NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Blairsville, 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
11 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Blairsville, Pennsylvania since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 67 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 11
- Tornadoes
- 67
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Blairsville
None of the 11 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Blairsville; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1893, a tropical storm with 72 mph winds when its centre passed 71 miles away. The record near Blairsville begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 4 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 3 systems. Of the 11 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 70% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Blairsville. The strongest of the 67 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on June 3, 1980; its path came within 16 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on July 11, 1976, killed 1 person. Of the 67, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 30 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 19. The most recent tornado was on March 16, 2025. Blairsville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 59% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 38 times since 1993, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 62% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Blairsville.
Compare Blairsville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Blairsville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 64 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 Blairsville: 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 Blairsville
By decade
- 2020s13
- 2010s13
- 2000s4
- 1990s12
- 1980s11(1 EF3+)
- 1970s9(1 EF3+)
- 1960s2
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 3, 1980 | F4 | 16 mi | 11.8 mi | 0 / 140 |
| Jul 11, 1976 | F3 | 12 mi | 11.8 mi | 1 / 17 |
| Jun 26, 2024 | EF2 | 12 mi | 10.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 2, 2018 | EF2 | 22 mi | 1.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 23, 2011 | EF2 | 21 mi | 8.96 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F2 | 9 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 15, 1997 | F2 | 7 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 22, 1983 | F2 | 2 mi | 38 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Jul 26, 1981 | F2 | 9 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 3, 1980 | F2 | 9 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 1980 | F2 | 8 mi | 2.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 4, 1975 | F2 | 24 mi | 45.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 67, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Blairsville
The Storm Prediction Center has 38 hail reports within 10 miles of Blairsville since 1993, made on 23 separate days. Of these, 23 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 4, 2025. The most recent report is from May 4, 2025. May has the most reports, 23.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Blairsville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Loyalhanna Lake, PA, 11 miles west of Blairsville at 990 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 19°F. August is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 43.5 inches over 90 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (23.2 of 43.5 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 11 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal September there has highs of 76°F and 4.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 14 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 130 nights a year. That 43.5 inches is more than at 57 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (39%). Homer City, 8 miles northeast, has its own station (Indiana 3 SE, PA): 47.8 inches a year, 4.3 more than here, and the same July average high, 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 19 | 3.1 | 8 |
| Feb | 40 | 20 | 2.5 | 7 |
| Mar | 49 | 27 | 3.3 | 8 |
| Apr | 62 | 36 | 3.8 | 9 |
| May | 72 | 46 | 4.0 | 9 |
| Jun | 80 | 55 | 4.1 | 9 |
| Jul | 83 | 59 | 4.3 | 8 |
| Aug | 82 | 58 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Sep | 76 | 51 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Oct | 64 | 40 | 2.9 | 7 |
| Nov | 52 | 30 | 3.3 | 7 |
| Dec | 41 | 24 | 3.6 | 7 |
| Year | 61 | 39 | 43.5 | 90 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Loyalhanna Lake, PA (990 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 Blairsville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 173 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Blairsville: 149 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods and 12 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 30, 1998. June has had the most flash floods, 5 of 12. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 211 have had fewer than Blairsville.
June 26, 2024: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Blairsville — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Trees down along Pizza Barn road.”
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 Blairsville's ZIP code 15717 have filed 18 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $123,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 28% 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, 99 have fewer than Blairsville.
Indiana County, which includes Blairsville, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 floods, 4 snowstorms, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Debby, on September 11, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Indiana County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and strong wind; Very Low for heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $18.7 million a year, the 44th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $14.2 million (76%), 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.