Bucks County's five-year tornado average has jumped 50 percent compared to earlier periods, according to federal data compiled by the New Hope Free Press. The county's 10-year average now stands at 1.8 tornadoes annually.

The numbers land as county emergency officials release a new hazard mitigation plan that flags building age and code compliance as key vulnerabilities to wind damage in Bucks County.

Doylestown-area residents know the threat firsthand. In 2020, a tornado spawned by Tropical Storm Isaias traveled 16.9 miles from Northeast Philadelphia into the county, striking Upper Southampton before landing in Doylestown Township with 115-mph winds. The storm severely damaged the Children's Village child-care center at Doylestown Hospital, crossed Route 611 and hit homes on Country Brook Drive, then touched down a third time near the New Britain Township border, according to USA Today reporting at the time.

That storm damaged 84 homes and businesses across the county, USA Today reported in August 2020. Up to 135 children attended the child-care center, and hospital spokesman Ron Watson said staff kept the kids safe, with only four children and two staff members suffering minor injuries.

A record decade

Since 1950, Bucks County has recorded just over 30 tornadoes, the New Hope Free Press reported. Those storms caused 16 injuries and more than $10 million in property damage, according to federal data.

The 2020s have logged 11 tornado events, making this the most active decade on record. The peak year was 2021, when seven tornadoes touched down. Three hit on Sept. 1, 2021, alone.

The county's most recent tornadoes were EF1-rated storms in Bristol Borough and Bristol Township in 2021 and in Newtown borough and township in 2023, according to Midwestern Regional Climate Center data. The county has not recorded a tornado since 2023.

The strongest tornado in county history was an EF3 that tore through Bensalem Township with 140-mph winds, destroying and severely damaging homes, the New Hope Free Press reported.

Older buildings face greater risk

The county's 2026 hazard mitigation plan warns that older structures are more vulnerable.

"Vulnerability to the effects of a tornado or high wind is somewhat dependent upon the age of a structure because as building codes become more stringent, buildings are capable of enduring greater wind forces," the plan states.

The plan also notes that climate models project conditions favorable to severe thunderstorms and tornadoes will grow more likely, though the storms themselves may not become more frequent.

Statewide, tornadoes have caused roughly $90 million in property damage in Pennsylvania since 2004. Twenty-five Pennsylvania counties reported tornadoes in 2026, mostly in the western and central parts of the state, according to Stormsell Weather data cited by the New Hope Free Press.

The county's full hazard mitigation plan is available on the county's website.