NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Altoona, PA
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
14 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Altoona, Pennsylvania since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 32 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 13
- Tornadoes
- 32
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Altoona
The strongest storm to pass near Altoona was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 79 mph winds when its centre passed 55 miles away. The record near Altoona begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 16 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 3 systems. Of the 14 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 45% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Altoona. The highest rating among the 32 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 4 times; the most recent, on July 19, 1996, came within 10 miles. Of the 32, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 8 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on August 29, 2024. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 89% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Altoona. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 19 times since 1985, with stones up to 1.5 inches (ping pong ball size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 86% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Altoona.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Altoona
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 55 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Altoona: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Altoona
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s4
- 1990s13
- 1980s7
- 1970s3
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 1996 | F2 | 13 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 19, 1996 | F2 | 10 mi | 27.4 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Sep 26, 1994 | F2 | 17 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 1980 | F2 | 8 mi | 7.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 29, 2024 | EF1 | 14 mi | 0.81 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 12, 2023 | EF1 | 22 mi | 0.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 2018 | EF1 | 11 mi | 0.47 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 2011 | EF1 | 23 mi | 2.72 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 2011 | EF1 | 20 mi | 3.71 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 27, 1998 | F1 | 12 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1998 | F1 | 14 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 8, 1996 | F1 | 17 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 32, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Altoona
The Storm Prediction Center has 19 hail reports within 10 miles of Altoona since 1985, made on 15 separate days. Of these, 15 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.5 inches (ping pong ball size), fell on June 3, 2023. The most recent report is from March 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 6.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Altoona
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Altoona 3 W, PA, 4 miles west of Altoona at 1,320 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 34°F and 19°F. May is the wettest at 4.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 44.7 inches over 89 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (24.0 of 44.7 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 6 days a year, almost all from July to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 128 nights a year. Snowfall averages 38.1 inches a year, most of it in February. That 44.7 inches is more than at 75 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (51%). Hollidaysburg, 5 miles south, has its own station (Altoona 7 SW, PA): 41.8 inches a year, 2.9 less than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 19 | 2.9 | 7 | 10.1 |
| Feb | 37 | 20 | 2.7 | 6 | 11.0 |
| Mar | 46 | 28 | 3.5 | 7 | 7.6 |
| Apr | 60 | 39 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.6 |
| May | 70 | 49 | 4.4 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 77 | 57 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 81 | 61 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 80 | 60 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 73 | 53 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 61 | 42 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 49 | 33 | 3.6 | 7 | 1.2 |
| Dec | 38 | 24 | 3.4 | 7 | 7.6 |
| Year | 59 | 40 | 44.7 | 89 | 38.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Altoona 3 W, PA (1,320 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Altoona
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 166 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Altoona: 142 thunderstorm wind reports, 15 flash floods and 9 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $665,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on March 16, 2025. June has had the most flash floods, 7 of 15. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 267 have had fewer than Altoona.
August 31, 2001: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Altoona — 2 injured, $15,000 damage.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Altoona's 2 ZIP codes have filed 224 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $738,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1996: 74 claims (33% of all) and $221,000, then Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004 with 22. 47% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 553 Pennsylvania cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 477 have fewer than Altoona.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1996 | 74 | $221,000 |
| Tropical Storm Ivan2004 | 22 | $128,000 |
Blair County, which includes Altoona, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 floods, 4 snowstorms, 3 hurricanes, 3 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Blair County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $33.9 million a year, the 29th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $27.3 million (81%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Altoona
- Hollidaysburg, PA5 mi
- Bellwood, PA7 mi
- Duncansville, PA7 mi
- Gallitzin, PA9 mi
- Williamsburg, PA10 mi
- Cresson, PA11 mi
- East Freedom, PA12 mi
- Loretto, PA12 mi
- Roaring Spring, PA13 mi
- Tyrone, PA13 mi
- Lilly, PA13 mi
- Martinsburg, PA15 mi
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