Pennsylvania strong wind risk
Montgomery County has the highest strong wind risk in Pennsylvania, scoring 99 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montgomery County | 99 | Very High | 0 |
| 2 | Berks County | 97.9 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 3 | Philadelphia County | 97.9 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 4 | Delaware County | 97.7 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 5 | Allegheny County | 96.3 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 6 | Lehigh County | 95.6 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 7 | Chester County | 94.6 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 8 | Bucks County | 94.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 9 | Erie County | 93.7 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 10 | Dauphin County | 93.2 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 11 | Cumberland County | 92.9 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 12 | York County | 92.9 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 13 | Lancaster County | 91.9 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 14 | Schuylkill County | 90.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 15 | Westmoreland County | 90.2 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 16 | Huntingdon County | 89.6 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 17 | Lebanon County | 88.3 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 18 | Lycoming County | 87.3 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 19 | Crawford County | 86.2 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 20 | Northumberland County | 84.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 21 | Union County | 83.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 22 | Franklin County | 83.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 23 | Clearfield County | 82.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 24 | Northampton County | 81.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 25 | Clinton County | 81.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 26 | Monroe County | 80.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 27 | Butler County | 79.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 28 | Luzerne County | 78.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 29 | Carbon County | 78.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 30 | Warren County | 78.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 31 | Beaver County | 78.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 32 | Mifflin County | 77.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 33 | Perry County | 74.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 34 | Mercer County | 74 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 35 | Cambria County | 73.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 36 | Venango County | 73.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 37 | Adams County | 72.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 38 | Blair County | 69.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 39 | Fayette County | 66.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 40 | Snyder County | 65.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 41 | Wayne County | 64.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 42 | Pike County | 62.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 43 | Somerset County | 62.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 44 | Lackawanna County | 62 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 45 | Columbia County | 61.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 46 | Tioga County | 55.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 47 | Centre County | 53.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 48 | Potter County | 53.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 49 | Bedford County | 53.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 50 | Juniata County | 50.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 51 | Lawrence County | 50.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 52 | Jefferson County | 48 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 53 | Indiana County | 47.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 54 | Susquehanna County | 45.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 55 | Clarion County | 44.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 56 | McKean County | 41.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 57 | Elk County | 37.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 58 | Washington County | 35.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 59 | Fulton County | 34 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 60 | Greene County | 33 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 61 | Montour County | 32.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 62 | Armstrong County | 30.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 63 | Bradford County | 27.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 64 | Wyoming County | 22 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 65 | Forest County | 19.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 66 | Sullivan County | 13 | Very Low | 0 |
| 67 | Cameron County | 10.5 | Very Low | 0 |
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.
Strong Wind risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Pennsylvania:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest strong wind risk county in Pennsylvania?
Montgomery County, PA has the highest strong wind risk in Pennsylvania, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Pennsylvania are rated Very High for strong wind risk?
1 of 67 scored Pennsylvania counties are rated "Very High" for strong wind risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes strong wind risk in Pennsylvania?
Strong wind risk covers non-convective, non-tropical sustained high winds — including derechos and general high-wind events, but excluding tornado and hurricane winds. High scores appear in mountain passes, coastal headlands, and open plains where topography amplifies wind speeds. Damage concentrates on utility infrastructure, trees, and lightweight structures.