NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Cresco, 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
17 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Cresco, Pennsylvania since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 31 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 16
- Tornadoes
- 31
- 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 Cresco
The strongest storm to pass near Cresco was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 82 mph winds when its centre passed 17 miles away. The record near Cresco begins with an unnamed storm in 1863; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 16 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1970s, with 3 systems. Of the 17 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 45% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Cresco. The highest rating among the 31 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 31, 1998, came within 14 miles. Of the 31, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 11 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on May 6, 2025. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 90% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Cresco. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 26 times since 1961, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 76% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Cresco.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Cresco
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | DianeAug 19 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 16 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 17 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Cresco: 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 Cresco
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s5
- 2000s4
- 1990s10(1 EF3+)
- 1980s5
- 1970s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1998 | F3 | 14 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 21, 1976 | F3 | 13 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 25, 2017 | EF2 | 24 mi | 12.52 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2009 | EF2 | 13 mi | 4.58 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 31, 1998 | F2 | 16 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1998 | F2 | 13 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 20, 1981 | F2 | 18 mi | 4.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 5, 1979 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 13, 1972 | F2 | 6 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 2025 | EF1 | 21 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 2, 2018 | EF1 | 11 mi | 1.41 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 2, 2018 | EF1 | 18 mi | 1.01 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 31, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Cresco
The Storm Prediction Center has 26 hail reports within 10 miles of Cresco since 1961, made on 24 separate days. Of these, 14 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on June 24, 1985. The most recent report is from July 22, 2020. June and July have the most reports, 8 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Cresco
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Mt Pocono Mountains Airport, PA, 5 miles west of Cresco at 1,916 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 78°F and low of 58°F; January is the coolest, at 30°F and 15°F. September is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 50.3 inches over 84 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 57% of the year's precipitation (28.9 of 50.3 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 17 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal August there has highs of 76°F and 4.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 1 days a year. Lows fall below freezing on about 147 nights a year. That 50.3 inches is more than at 130 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (88%). Henryville, 4 miles south, has its own station (E Stroudsburg, PA): 53.4 inches a year, 3.1 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 78°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 15 | 3.0 | 5 |
| Feb | 33 | 17 | 2.5 | 5 |
| Mar | 41 | 24 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Apr | 55 | 34 | 4.2 | 7 |
| May | 65 | 45 | 4.1 | 9 |
| Jun | 73 | 53 | 4.7 | 9 |
| Jul | 78 | 58 | 4.7 | 8 |
| Aug | 76 | 56 | 4.6 | 8 |
| Sep | 69 | 50 | 5.6 | 6 |
| Oct | 57 | 39 | 5.2 | 7 |
| Nov | 46 | 30 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Dec | 35 | 21 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Year | 55 | 37 | 50.3 | 84 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Mt Pocono Mountains Airport, PA (1,916 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 Cresco
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 138 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Cresco: 109 thunderstorm wind reports, 13 flash floods, 8 heavy rain events, 6 lightning strikes and 2 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $538,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on July 21, 2019. August has had the most flash floods, 5 of 13. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 224 have had fewer than Cresco.
July 23, 2012: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Cresco — $200,000 damage.
July 23, 2012: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Cresco — $100,000 damage.
June 30, 2015: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Cresco — $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
Monroe County, which includes Cresco, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 floods, 6 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Monroe County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $56.9 million a year, the 18th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $33.1 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 Cresco
- Canadensis, PA4 mi
- Henryville, PA4 mi
- Mount Pocono, PA5 mi
- Tobyhanna, PA5 mi
- Pocono Summit, PA7 mi
- Tannersville, PA8 mi
- Long Pond, PA10 mi
- East Stroudsburg, PA10 mi
- Newfoundland, PA10 mi
- Stroudsburg, PA12 mi
- Greentown, PA13 mi
- Gouldsboro, PA13 mi
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