NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Canton, 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
12 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Canton, Pennsylvania since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was David in 1979. Since 1950, 39 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 10
- Tornadoes
- 39
- 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 Canton
The strongest storm to pass near Canton was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 82 mph winds when its centre passed 70 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Hazel in 1954, whose centre came within 45 miles. The record near Canton begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was David in 1979, a tropical storm 28 miles away. None of the 12 systems has come since 2000. Canton has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site. The highest rating among the 39 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 6 times; the most recent, on October 2, 2018, came within 18 miles. Of the 39, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 17 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 15. The most recent tornado was on May 29, 2019. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 82% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Canton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 24 times since 1967, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 79% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Canton.
Compare Canton's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Canton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 45 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 14 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 70 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Canton: 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 Canton
By decade
- 2010s11
- 2000s6
- 1990s11
- 1980s2
- 1970s5
- 1960s2
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2, 2018 | EF2 | 18 mi | 2.17 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 2018 | EF2 | 8 mi | 5.16 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 8, 2014 | EF2 | 19 mi | 6.68 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 1974 | F2 | 21 mi | 12.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 16, 1966 | F2 | 25 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Sep 19, 1954 | F2 | 12 mi | 12.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 2019 | EF1 | 18 mi | 10.43 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 23, 2018 | EF1 | 21 mi | 2.12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 25, 2016 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 2011 | EF1 | 23 mi | 0.39 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 31, 2005 | F1 | 17 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 12, 2005 | F1 | 15 mi | 0.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 39, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Canton
The Storm Prediction Center has 24 hail reports within 10 miles of Canton since 1967, made on 18 separate days. Of these, 16 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently May 19, 2019. The most recent report is from May 29, 2020. May and June have the most reports, 6 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Canton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Canton, PA, 1 mile west of Canton at 1,140 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 57°F; January is the coolest, at 33°F and 15°F. September is the wettest at 4.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.1 inches; the year adds up to 41.2 inches over 82 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (22.6 of 41.2 inches); the other six months are drier. October has brought the most of the 12 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal October there has highs of 60°F and 3.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 4 days a year, almost all from July to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 160 nights a year. Snowfall averages 42.1 inches a year, most of it in January. That 41.2 inches is more than at 23 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (16%). Mansfield, 17 miles northwest, has its own station (Tioga Hammond Dam, PA): 36.4 inches a year, 4.8 less than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 15 | 2.9 | 6 | 10.1 |
| Feb | 36 | 16 | 2.1 | 5 | 9.9 |
| Mar | 44 | 23 | 3.3 | 7 | 8.8 |
| Apr | 58 | 33 | 3.6 | 8 | 1.5 |
| May | 69 | 44 | 3.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 77 | 53 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 81 | 57 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 79 | 56 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 72 | 48 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 60 | 37 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Nov | 48 | 29 | 3.0 | 5 | 2.8 |
| Dec | 38 | 22 | 3.1 | 6 | 8.8 |
| Year | 58 | 36 | 41.2 | 82 | 42.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Canton, PA (1,140 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 Canton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 73 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Canton: 45 thunderstorm wind reports, 22 flash floods, 3 floods, 2 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 2 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $1.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 1, 2017. July has had the most flash floods, 8 of 22. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 358 have had fewer than Canton.
July 6, 2020: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Canton — 2 killed, 2 injured.
June 10, 2008: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Canton — 1 injured.
August 13, 2018: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Canton — $500,000 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
Bradford County, which includes Canton, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 floods, 7 severe storms, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Bradford 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 and strong wind; Very Low for hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $32.2 million a year, the 30th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $28.3 million (88%), 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.