NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Columbia Cross Roads, 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 Columbia Cross Roads, Pennsylvania since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was David in 1979. Since 1950, 33 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 33
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Columbia Cross Roads
The strongest storm to pass near Columbia Cross Roads was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 82 mph winds when its centre passed 74 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Hazel in 1954, whose centre came within 51 miles. The record near Columbia Cross Roads begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was David in 1979, a tropical storm 35 miles away. The 1870s and the 1970s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. None of the 11 systems has come since 2000. Columbia Cross Roads has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site. The highest rating among the 33 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 2, 1983, came within 12 miles. Of the 33, one had a path 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, 89% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Columbia Cross Roads. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 18 times since 1989, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 88% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Columbia Cross Roads.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Columbia Cross Roads
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 51 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 14 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 74 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Columbia Cross Roads: 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 Columbia Cross Roads
By decade
- 2010s14
- 2000s3
- 1990s5
- 1980s4(2 EF3+)
- 1970s4
- 1960s1
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 16 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 12 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jun 13, 2018 | EF2 | 11 mi | 5.16 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 22 mi | 0.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 19, 1954 | F2 | 24 mi | 12.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 28, 2019 | EF1 | 17 mi | 3.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 25, 2016 | EF1 | 18 mi | 0.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 2, 2014 | EF1 | 17 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 2012 | EF1 | 17 mi | 13.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 2012 | EF1 | 15 mi | 8.81 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 2012 | EF1 | 20 mi | 2.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 2012 | EF1 | 23 mi | 0.26 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 33, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Columbia Cross Roads
The Storm Prediction Center has 18 hail reports within 10 miles of Columbia Cross Roads since 1989, made on 16 separate days. Of these, 15 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 July 18, 2006. The most recent report is from August 4, 2022. June has the most reports, 6.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Columbia Cross Roads
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Canton, PA, 15 miles south of Columbia Cross Roads 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 11 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%). Gillett, 6 miles north, has its own station (Elmira, NY): 38.1 inches a year, 3.1 less 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 | 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 Columbia Cross Roads
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 75 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Columbia Cross Roads: 38 thunderstorm wind reports, 35 flash floods, 1 flood and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $5.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on July 18, 2006. July has had the most flash floods, 12 of 35. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 450 have had fewer than Columbia Cross Roads.
June 10, 2008: lightning strike 6 miles from the centre of Columbia Cross Roads — 1 injured.
April 26, 2011: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Columbia Cross Roads — $3.0 million damage.
August 13, 2018: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Columbia Cross Roads — $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 Columbia Cross Roads, 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.
Cities near Columbia Cross Roads
- Gillett, PA6 mi
- Troy, PA7 mi
- Millerton, PA11 mi
- Pine City, NY14 mi
- Athens, PA15 mi
- Sayre, PA15 mi
- Canton, PA15 mi
- Elmira, NY16 mi
- Mansfield, PA16 mi
- Waverly, NY16 mi
- Towanda, PA18 mi
- Tioga, PA20 mi
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