizabethtown, Manheim, Marietta and Columbia.||Mudslides, trapped motorists and flooded homes were widespread from Elizabethtown to Columbia in northwest Lancaster County. Mount Joy and Marietta also experience major flooding.||At one point on the afternoon of the 8th, emergency dispatchers were handling…

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

103°F2 times, most recently Jul 3, 2026

All-time low

−22°FJan 21, 1994

Warmest night

81°F3 times, most recently Jul 3, 2026

Coldest day

−1°FJan 19, 1994

Wettest day

7.71 inSep 7, 2011

Snowiest day

26.4 inJan 23, 2016

Hottest year

2021mean 56.9°F

Coldest year

1963mean 51.4°F

Wettest year

201173.73 in

Driest year

200125.76 in

Snowiest season

77.6 in1995-96

Station Middletown Harrisburg International Airport (USW00014711), 299 ft elevation, 18.4 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1941 to October 27, 2026; 100.0% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

Declarations for Lancaster County.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00014711.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.