NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ephrata, 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
23 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ephrata, Pennsylvania since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 77 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 21
- Tornadoes
- 77
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Ephrata
The strongest storm to pass near Ephrata was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 86 mph winds when its centre passed 8 miles away. The record near Ephrata begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 35 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1950s, with 4 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 23 systems, 4 have come since 2000. Ephrata has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site. The highest rating among the 77 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on July 14, 2004, came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on June 9, 1993, killed 1 person. Of the 77, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 33 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on September 4, 2025. Ephrata has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 79% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 61 times since 1960, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Ephrata has more hail reports within 10 miles than 55% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities.
Compare Ephrata's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ephrata
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 1 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 3 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1992 | DanielleSep 26 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 54 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormOct 1 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | overhead | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 16 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 8 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Ephrata: 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 Ephrata
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s12
- 2000s11(1 EF3+)
- 1990s18
- 1980s3
- 1970s10(1 EF3+)
- 1960s6
- 1950s7(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 18, 1970 | F3 | 16 mi | 1.9 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Jul 14, 2004 | F3 | 23 mi | 7.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 4, 1950 | F3 | 3 mi | 15.9 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 28, 2019 | EF2 | 14 mi | 3.08 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 24, 2016 | EF2 | 13 mi | 4.87 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1998 | F2 | 19 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 29, 1995 | F2 | 18 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 28, 1992 | F2 | 19 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jul 17, 1992 | F2 | 19 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 15, 1989 | F2 | 17 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Oct 5, 1979 | F2 | 18 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Sep 5, 1979 | F2 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 77, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ephrata
The Storm Prediction Center has 61 hail reports within 10 miles of Ephrata since 1960, made on 46 separate days. Of these, 46 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on July 1, 2004. The most recent report is from June 30, 2024. June and July have the most reports, 20 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ephrata
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lancaster Airport, PA, 7 miles southwest of Ephrata at 403 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 40°F and 22°F. June is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.2 inches; the year adds up to 42.0 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 57% of the year's precipitation (24.1 of 42.0 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 23 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (8); a normal August there has highs of 85°F and 3.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 18 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 109 nights a year. That 42.0 inches is more than at 35 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (24%). Denver, 5 miles northeast, has its own station (Blue Marsh Lake, PA): 48.3 inches a year, 6.3 more than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 22 | 2.6 | 5 |
| Feb | 42 | 23 | 2.2 | 5 |
| Mar | 52 | 31 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Apr | 64 | 40 | 3.3 | 7 |
| May | 74 | 50 | 3.4 | 8 |
| Jun | 82 | 60 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Jul | 86 | 65 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Sep | 78 | 56 | 4.7 | 6 |
| Oct | 66 | 44 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Nov | 54 | 34 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Dec | 44 | 27 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Year | 64 | 43 | 42.0 | 76 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lancaster Airport, PA (403 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 Ephrata
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 201 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ephrata: 185 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods, 4 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 4 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $7.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on February 25, 2017. July has had the most flash floods, 6 of 11. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 188 have had fewer than Ephrata.
September 7, 2011: flood 5 miles from the centre of Ephrata — 3 killed, $800,000 damage.
December 18, 2023: flood 3 miles from the centre of Ephrata — 1 killed, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rainfall led to flooding along Cabin Drive near Ephrata during the early morning hours of December 18, 2023. A direct fatality was reported when a 73-year old male drove into the flood waters and drowned during the pre-dawn hours.”
July 17, 2019: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Ephrata — 2 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Ephrata's ZIP code 17522 have filed 138 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $3.7 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Tropical Storm Lee in 2011: 50 claims (36% of all) and $2.5 million, then Flooding in 1987 with 19. 62% 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, 422 have fewer than Ephrata.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Lee2011 | 50 | $2.5 million |
| Flooding1987 | 19 | $73,000 |
Lancaster County, which includes Ephrata, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 floods, 4 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 4 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Lancaster County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $170.0 million a year, the 6th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $110.6 million (65%), 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.