NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ford City, 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
11 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ford City, Pennsylvania since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 46 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 11
- Tornadoes
- 46
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
10 deaths in all
What the records show for Ford City
None of the 11 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Ford City; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1896, a tropical storm with 63 mph winds when its centre passed 39 miles away. The record near Ford City begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 9 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1870s, with 2 systems. Of the 11 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 70% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Ford City. The strongest of the 46 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on June 3, 1980; its path came within 11 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 31, 1985, killed 9 people. Of the 46, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 16 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 12. The most recent tornado was on May 21, 2025. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 68% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Ford City. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 38 times since 1984, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 62% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Ford City.
Compare Ford City's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ford City
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Ford City: 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 Ford City
By decade
- 2020s9
- 2010s3
- 2000s4
- 1990s7
- 1980s11(2 EF3+)
- 1970s9
- 1960s1
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 3, 1980 | F4 | 11 mi | 11.8 mi | 0 / 140 |
| May 31, 1985 | F3 | 12 mi | 39 mi | 9 / 120 |
| Mar 31, 2022 | EF2 | 9 mi | 8.55 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F2 | 19 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 19, 1996 | F2 | 25 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 23, 1986 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 22, 1983 | F2 | 23 mi | 38 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Jul 26, 1981 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 1981 | F2 | 11 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 3, 1980 | F2 | 15 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 1980 | F2 | 25 mi | 2.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 23, 1966 | F2 | 7 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 46, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ford City
The Storm Prediction Center has 38 hail reports within 10 miles of Ford City since 1984, made on 24 separate days. Of these, 26 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on April 9, 2001. The most recent report is from May 4, 2025. May has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ford City
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Ford City 4 S Dam, PA, 2 miles south of Ford City at 930 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 36°F and 17°F. June is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 44.4 inches over 92 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (24.2 of 44.4 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 11 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal September there has highs of 76°F and 4.2 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 142 nights a year. That 44.4 inches is more than at 73 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (49%). Vandergrift, 10 miles south, has its own station (Salina 3 W, PA): 45.8 inches a year, 1.4 more than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 17 | 3.2 | 8 |
| Feb | 39 | 18 | 2.6 | 7 |
| Mar | 48 | 26 | 3.3 | 8 |
| Apr | 62 | 35 | 3.7 | 8 |
| May | 72 | 46 | 4.0 | 9 |
| Jun | 80 | 55 | 4.7 | 8 |
| Jul | 84 | 59 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Aug | 83 | 58 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Sep | 76 | 51 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Oct | 64 | 39 | 3.3 | 7 |
| Nov | 51 | 30 | 3.3 | 7 |
| Dec | 40 | 23 | 3.4 | 8 |
| Year | 61 | 38 | 44.4 | 92 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Ford City 4 S Dam, PA (930 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 Ford City
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 212 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ford City: 173 thunderstorm wind reports, 22 flash floods, 14 floods and 3 heavy rain events. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $1.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 98 mph, on June 2, 1999. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 358 have had fewer than Ford City.
June 2, 1999: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Ford City — 1 injured, $250,000 damage.
July 16, 2021: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Ford City — 1 injured.
November 15, 2020: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Ford City — $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
Flood insurance policyholders in Ford City's ZIP code 16226 have filed 61 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1980, and were paid $739,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1996: 16 claims (26% of all) and $272,000, then Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004 with 13. 48% 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, 297 have fewer than Ford City.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1996 | 16 | $272,000 |
| Tropical Storm Ivan2004 | 13 | $269,000 |
Armstrong County, which includes Ford City, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 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 Armstrong County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $27.8 million a year, the 32nd highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $25.7 million (93%), 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 Ford City
- Kittanning, PA4 mi
- Freeport, PA8 mi
- Worthington, PA10 mi
- Leechburg, PA10 mi
- Vandergrift, PA10 mi
- Shelocta, PA11 mi
- Sarver, PA12 mi
- Cabot, PA13 mi
- Apollo, PA13 mi
- Natrona Heights, PA14 mi
- Avonmore, PA15 mi
- Brackenridge, PA15 mi
All Pennsylvania cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Ford City with another place →