How Likely Is a Tornado in Lackawanna County, PA?
Lackawanna County's tornado history, by the numbers
Lackawanna County has recorded 12 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 6.3 years - our Low band. Put another way: Lackawanna County sees more tornado activity than 35% of US counties. Pennsylvania has 67 counties in this dataset; Lackawanna County ranks 40 of them by frequency.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
11 weak and 1 significant tornadoes make up Lackawanna County's 12-track record - none violent. NOAA has never logged an EF4 or EF5 crossing this county.
The dollar figure Lackawanna 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
Power loss after a tornado outbreak in Pennsylvania often reaches homes the storm itself never touched. A battery-backup unit covers the outage without the fuel and venting a generator needs.
What this number is, and is not
One caveat before relying on Lackawanna County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 459 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. Lackawanna County has about 216,859 residents.