UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934

        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 15, 2003

                             ERIE INDEMNITY COMPANY
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

           PENNSYLVANIA                   0-24000                 25-0466020
  -------------------------------       -------------        -------------------
  (State or other jurisdiction of       (Commission         (I.R.S. Employer
  incorporation)                         File Number)        Identification No.)


100 Erie Insurance Place, Erie, Pennsylvania                      16530
- --------------------------------------------                ----------------
  (Address of principal executive offices)                     (Zip Code)

          Registrant's telephone number, including area code (814) 870-2000

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Item 5. OTHER EVENTS.

On October 8, 2003,  Erie  Indemnity  Company  issued  a  press release which is
filed as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and is incorporated herein by reference.

Exhibit Number        Description
- --------------        -----------
99.1                  Press release dated October 8, 2003



                                    SIGNATURE

Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.



                                    ERIE INDEMNITY COMPANY


                                    Erie Indemnity Company
                                ------------------------------
                                       (Registrant)

Date: October 15, 2003               /s/ Timothy G. NeCastro
                                -------------------------------
                     (Timothy G. NeCastro, Executive Vice President & CFO)

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EXHIBIT 99.1

              Erie Insurance Reports Losses From Catastrophes

ERIE,  Pa. - October 8, 2003 -- (Nasdaq:  ERIE) Erie Insurance  Group  announced
today  that  it  has  received   loss   notifications   from  more  than  17,000
policyholders  as a result of Hurricane  Isabel and  subsequent  severe wind and
rain storms that struck North  Carolina,  Virginia,  Maryland and  Pennsylvania.
Erie  Insurance   Group   estimates   total  losses  from  these  events  to  be
approximately $74 million.  Additionally,  catastrophic wind and hailstorms that
struck western Pennsylvania in July resulted in nearly 1,700 claims and incurred
losses of approximately $20 million.

Erie  Indemnity  Company  shares  in the  underwriting  result  of the  combined
Property  &  Casualty  Group  through  its  5.5  percent   participation  in  an
intercompany  reinsurance  arrangement.  These catastrophe losses,  coupled with
other   underwriting   losses,   will  trigger  recoveries  under  an  aggregate
excess-of-loss  reinsurance  agreement  the  Company  has in  effect  with  Erie
Insurance  Exchange.  Because of these  recoveries,  there  will be no  material
effect from these catastrophe losses on the third quarter 2003 financial results
of the Erie Indemnity Company.

Erie Indemnity Company provides  management  services to the member companies of
the Erie Insurance Group, which includes the Erie Insurance  Exchange,  Flagship
City Insurance  Company,  Erie Insurance  Company,  Erie Insurance  Property and
Casualty  Company,  Erie  Insurance  Company  of New York and Erie  Family  Life
Insurance Company.

According  to  A.M.  Best  Company,   Erie  Insurance  Group,   based  in  Erie,
Pennsylvania,  is the 13th largest automobile insurer in the United States based
on direct premiums written and the 20th largest property/casualty insurer in the
United  States  based on total lines net premium  written.  The Group,  rated A+
(Superior) by A.M. Best Company, has more than 3.6 million policies in force and
operates in 11 states and the District of Columbia.  Erie Insurance Group ranked
454 on the FORTUNE 500.

News releases and more  information  about Erie Insurance Group are available at
http://www.erieinsurance.com

"Safe Harbor"  Statement Under the Private  Securities  Litigation Reform Act of
1995:  Certain  forward-looking  statements  contained  herein involve risks and
uncertainties.   These  statements  include  certain  discussions   relating  to
management fee revenue, cost of management operations, underwriting, premium and
investment  income  volume,  business  strategies,  profitability  and  business
relationships  and the  Company's  other  business  activities  during  2003 and
beyond. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such
as "may,"  "will,"  "should,"  "could,"  "would,"  "expect,"  "plan,"  "intend,"
"anticipate,"  "believe,"  "estimate,"  "project,"  "predict,"  "potential"  and
similar  expressions.  These  forward-looking  statements  reflect the Company's
current views about future events,  are based on assumptions  and are subject to
known and  unknown  risks and  uncertainties  that may cause  results  to differ
materially from those anticipated in those statements.  Many of the factors that
will determine  future events or achievements  are beyond our ability to control
or predict.

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