NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bechtelsville, 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
27 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 69 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 26
- Tornadoes
- 69
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Bechtelsville
The strongest storm to pass near Bechtelsville was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 85 mph winds when its centre passed 27 miles away. The record near Bechtelsville begins with an unnamed storm in 1861; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 38 miles away. The 1870s and the 2020s were the busiest decades, with 3 systems each. Of the 27 systems, 6 have come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 45% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Bechtelsville. The highest rating among the 69 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on May 31, 1998, came within 9 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on July 27, 1994, killed 3 people. Of the 69, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 18 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 18. The most recent tornado was on July 1, 2025. Bechtelsville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 64% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 64 times since 1979, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Bechtelsville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 59% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bechtelsville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 2 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | FayJul 11 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 3 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1992 | DanielleSep 26 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | DianeAug 19 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 16 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 27 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 26 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Bechtelsville: 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 Bechtelsville
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s6
- 2000s1
- 1990s17(2 EF3+)
- 1980s14
- 1970s9
- 1960s4
- 1950s7(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 27, 1994 | F3 | 12 mi | 2 mi | 3 / 25 |
| Mar 22, 1955 | F3 | 24 mi | 9.6 mi | 1 / 0 |
| May 31, 1998 | F3 | 9 mi | 8.3 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Nov 4, 1950 | F3 | 16 mi | 15.9 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 4, 2020 | EF2 | 25 mi | 20.77 mi | 0 / 18 |
| May 28, 2019 | EF2 | 20 mi | 3.08 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 5, 1984 | F2 | 7 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 5, 1984 | F2 | 8 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 5, 1984 | F2 | 8 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 5, 1984 | F2 | 8 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Oct 5, 1979 | F2 | 16 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Sep 5, 1979 | F2 | 9 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 69, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bechtelsville
The Storm Prediction Center has 64 hail reports within 10 miles of Bechtelsville since 1979, made on 48 separate days. Of these, 36 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on May 29, 2019. The most recent report is from July 8, 2025. May has the most reports, 20.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bechtelsville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Pottstown Limerick Airport, PA, 10 miles south of Bechtelsville at 291 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 22°F. September is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 45.3 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (24.5 of 45.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 27 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (11); a normal September there has highs of 75°F and 4.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 17 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 111 nights a year. That 45.3 inches is more than at 80 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (54%). East Greenville, 7 miles east, has its own station (Sellersville, PA): 51.7 inches a year, 6.4 more than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 22 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Feb | 40 | 23 | 2.6 | 6 |
| Mar | 49 | 30 | 4.1 | 7 |
| Apr | 61 | 40 | 3.6 | 7 |
| May | 71 | 50 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Jun | 79 | 59 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Jul | 84 | 64 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Aug | 82 | 62 | 4.4 | 7 |
| Sep | 75 | 55 | 4.8 | 6 |
| Oct | 63 | 43 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Nov | 52 | 34 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Dec | 42 | 27 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Year | 61 | 42 | 45.3 | 78 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Pottstown Limerick Airport, PA (291 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 Bechtelsville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 439 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bechtelsville: 292 thunderstorm wind reports, 78 flash floods, 54 floods, 10 lightning strikes and 5 heavy rain events. They killed 4 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $26.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 110 mph, on May 29, 2019. July has had the most flash floods, 34 of 78. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 630 have had fewer than Bechtelsville.
July 11, 2019: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Bechtelsville — 2 killed.
October 1, 2010: flood 10 miles from the centre of Bechtelsville — 1 killed, $750,000 damage.
August 28, 2011: flood 9 miles from the centre of Bechtelsville — 1 killed, $100,000 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
Berks County, which includes Bechtelsville, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 6 floods, 4 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Berks County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $119.5 million a year, the 9th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $69.1 million (58%), 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 Bechtelsville
- Barto, PA3 mi
- Boyertown, PA3 mi
- Gilbertsville, PA5 mi
- East Greenville, PA7 mi
- Perkiomenville, PA7 mi
- Oley, PA7 mi
- Pennsburg, PA7 mi
- Red Hill, PA7 mi
- Alburtis, PA8 mi
- Zionsville, PA8 mi
- Mertztown, PA9 mi
- Douglassville, PA9 mi
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