NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit East Pittsburgh, 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
9 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 72 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 72
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
12 deaths in all
What the records show for East Pittsburgh
None of the 9 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed East Pittsburgh; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1896, a tropical storm with 64 mph winds when its centre passed 60 miles away. The record near East Pittsburgh begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 20 miles away. Of the 9 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 79% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than East Pittsburgh. The strongest of the 72 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on June 3, 1980; its path came within 18 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 31, 1985, killed 9 people. Of the 72, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 34 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 25. The most recent tornado was on May 21, 2025. East Pittsburgh has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 70% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 217 times since 1963, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). East Pittsburgh has more hail reports within 10 miles than 99% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities.
Compare East Pittsburgh's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near East Pittsburgh
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in East Pittsburgh: 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 East Pittsburgh
By decade
- 2020s18
- 2010s11
- 2000s5
- 1990s11
- 1980s9(2 EF3+)
- 1970s11(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 3, 1980 | F4 | 18 mi | 11.8 mi | 0 / 140 |
| May 31, 1985 | F3 | 23 mi | 39 mi | 9 / 120 |
| Aug 3, 1963 | F3 | 6 mi | 0.1 mi | 2 / 70 |
| Jul 11, 1976 | F3 | 18 mi | 11.8 mi | 1 / 17 |
| Jun 26, 2024 | EF2 | 9 mi | 10.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 11, 2024 | EF2 | 11 mi | 5.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | EF2 | 22 mi | 15.67 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 23, 2011 | EF2 | 10 mi | 8.96 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 22, 1983 | F2 | 7 mi | 38 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Apr 28, 1981 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 3, 1980 | F2 | 21 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 1980 | F2 | 24 mi | 2.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 72, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in East Pittsburgh
The Storm Prediction Center has 217 hail reports within 10 miles of East Pittsburgh since 1963, made on 103 separate days. Of these, 112 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on April 14, 1984. The most recent report is from April 2, 2025. July has the most reports, 65.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in East Pittsburgh
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Mckeesport, PA, 4 miles south of East Pittsburgh at 740 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 39°F and 21°F. June is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 42.4 inches over 91 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 14 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 124 nights a year. That 42.4 inches is more than at 43 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (29%). Homestead, 4 miles west, has its own station (Pittsburgh Allegheny Co Airport, PA): 41.3 inches a year, 1.1 less than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 21 | 3.0 | 8 |
| Feb | 42 | 22 | 2.5 | 6 |
| Mar | 51 | 29 | 3.2 | 7 |
| Apr | 64 | 38 | 3.8 | 9 |
| May | 74 | 47 | 4.0 | 9 |
| Jun | 81 | 57 | 5.0 | 9 |
| Jul | 85 | 61 | 4.1 | 8 |
| Aug | 83 | 60 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Sep | 77 | 53 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Oct | 65 | 42 | 3.2 | 7 |
| Nov | 53 | 32 | 3.0 | 7 |
| Dec | 43 | 25 | 3.6 | 8 |
| Year | 63 | 40 | 42.4 | 91 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Mckeesport, PA (740 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 East Pittsburgh
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 953 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of East Pittsburgh: 604 thunderstorm wind reports, 274 flash floods, 60 floods, 12 heavy rain events and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 5 people and injured 68, and the NWS estimated $44.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 105 mph, on May 31, 2002. July has had the most flash floods, 107 of 274. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 783 have had fewer than East Pittsburgh.
August 19, 2011: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of East Pittsburgh — 4 killed, 1 injured, $500,000 damage.
May 31, 2002: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of East Pittsburgh — 1 killed, 54 injured, $10.0 million damage.
September 28, 2019: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of East Pittsburgh — 6 injured.
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
Allegheny County, which includes East Pittsburgh, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 floods, 4 severe storms, 3 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Allegheny County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for inland flooding; Relatively High for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $354.2 million a year, the 2nd highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $295.0 million (83%), 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 East Pittsburgh
- Turtle Creek, PAunder 1 mi
- Braddock, PA1 mi
- Wilmerding, PA2 mi
- East Mc Keesport, PA2 mi
- North Versailles, PA2 mi
- Duquesne, PA2 mi
- Pitcairn, PA3 mi
- Homestead, PA4 mi
- West Mifflin, PA4 mi
- White Oak, PA4 mi
- Monroeville, PA4 mi
- Mckeesport, PA5 mi
All Pennsylvania cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare East Pittsburgh with another place →