Pottsville

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 Schuylkill County, the county that contains Pottsville.

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 Schuylkill County, the county that contains Pottsville.

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 Schuylkill County, the county that contains Pottsville.

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 Schuylkill 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. Sep 7, 2011Flood$4.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rainfall from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee caused extensive flooding across Schuylkill County. The county made a Declaration of Disaster Emergency, along with the municipalities of Pine Grove Borough, Hegins Township, Tower City Borough, Porter Township, Port Clinton Borough, and Pine Grove Township. ||The Pine Grove area appeared to take the brunt of the flooding. In Pine Grove Borough, the Swatara Creek overflowed its banks, causing massive flooding and damage to the area. Many people had to be rescued from their homes when the waters rose to dangerous levels, or from their vehicles after attempting to drive through the raging waters. National Guard personnel from…

2. May 26, 2011Tornado$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A NWS survey team confirmed a long-track EF1 tornado via PSP helicopter in Schuylkill County. The EF1 tornado occurred during the late evening on 26 May 2011 between 2020-2045 EDT. The tornado touched down about one-half mile west of Cressona in North Manheim Township along Beaver Creek Road. The tornado produced a sporadic path of damage spanning approximately 17 miles, lifting and touching down several times before finally dissipating about 1 mile northeast of Kepner in West Penn Township. Approximately 20 residential homes were damaged, 4 of which suffered major damage. In addition, 12 barns and outbuildings were damaged. The tornado downed more than 1000 trees, with the bulk…

3. Aug 12, 2009Flash Flood$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorms produced heavy rain and flash flooding in Pine Grove in southern Schuylkill County. Numerous roads were flooded and closed in the town, and the Mayor issued a disaster declaration. Two to three feet of water covered Tulpehocken Street in Pine Grove as the Swatara Creek rose seven feet in about 4 hours and exceeded bankful. In addition, over 200 basements were flooded.

4. Apr 19, 2013Thunderstorm Wind$50,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An official NWS Storm Survey was conducted in Tremont Borough. It was determined that a microburst or straight-line thunderstorm winds estimated near 85 mph created a swath of sporadic damage along a 1-mile long stretch from East Line Street near Good Spring Creek to near the intersection of SR 125/209. The damage included about 20 homes with roof and siding damage and approximately 15 trees down.

5. May 23, 2024Thunderstorm Wind$40,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A severe thunderstorm producing winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down multiple trees in between Timber Road and Forrest Drive near Mount Carbon, causing damage to 2 homes and a shed. No injuries were reported.

6. Feb 12, 2009High Wind, Schuylkill$25,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Non-thunderstorm wind gusts between 55 and 65 mph toppled numerous trees and power lines across Schuylkill County. The high winds also shattered windows, scattered shingles and sheared roofs.

7. May 27, 2024Tornado$25,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A NWS storm survey confirmed that an EF1 tornado impacted Mahanoy City the evening of May 27, 2024. The tornado touched down just west of Mahanoy City around 7:38pm. Several trees were uprooted as the tornado traveled northeastward into Mahanoy City and crossed East Railroad Street. Shingles and wooden debris were lofted into the air, and several impalements of wood into roofs and into the ground were observed. Several windows on the local elementary school were damaged as well. The tornado crossed train tracks just north of Mahanoy City and uprooted several additional trees before lifting after it crossed Glendon Road around 7:44 p.m. EDT.

8. Sep 23, 2011Flash Flood$25,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain from thunderstorms caused flash flooding in northeast Schuylkill County. Flood waters were over portions of I-81 and Route 309 near Mcadoo, and across portions of I-81 near Frackville. Several roads were reported to be washed out near Hometown in Rush Township.

9. May 23, 2011Thunderstorm Wind$20,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A NWS survey team found evidence of strong downburst winds extending along a nearly two mile path in Walker Township. This area of downburst winds also included a small EF1 tornado which is separately documented.||The downburst winds partially removed the roof of one home on Kettle Road, and portions of three barn roofs along Catawissa Road. A cement wall of a barn was also toppled from the winds along Catawissa Road. Top wind speeds were estimated at around 95 mph with this downburst wind damage. There were no injuries or fatalities associated with the damage swath.

10. Sep 16, 1999Flash Flood$20,000

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

106°FJul 22, 2011

All-time low

−7°FJan 22, 2025

Warmest night

80°FJul 22, 2011

Coldest day

10°FJan 7, 2014

Wettest day

6.75 inOct 8, 2005

Snowiest day

24.6 inJan 23, 2016

Hottest year

2024mean 56.9°F

Coldest year

2003mean 51.5°F

Wettest year

201868.74 in

Driest year

201636.66 in

Snowiest season

64.7 in2002-03

Station Reading Regional Airport (USW00014712), 332 ft elevation, 24.9 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1949 to October 27, 2026; 92.3% 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 Schuylkill 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 USW00014712.
• 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.