NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Elizabeth, 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 Elizabeth, 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 Elizabeth
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Elizabeth; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1896, a tropical storm with 64 mph winds when its centre passed 63 miles away. The record near Elizabeth begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 29 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 Elizabeth. The highest rating among the 67 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on July 11, 1976, came within 20 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on August 3, 1963, killed 2 people. Of the 67, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 37 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on May 21, 2025. Elizabeth has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 59% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 140 times since 1963, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Elizabeth has more hail reports within 10 miles than 94% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Elizabeth
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 37 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 Elizabeth: 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 Elizabeth
By decade
- 2020s21
- 2010s12
- 2000s4
- 1990s9
- 1980s6
- 1970s8(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 3, 1963 | F3 | 4 mi | 0.1 mi | 2 / 70 |
| Jul 11, 1976 | F3 | 20 mi | 11.8 mi | 1 / 17 |
| Jun 26, 2024 | EF2 | 14 mi | 10.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 11, 2024 | EF2 | 5 mi | 5.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | EF2 | 19 mi | 15.67 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 23, 2011 | EF2 | 7 mi | 8.96 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 30, 1990 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 1, 1986 | F2 | 24 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 22, 1983 | F2 | 2 mi | 38 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Jun 4, 1975 | F2 | 6 mi | 45.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 16, 1965 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jun 15, 1964 | F2 | 17 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 4 |
The strongest 12 of 67, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Elizabeth
The Storm Prediction Center has 140 hail reports within 10 miles of Elizabeth since 1963, made on 68 separate days. Of these, 78 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on April 14, 1984. The most recent report is from April 19, 2025. July has the most reports, 38.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Elizabeth
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Mckeesport, PA, 6 miles north of Elizabeth 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%). Monongahela, 6 miles southwest, has its own station (Donora 1 SW, PA): 40.8 inches a year, 1.6 less than here, and a July average high of 84°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 Elizabeth
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 639 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Elizabeth: 414 thunderstorm wind reports, 174 flash floods, 41 floods and 10 heavy rain events. They killed 2 people and injured 58, and the NWS estimated $16.2 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, 65 of 174. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 733 have had fewer than Elizabeth.
May 31, 2002: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Elizabeth — 1 killed, 54 injured, $10.0 million damage.
March 28, 2020: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Elizabeth — 1 killed.
June 16, 2016: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Elizabeth — 1 injured, $20,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Elizabeth's ZIP code 15037 have filed 82 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $866,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1985: 23 claims (28% of all) and $444,000. 35% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 553 Pennsylvania cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 344 have fewer than Elizabeth.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1985 | 23 | $444,000 |
Allegheny County, which includes Elizabeth, 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 Elizabeth
- Jefferson Hills, PA3 mi
- Glassport, PA5 mi
- Mckeesport, PA5 mi
- Monongahela, PA6 mi
- Donora, PA6 mi
- New Eagle, PA6 mi
- White Oak, PA6 mi
- West Newton, PA6 mi
- Finleyville, PA7 mi
- Monessen, PA7 mi
- West Mifflin, PA8 mi
- Duquesne, PA8 mi
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