How Likely Is a Tornado in Cameron County, PA?
How likely is a tornado in Cameron County, PA?
Cameron County has recorded 2 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 38.5 years - our Minimal band. Put another way: Cameron County sees more tornado activity than 7% of US counties. Pennsylvania has 67 counties in this dataset; Cameron County ranks 67 of them by frequency.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
2 weak and 0 significant tornadoes make up Cameron County's 2-track record - none violent. NOAA has never logged an EF4 or EF5 crossing this county.
The dollar figure Cameron County's rating leads to
Cost nationally: $2,890-$13,280, about $7,645 typical. Pennsylvania has no state rebate program confirmed here; FEMA's underlying 75% cost-share exists nationwide, but applying through a state program is what usually makes it real, and none was found for Pennsylvania this pass.
What a direct hit isn't required for
4,348 people live in Cameron County, and a tornado outbreak's power loss usually reaches far more of Pennsylvania than the tracks themselves touch. A portable battery unit is the faster, no-fuel way to bridge that outage.
What this number is, and is not
One caveat before relying on Cameron County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 396 square miles, so a single touch counts the same as one in a county a fraction of that size. Weaker pre-1990s tornadoes are also documented as undercounted in NOAA's own record. Cameron County has about 4,348 residents.