NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bellefonte, 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
15 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 23 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 14
- Tornadoes
- 23
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Bellefonte
The strongest storm to pass near Bellefonte was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 79 mph winds when its centre passed 16 miles away. The record near Bellefonte begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 53 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 3 systems. Of the 15 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 45% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Bellefonte. The strongest of the 23 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on May 31, 1985; its path came within 20 miles. Of the 23, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 8 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 5. The most recent tornado was on July 2, 2023. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 96% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Bellefonte. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 36 times since 1987, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 64% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Bellefonte.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bellefonte
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 16 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 14 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Bellefonte: 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 Bellefonte
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s5
- 2000s2
- 1990s8
- 1980s2(1 EF3+)
- 1970s3
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1985 | F4 | 20 mi | 69 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF2 | 24 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 18, 1991 | F2 | 15 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Nov 20, 1989 | F2 | 18 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 5, 1975 | F2 | 14 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 23, 1952 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jul 2, 2023 | EF1 | 6 mi | 0.62 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 1, 2017 | EF1 | 17 mi | 1.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 27, 2013 | EF1 | 8 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 2007 | EF1 | 24 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1998 | F1 | 25 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 8, 1996 | F1 | 22 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 23, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bellefonte
The Storm Prediction Center has 36 hail reports within 10 miles of Bellefonte since 1987, made on 32 separate days. Of these, 17 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on April 28, 2002. The most recent report is from August 7, 2023. June has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bellefonte
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is State College, PA, 10 miles southwest of Bellefonte at 1,170 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 34°F and 21°F. August is the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 41.7 inches over 83 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (22.6 of 41.7 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 121 nights a year. Snowfall averages 43.8 inches a year, most of it in February. That 41.7 inches is more than at 30 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (20%). Howard, 9 miles northeast, has its own station (Millheim, PA): 42.4 inches a year, 0.7 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 21 | 2.9 | 7 | 11.3 |
| Feb | 37 | 22 | 2.5 | 6 | 11.6 |
| Mar | 46 | 28 | 3.4 | 7 | 9.4 |
| Apr | 59 | 39 | 3.5 | 8 | 0.9 |
| May | 69 | 50 | 3.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 77 | 59 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 81 | 63 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 79 | 62 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 72 | 54 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 61 | 43 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.4 |
| Nov | 49 | 34 | 3.0 | 6 | 2.6 |
| Dec | 38 | 26 | 3.2 | 7 | 7.6 |
| Year | 59 | 42 | 41.7 | 83 | 43.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at State College, PA (1,170 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 Bellefonte
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 216 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bellefonte: 208 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 flash floods and 3 floods. They killed 1 person and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $6.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 105 mph, on June 22, 2024. August has had the most flash floods, 2 of 5. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 71 have had fewer than Bellefonte.
April 29, 2025: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Bellefonte — 1 killed, $5,000 damage.
July 26, 2012: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Bellefonte — 3 injured, $5,000 damage.
October 20, 2016: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Bellefonte — $5.0 million 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 Bellefonte's ZIP code 16823 have filed 60 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $1.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004: 16 claims (27% of all) and $1.0 million. The year with the most claims was 1979, with 17. 53% 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, 294 have fewer than Bellefonte.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Ivan2004 | 16 | $1.0 million |
Centre County, which includes Bellefonte, has been named in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 floods, 3 hurricanes, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Centre County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $24.9 million a year, the 35th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $19.4 million (78%), 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 Bellefonte
- Centre Hall, PA7 mi
- Julian, PA7 mi
- University Park, PA9 mi
- Boalsburg, PA9 mi
- Howard, PA9 mi
- State College, PA9 mi
- Spring Mills, PA12 mi
- Port Matilda, PA16 mi
- Reedsville, PA18 mi
- Mill Hall, PA20 mi
- Belleville, PA22 mi
- Petersburg, PA22 mi
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