Valley-Hi, PA Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Valley-Hi is about the same as Pennsylvania average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Valley-Hi is lower than Pennsylvania average and is much lower than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #1325
| Valley-Hi, PA | 0.03 |
| 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
| Valley-Hi, 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, #2300
| Valley-Hi, PA | 54.87 |
| 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 2,385 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Valley-Hi, 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: | 2 | Cold: | 18 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 6 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 399 | Hail: | 365 | Heat: | 4 | Heavy Snow: | 59 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 8 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 34 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,351 | Tropical Storm: | 1 | Wildfire: | 4 | Winter Storm: | 26 | Winter Weather: | 0 |
| Other: | 108 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Valley-Hi, PA.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Valley-Hi, PA.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Valley-Hi, PA.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 16 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Valley-Hi, PA.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 35.8 | 1961-04-16 | 3 | 40°03'N / 77°31'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cumberland | |||
| 37.0 | 1956-05-13 | 2 | 40°15'N / 78°50'W | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Somerset | |||
| 43.2 | 1989-06-20 | 2 | 40°22'N / 77°30'W | 2.00 Miles | 23 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Perry | |
| 43.3 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 45.2 | 1969-07-05 | 2 | 39°40'N / 78°54'W | 0.50 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Allegany | |
| 45.4 | 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 |
| 45.5 | 1980-06-09 | 2 | 40°39'N / 78°39'W | 40°35'N / 78°32'W | 7.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Cambria |
| 45.7 | 1998-06-02 | 2 | 39°44'N / 78°58'W | 39°42'N / 78°56'W | 2.50 Miles | 700 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0 | Garrett |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado passed through the town of Finzel in extreme northeast Garrett County. Several buildings were destroyed, including a small house and cinder-block garage. This tornado actually began in extreme eastern Fayette County, PA and was on the ground for 33 miles before ending in in Allegany County, MD. | |||||||||||
| 45.9 | 1998-06-02 | 4 | 39°40'N / 78°58'W | 39°38'N / 78°50'W | 8.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 5 | 5.0M | 250K | Allegany |
| Brief Description: The combination of an upper-level disturbance, increasing atmospheric shear, and ample instability set the stage for a major severe weather episode across the north half of Maryland during the late afternoon and evening. The episode was highlighted by supercell thunderstorms which produced three tornadoes, numerous instances of large hail, and several downbursts. The most substantial event was a strong-to-violent tornado which caused excessive damage in western Allegany Co. The multi-vortex twister had estimated wind speeds of 210 mph - the highest in recorded Maryland history - when it ravaged a neighborhood of well-constructed single-family homes along a local plateau just north of Frostburg. The tornado was on the ground for an amazing 33 miles, beginning in Somerset Co, Pennsylvania before crossing northeastern Garrett Co Maryland on its way to Allegany Co. The parent supercell tracked over 200 miles. After descending Big Savage Mountain, the twister produced a swath of destruction across a neighborhood just west of Frostburg. At least eight homes were destroyed and dozens others were damaged. Several cars were damaged, and some were totalled. One two-story home was obliterated. Left in the wake was the foundation and some remnant plywood. The residents of the home - a woman and two children - received ample warning and rode out the storm to safety in the basement. Advance warning likely saved several lives and reduced casualties; in all, only 5 area residents sustained minor injuries. The tornado continued through Eckhart Mines and Clarysville, causing further damage and destruction to homes and other property. It then continued through undeveloped areas, then passed across Dans Mountain before damaging a few more residences along state route 53 just north of Cresaptown. The twister lifted at that point, but the parent thunderstorm continued producing damage into eastern West Virginia. In all, emergency management officials reported 29 homes destroyed and 125 damaged, with nearly half of the surviving homes receiving moderate to major levels of damage. Initial dollar estimates ranged from $4.5 to $5 million. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of trees in forested and developed areas were snapped or uprooted. The supercell was so powerful that Frostburg area residents' papers, including personal checks and one high school diploma - were found over 50 miles downstream in the northern Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia. The "Frostburg Tornado" was not the only twister to affect the county. The area had been on high alert since early evening - tornado warnings had been issued two other times, and funnel clouds were observed by several witnesses prior to sunset. One of the funnels touched down not too far from where the Frostburg Tornado entered the county - along the west side of Big Savage Mountain nearly 2 hours earlier. The funnel lifted while over Frostburg and nearby communities, and continued through Cumberland before touching down again on Irons Mountain 2-3 miles southeast of the city. In each instance, damage was limited to forested areas along the ridges. Tornadoes were just a portion of the severe weather to affect northern Maryland. The other major player was hail, with dozens of occurrences associated with each mini-supercell. The strongest cells produced hailstones ranging from 1.75" to 2.50" in diameter; the strong updrafts in each storm combined with steep atmospheric lapse rates to produce not only large hail but long-duration hail as well. Some areas experienced up to 20 minutes of hail, and many residents noted hail which covered the ground. Reported damage included some stripped siding, varying sized dings and dents, as well as shattered glass, in numerous vehicles; stripped paint from homes and vehicles, small limb and leaf debris, and likely crop damage or destruction. The main hail-producing storm affected portions of northern Montgomery, Howard, southern Carroll, southern Baltimore, and northern Prince George's and Anne Arundel Cos - all between 1800 and 1945EST. The episode concluded in Maryland with a few wind damage reports on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay just before midnight. Winds blew out the door to the Annapolis (Anne Arundel Co) city fire department station, and knocked several large trees down in Eastport at approximately the same time. | |||||||||||
| 46.2 | 2004-09-17 | 2 | 39°22'N / 78°02'W | 39°23'N / 78°02'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 6 | 25K | 0 | Berkeley |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down in Darkesville in southern Berkeley County. The F2 tornado produced extensive structural damage to homes and businesses in the area. The storm traveled north and toppled tractor trailers and vehicles on Interstate-81. At least 6 people were injured from the automobile accidents. | |||||||||||
| 46.4 | 1989-11-20 | 2 | 40°37'N / 77°49'W | 40°39'N / 77°47'W | 3.50 Miles | 1230 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Huntingdon |
| 48.2 | 1996-07-19 | 2 | 40°43'N / 78°35'W | 40°39'N / 78°28'W | 8.40 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Cambria |
| Brief Description: An F1 to weak F2 tornado touched down in Clearfield County near New Washington around 10:15 a.m. EST. The tornado moved southeast approximately 19 miles along a curved path crossing Five Points into Cambria County across Glendale Lake before ending 2 miles east of Frugality. This storm damaged several mobile homes and farms in Five Points, picked a boat out of the water on Glendale Lake and felled many trees along its path. A herringbone tree pattern was apparent along with suction vortex damage to crops. | |||||||||||
| 48.4 | 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 | |||||||||||
| 49.4 | 1961-07-13 | 2 | 39°19'N / 78°12'W | 0 | 1 | 3K | 0 | Frederick | |||
| 49.5 | 1991-09-18 | 2 | 40°40'N / 77°49'W | 40°42'N / 77°47'W | 4.00 Miles | 330 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Huntingdon |
| 49.7 | 1955-08-19 | 2 | 40°24'N / 77°23'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Chester | |||
* 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.