NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Donora, 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
8 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Donora, 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
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 67
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
3 deaths in all
What the records show for Donora
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Donora; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1896, a tropical storm with 66 mph winds when its centre passed 64 miles away. The record near Donora begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 34 miles away. Of the 8 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 92% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Donora. The highest rating among the 67 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on July 11, 1976, came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on August 3, 1963, killed 2 people. Of the 67, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 36 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 22. The most recent tornado was on May 21, 2025. Donora has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 59% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 77 times since 1963, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Donora has more hail reports within 10 miles than 74% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities.
Compare Donora's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Donora
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | overhead | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | overhead | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Donora: 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 Donora
By decade
- 2020s18
- 2010s14
- 2000s4
- 1990s9
- 1980s6
- 1970s8(1 EF3+)
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 3, 1963 | F3 | 10 mi | 0.1 mi | 2 / 70 |
| Jul 11, 1976 | F3 | 23 mi | 11.8 mi | 1 / 17 |
| Jun 26, 2024 | EF2 | 19 mi | 10.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 11, 2024 | EF2 | 7 mi | 5.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | EF2 | 19 mi | 15.67 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 2, 2018 | EF2 | 25 mi | 1.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 23, 2011 | EF2 | 10 mi | 8.96 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 30, 1990 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 1, 1986 | F2 | 19 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 22, 1983 | F2 | 7 mi | 38 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Jun 4, 1975 | F2 | 11 mi | 45.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 16, 1965 | F2 | 14 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 6 |
The strongest 12 of 67, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Donora
The Storm Prediction Center has 77 hail reports within 10 miles of Donora since 1963, made on 41 separate days. Of these, 43 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on November 27, 2022. The most recent report is from April 19, 2025. June has the most reports, 20.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Donora
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Donora 1 SW, PA, 1 mile southwest of Donora at 762 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 39°F and 21°F. June is the wettest at 4.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 40.8 inches over 87 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 15 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 116 nights a year. Snowfall averages 21.4 inches a year, most of it in February. That 40.8 inches is more than at 18 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (12%). Elizabeth, 6 miles north, has its own station (Mckeesport, PA): 42.4 inches a year, 1.6 more than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 21 | 2.9 | 7 | 5.7 |
| Feb | 42 | 22 | 2.4 | 6 | 7.2 |
| Mar | 51 | 29 | 3.1 | 8 | 4.6 |
| Apr | 64 | 38 | 3.4 | 8 | 0.1 |
| May | 73 | 49 | 4.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 81 | 58 | 4.4 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 62 | 4.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 61 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 78 | 54 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 66 | 42 | 3.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 54 | 33 | 2.8 | 7 | 0.5 |
| Dec | 43 | 26 | 2.9 | 7 | 3.3 |
| Year | 63 | 41 | 40.8 | 87 | 21.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Donora 1 SW, PA (762 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 Donora
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 436 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Donora: 323 thunderstorm wind reports, 77 flash floods, 31 floods and 5 heavy rain events. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $4.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 87 mph, on February 11, 2009. July has had the most flash floods, 27 of 77. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 626 have had fewer than Donora.
August 23, 2014: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Donora — 1 killed, $20,000 damage.
June 16, 2016: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Donora — 1 injured, $20,000 damage.
June 6, 2026: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Donora — 1 injured, $5,000 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
Washington County, which includes Donora, has been named in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 floods, 3 hurricanes, 3 severe storms, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Washington County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for hail and inland flooding; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $57.4 million a year, the 17th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $51.5 million (90%), 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 Donora
- Monessen, PA2 mi
- Belle Vernon, PA3 mi
- Monongahela, PA4 mi
- Charleroi, PA4 mi
- New Eagle, PA5 mi
- Elizabeth, PA6 mi
- Fayette City, PA6 mi
- West Newton, PA6 mi
- Smithton, PA7 mi
- California, PA8 mi
- Jefferson Hills, PA8 mi
- Perryopolis, PA9 mi
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