Pennsylvania lightning risk
Monroe County has the highest lightning risk in Pennsylvania, scoring 96.8 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded lightning events across Pennsylvania have increased 18% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monroe County | 96.8 | Very High | 3 |
| 2 | Lancaster County | 96.3 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 3 | Philadelphia County | 96.2 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 4 | Erie County | 96 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 5 | Lehigh County | 95.7 | Relatively High | 4 |
| 6 | Berks County | 95.6 | Relatively High | 6 |
| 7 | Delaware County | 95.6 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 8 | Westmoreland County | 95.6 | Relatively High | 3 |
| 9 | Luzerne County | 95.5 | Relatively High | 7 |
| 10 | Allegheny County | 93.7 | Relatively High | 3 |
| 11 | York County | 92.7 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 12 | Northampton County | 92.6 | Relatively High | 7 |
| 13 | Bucks County | 91.8 | Relatively High | 8 |
| 14 | Chester County | 91.4 | Relatively High | 3 |
| 15 | Bradford County | 90.8 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 16 | Lackawanna County | 90.6 | Relatively High | 7 |
| 17 | Forest County | 90.2 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 18 | Butler County | 90 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 19 | Centre County | 89.3 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 20 | Washington County | 88.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 21 | Dauphin County | 88.3 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 22 | Carbon County | 87.8 | Relatively High | 4 |
| 23 | Mercer County | 87.3 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 24 | Lebanon County | 86.9 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 25 | Jefferson County | 86.8 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 26 | Schuylkill County | 85.3 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 27 | Cambria County | 84.5 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 28 | Clearfield County | 84.4 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 29 | Indiana County | 84.1 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 30 | Crawford County | 83.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 31 | Venango County | 82.3 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 32 | Fayette County | 81.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 33 | Clarion County | 80.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 34 | Somerset County | 79.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 35 | Elk County | 78.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 36 | Lawrence County | 77.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 37 | Cumberland County | 77.4 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 38 | Blair County | 77 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 39 | Beaver County | 76.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 40 | Montgomery County | 76.7 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 41 | McKean County | 74.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 42 | Northumberland County | 71.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 43 | Armstrong County | 71.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 44 | Lycoming County | 68.9 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 45 | Mifflin County | 66.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 46 | Warren County | 63.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 47 | Columbia County | 62 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 48 | Clinton County | 61.3 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 49 | Franklin County | 60.8 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 50 | Tioga County | 58.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 51 | Adams County | 56.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 52 | Pike County | 56 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 53 | Greene County | 54.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 54 | Union County | 53.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 55 | Wayne County | 53 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 56 | Susquehanna County | 43.7 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 57 | Bedford County | 43.1 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 58 | Potter County | 42.7 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 59 | Snyder County | 40.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 60 | Huntingdon County | 35.2 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 61 | Wyoming County | 34.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 62 | Perry County | 33.7 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 63 | Montour County | 31.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 64 | Juniata County | 28.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 65 | Cameron County | 18.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 66 | Sullivan County | 15.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 67 | Fulton County | 11.5 | Very Low | 2 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Lightning risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Pennsylvania:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest lightning risk county in Pennsylvania?
Monroe County, PA has the highest lightning risk in Pennsylvania, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 96.8 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Pennsylvania are rated Very High for lightning risk?
1 of 67 scored Pennsylvania counties are rated "Very High" for lightning risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes lightning risk in Pennsylvania?
Lightning risk reflects expected annual losses from cloud-to-ground strikes, which ignite building fires, damage electrical systems, and cause fatalities. Florida consistently leads the US in lightning density. High scores also appear across the Gulf Coast, Southeast, and central Plains, where afternoon convective storms are most frequent in summer months.