South Greensburg, PA Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in South Greensburg is about the same as Pennsylvania average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in South Greensburg is about the same as Pennsylvania average and is lower than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #1702
| South Greensburg, PA | 0.01 |
| Pennsylvania | 0.17 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| South Greensburg, PA | 0.0000 |
| Pennsylvania | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #974
| South Greensburg, PA | 117.47 |
| Pennsylvania | 109.77 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 4,275 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of South Greensburg, PA were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 4 | Cold: | 18 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 9 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 706 | Hail: | 723 | Heat: | 1 | Heavy Snow: | 98 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 28 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 97 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 2,436 | Tropical Storm: | 1 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 44 | Winter Weather: | 2 |
| Other: | 108 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near South Greensburg, PA.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near South Greensburg, PA.
No historical earthquake events found in or near South Greensburg, PA.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 42 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near South Greensburg, PA.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 1.5 | 1964-06-15 | 2 | 40°18'N / 79°33'W | 2.00 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Westmoreland | |
| 5.6 | 1983-05-22 | 2 | 40°18'N / 79°47'W | 40°20'N / 79°30'W | 14.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 6 | 2.5M | 0 | Westmoreland |
| 7.4 | 1954-06-26 | 2 | 40°15'N / 79°41'W | 0 | 4 | 25K | 0 | Westmoreland | |||
| 8.0 | 1976-07-11 | 3 | 40°21'N / 79°30'W | 40°16'N / 79°18'W | 11.80 Miles | 67 Yards | 1 | 17 | 2.5M | 0 | Westmoreland |
| 11.3 | 1983-05-22 | 2 | 40°20'N / 79°30'W | 40°27'N / 79°17'W | 13.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Westmoreland |
| 12.0 | 1965-11-16 | 2 | 40°06'N / 79°36'W | 40°07'N / 79°35'W | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Fayette | ||
| 12.1 | 1980-05-12 | 2 | 40°24'N / 79°23'W | 2.20 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Westmoreland | |
| 13.3 | 1965-11-16 | 2 | 40°05'N / 79°37'W | 40°06'N / 79°36'W | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Westmoreland | ||
| 14.2 | 1997-08-15 | 2 | 40°20'N / 79°19'W | 40°21'N / 79°16'W | 3.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 2 | 800K | 10K | Westmoreland |
| Brief Description: A severe thunderstorm produced a tornado that produced substantial damage in a residential area east-northeast of Latrobe along the foothills of the Chestnut Ridge. The tornado first touched down 1 mile west of Derry. The tornado completely destroyed a large tier of metal stadium bleachers at a high school football field and wrapped them against a utility pole. A nearby roof of a business was damaged and a mobile home was completely destroyed and a few mobile homes sustained damage. The tornado then tracked through a rural area, damaging some farm buildings and downing field corn. The tornado continued its rapid (estimated forward speed 50-60 miles per hour) northeast track and caused significant damage in a mobile home park in Derry. The tornado crossed Route 217 and downed trees across railroad tracks and then entered a residential area in Millwood. One frame house in Millwood was severely damaged and part of a room addition collapsed and trapped a resident, who was treated at the scene. A resident of a mobile home sustained minor injuries as well. Numerous trees were uprooted and large branches and power lines were downed along the track of the storm. One home along Route 217 had a branch embedded into the house siding. The tornado was estimated to have wind speeds of between 90 and 120 miles per hour, briefly attaining an F-2 rating on the Fujita Tornado Scale. All tolled, 7-8 mobile homes were destroyed (3 totally decimated), 10-12 sustained major damage, 15-18 sustained minor damage. One frame house was heavily damaged and about 10 sustained minor damage. One car was destroyed when a tree fell on it. Parked next to the auto was another car with two occupants that were not injured. About 10 other cars were damaged. An open-air church in Millwood was also heavily damaged. The tornado appeared to have dissipated as it entered the heavily wooded slopes of the Chestnut Ridge. | |||||||||||
| 15.1 | 1983-05-22 | 2 | 40°17'N / 79°53'W | 40°18'N / 79°47'W | 5.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Allegheny |
| 17.9 | 1956-05-13 | 2 | 40°22'N / 79°52'W | 0.70 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Allegheny | |
| 17.9 | 1963-08-03 | 3 | 40°19'N / 79°53'W | 2 | 70 | 25.0M | 0 | Allegheny | |||
| 18.7 | 1975-06-04 | 2 | 40°35'N / 80°13'W | 40°11'N / 79°32'W | 45.30 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Beaver |
| 18.9 | 1980-06-03 | 2 | 40°32'N / 79°28'W | 40°32'N / 79°22'W | 4.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Indiana |
| 21.4 | 1983-05-22 | 2 | 40°27'N / 79°17'W | 40°30'N / 79°11'W | 6.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Indiana |
| 21.7 | 1980-06-03 | 4 | 40°36'N / 79°33'W | 40°35'N / 79°30'W | 2.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 120 | 250.0M | 0 | Armstrong |
| 21.7 | 1953-05-30 | 2 | 40°24'N / 79°12'W | 40°24'N / 79°08'W | 1.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Indiana |
| 23.2 | 1980-06-03 | 4 | 40°37'N / 79°42'W | 40°36'N / 79°33'W | 7.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250.0M | 0 | Westmoreland |
| 25.9 | 1981-07-26 | 2 | 40°34'N / 79°14'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Indiana | |||
| 26.1 | 1980-06-03 | 4 | 40°39'N / 79°44'W | 40°37'N / 79°42'W | 1.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 20 | 250.0M | 0 | Allegheny |
| 26.9 | 1986-10-01 | 2 | 39°55'N / 79°45'W | 39°54'N / 79°40'W | 4.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Fayette |
| 28.6 | 2002-04-28 | 2 | 40°34'N / 79°14'W | 40°37'N / 79°09'W | 5.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 1 | 750K | 0 | Indiana |
| Brief Description: A storm spawning two separate tornadoes passed over southern Armstrong County, continuing eastward into Indiana County. The first tornado, an F0, touched down at approximately 2:45 PM EST just south of the town of Spring Church in Armstrong County. It traveled east about 3 miles before crossing into Indiana County approximately 1 mile east of Maysville at 2:52 PM EST. This tornado continued traveling to the east for another mile, finally dissipating near the community of Iselin at around 2:55 PM EST. The maximum estimated winds with this tornado were about 70 MPH. Damage from this first tornado included numerous trees which were toppled or snapped. A small steeple was toppled, and a swimming pool was destroyed. There were several trees toppled onto houses, and some houses suffered minor wind damage. A garage was damaged, and a house under construction was lifted off the foundation. The same storm produced another stronger tornado, an F2, which touched down in Indiana County approximately 6 miles southwest of the city of Indiana at 3:00 PM EST. This F2 traveled to the east across Center Township for approximately 5 miles, dissipating just south of Indiana at 3:06 PM EST. The estimated maximum winds were around 135 MPH. This F2 tornado produced a swath of damage as it traveled eastward across Indiana County. One house was totally destroyed, and debris from this house was blown downwind. In this same area, a car was turned over and trees were stripped of leaves. An adjacent house exhibited damage from hail or flying projectiles on several sides. The house immediately to the north of the destroyed house lost part of its east-facing roof. There were at least an additional 18 houses damaged (roofs, shingles, siding, etc.). Several garages and barns were either toppled or snapped. A large sign from a hotel was blown down onto a car sales lot. Two cars were crushed and 18 other vehicles were damaged. One moderate injury was reported with this tornado. | |||||||||||
| 29.5 | 1951-05-11 | 2 | 40°07'N / 79°07'W | 40°03'N / 78°59'W | 8.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Somerset |
| 30.1 | 1966-04-23 | 2 | 40°42'N / 79°24'W | 1.00 Mile | 17 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Armstrong | |
| 32.9 | 1981-04-28 | 2 | 40°44'N / 79°44'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Butler | |
| 33.5 | 1998-06-02 | 3 | 40°03'N / 79°13'W | 39°45'N / 79°05'W | 26.00 Miles | 1760 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Somerset |
| Brief Description: The second tornado of the evening, and the third to strike Somerset County in 3 days, this F3 was by far the longest and strongest of the trio. The storm created a path of damage 33 or more miles long, from Fayette County southeast across southern Somerset County into Maryland. The tornado crossed into Somerset County just southwest of the Seven Springs resort, tracked 26 miles across the county to the Maryland state line, 5 miles southeast of Salisbury. From there, the tornado continued southeast for more than 5 miles to Frostburg, Maryland. It, too, would cross the path of the May 31st storm, just 3 miles east of Salisbury. In some locations, the tornado was up to one mile wide. Damage from this tornado was rated at F3 on the fujita scale, with winds of 158 to 206 mph. Many farms were completely destroyed as this tornado moved through generally rural areas in southern Somerset County. A family in Laurel Falls near Summit Mills and St. Paul took shelter in a basement corner behind a television set. As the twister passed, they looked up to find all three stories of their house were gone, along with eight rows of foundation blocks. A battery operated clock found the next morning had stopped at 9:38 p.m. A neighbor told of losing electricity, then getting a phone call from his brother to warn him. He and his family took shelter in a hall closet because they had no basement. They told of hearing a buzzing noise like a giant bee's nest. Another neighbor found her mobile home flipped on its roof after taking shelter at her son's house. When the first tornado of the evening missed a Laurel Falls family mobile home, they proceeded to a neighbor's home. The second storm blew the trailer off its foundation. Residents of Boynton were cleaning up trees with chainsaws and front end loaders from the first tornado around 7:30pm when firefighters came by and told them to get back inside because another tornado was on its way. The second tornado broke all the windows from one house, ripped the roof off another and a barn. One person told of seeking shelter from rain in a shed when the first tornado passed, then going to the home basement when the second came through, mentioning that she was unable to pull the basement door shut behind her. The shed disappeared during the second storm. Estimated damage from the Tuesday evening tornadoes included 30 to 40 properties, including permanent and seasonal residences and farms. There were no deaths or injuries from this severe tornado. However, over 100 head of cattle were killed in one barn alone, which was completely destroyed. Many other farms lost tens of cattle and other livestock. | |||||||||||
| 33.7 | 1990-06-30 | 2 | 40°07'N / 80°09'W | 0.20 Mile | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Washington | |
| 35.4 | 1951-06-27 | 2 | 40°35'N / 79°15'W | 40°52'N / 79°11'W | 19.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Armstrong |
| 37.7 | 1956-05-13 | 2 | 40°15'N / 78°50'W | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Somerset | |||
| 37.8 | 1998-06-02 | 2 | 39°45'N / 79°39'W | 39°43'N / 79°34'W | 5.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3.0M | 2.0M | Fayette |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado passed southeast through southern Fayette County PA, the northeast tip of Preston County WV, and into northwest Garrett County MD. The total length of the tornado as it passed across these three counties was 12 miles. Damage included a completely destroyed dairy barn, two completely destroyed house trailers, and at least 21 other structures heavily damaged, many with roofs partially or completely peeled off. Several cows were killed, with one cow thrown through the air over 100 yards. A clearly visible 300-yard wide, 1-mile long swath of trees which were completely sheared/uprooted was present near the Pennsylvania/West Virginia state border. One Fayette County official estimated at least two million dollars damage in lost timber alone in that county. Despite the damage, interviews with law enforcement officials, paramedics and local residents revealed no injuries occurred. | |||||||||||
| 38.6 | 1985-05-31 | 3 | 40°47'N / 80°09'W | 40°43'N / 79°44'W | 22.00 Miles | 243 Yards | 6 | 80 | 25.0M | 0 | Butler |
| 38.6 | 1998-06-02 | 2 | 39°51'N / 79°14'W | 39°46'N / 79°04'W | 15.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Somerset |
| Brief Description: This F2 tornado was the first of two tornadoes to cross southern Somerset County on the evening of June 2. It would cross the path of the May 31st tornado that struck Salisbury. The tornado initially touched down about 4 miles southeast of Markleton, then tracked southeast for 12 miles across the Boynton area and ended in Pocahontas crossing the May 31st track about 6 miles east of Salisbury. The town of Boynton was hard hit, but most of the remaining damage in Pennsylvania was to trees. A carpentry shop near Pocahontas that had been destroyed by the May 31st tornado on Sunday was already being rebuilt by Amish farmers when the framing was blown over by this tornado. There were no deaths or injuries. See additional details in the Seven Springs to Frostburg tornado that paralleled the track of this storm just two hours later. | |||||||||||
| 38.8 | 1971-07-13 | 2 | 39°46'N / 79°50'W | 39°42'N / 79°37'W | 12.20 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Fayette |
| 40.5 | 1998-06-02 | 2 | 39°43'N / 79°33'W | 39°40'N / 79°30'W | 4.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 5.0M | 2.0M | Preston |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado passed southeast through southern Fayette County PA, the northeast tip of Preston County WV, and into northwest Garrett County MD. The total length of the tornado as it passed across these three counties was 12 miles. Damage in Preston County included a completely destroyed dairy barn, two completely destroyed house trailers, and at least 21 other structures heavily damaged, many with roofs partially or completely peeled off. Several cows were killed, with one cow thrown through the air over 100 yards. A clearly visible 300-yard wide, 1-mile long swath of trees which were completely sheared/uprooted was present near the Pennsylvania/West Virginia state border. One Fayette County official estimated at least two million dollars damage in lost timber alone in that county. Despite the damage, interviews with law enforcement officials, paramedics and local residents revealed no injuries occurred. | |||||||||||
| 41.1 | 1971-07-13 | 2 | 39°42'N / 79°37'W | 39°40'N / 79°33'W | 3.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Fayette |
| 43.5 | 1998-06-02 | 2 | 39°40'N / 79°30'W | 39°38'N / 79°27'W | 3.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.0M | 0 | Garrett |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado passed southeast through southern Fayette County PA, the northeast tip of Preston County WV, and into northwest Garrett County MD. The total length of the tornado as it passed across these three counties was 12 miles. Damage included a completely destroyed dairy barn, two completely destroyed house trailers, and at least 21 other structures heavily damaged, many with roofs partially or completely peeled off. Several cows were killed, with one cow thrown through the air over 100 yards. A clearly visible 300-yard wide, 1-mile long swath of trees which were completely sheared/uprooted was present near the Pennsylvania/West Virginia state border. One Fayette County official estimated at least two million dollars damage in lost timber alone in that county. Despite the damage, interviews with law enforcement officials, paramedics and local residents revealed no injuries occurred. | |||||||||||
| 45.2 | 1956-05-12 | 2 | 40°37'N / 80°17'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Beaver | |||
| 46.1 | 1981-07-20 | 2 | 40°51'N / 80°00'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Butler | |||
| 46.2 | 1998-05-31 | 3 | 39°45'N / 79°05'W | 39°44'N / 78°58'W | 13.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 15 | 4.0M | 0 | Somerset |
| Brief Description: The tornado touched down just east of Mt. Davis and traveled east-southeast into downtown Salisbury. The storm then continued eastward for 8 miles ending east of the town of Pocahontas. The tornado was rated as an F2 (113 to 157 mph) through the town of Salisbury, but probably reached F3 (158 to 206 mph) intensity briefly near Pocohontas. Along the 15 mile path, damages were estimated to reach between $3 million to $4 million. The path length of the tornado was probably close to 15 miles. F0 damage (40-72 mph) was in a swath about 1/2 mile wide, with F2 damage confined to an area about 2 blocks wide in Salisbury. Near Pocohontas, a farmhouse was completely destroyed indicating winds of F3 intensity (158 to 206 mph) in an area about 50 yards wide. Fifteen people were injured from the tornado. One person, a 13 year old female in a van, lost her life when a tree fell onto the vehicle. 150 people were sheltered overnight Sunday. A 51-year old male and 15-year old female died from carbon monoxide poisoning when a portable generator malfunctioned 3 days after the event. The tornado struck downtown Salisbury around 8:50pm. Ten to fifteen businesses were significantly damaged. Siding and parts of roofs were removed from a number of homes, and part of a roof was removed from a church. The roof was completely ripped off of a furniture factory. Several tractor trailers at the factory were overturned. F13VE | |||||||||||
| 46.7 | 1954-06-01 | 2 | 40°55'N / 79°48'W | 40°57'N / 79°44'W | 3.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Butler |
| 47.7 | 1996-07-19 | 2 | 40°33'N / 78°45'W | 40°30'N / 78°39'W | 6.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Cambria |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado touched down around 11:10 a.m. EST 2 miles east of Colver and tracked 6 miles southeast before ending 1 mile west of Loretto. The path width was 100 yards. Two homes and a barn were destroyed by this storm. Several roofs and a second barn were also damaged. A central suction vortex was visible in crop damage. | |||||||||||
| 47.9 | 1986-09-23 | 2 | 40°58'N / 79°26'W | 0.50 Mile | 40 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Armstrong | |
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.