An Act of God is a natural force outside of human control (such as an earthquake, tsunami, or hurricane), and may relieve a party or parties to a contract or agreement from having to perform their obligations. Such Acts of God are often addressed in a force majeure clause, which typically appears near the end of the contract or agreement. A force majeure clause may also excuse a party's performance of its obligations for other reasons beyond its control, such as unavailability of products, riots, civil unrest, pandemics, and terrorism.

In Pennsylvania (PA), the concept of an 'Act of God' refers to unforeseen natural events that are beyond human control and can impact contractual obligations. Pennsylvania courts recognize Acts of God and may relieve parties from their contractual duties when such events occur, provided that the event was unforeseeable and prevented the performance of the contract. Force majeure clauses are contractual provisions that define the scope of unforeseeable events that excuse nonperformance, including but not limited to natural disasters, riots, pandemics, and terrorism. The enforceability of these clauses depends on their specific wording and the circumstances surrounding the event. If a force majeure clause clearly covers the event in question, Pennsylvania courts are likely to uphold it, relieving the affected party from their contractual obligations. However, if the clause is ambiguous or does not specifically address the event, courts will interpret the provision in the context of the contract as a whole to determine its applicability.