NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Forest 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
12 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Forest City, Pennsylvania since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 38 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 11
- Tornadoes
- 38
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Forest City
The strongest storm to pass near Forest City was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 81 mph winds when its centre passed 10 miles away. The record near Forest City begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 39 miles away. The 1890s and the 1970s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 12 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 45% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Forest City. The strongest of the 38 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on June 2, 1998; its path came within 18 miles, and it killed 2 people. Of the 38, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 25 have come since 2000. May and July have had the most tornadoes, 11 each. The most recent tornado was on May 27, 2024. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 84% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Forest City. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 20 times since 1976, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 85% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Forest City.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Forest City
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 10 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Forest 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 Forest City
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s16
- 2000s4
- 1990s12(1 EF3+)
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2, 1998 | F3 | 18 mi | 26 mi | 2 / 15 |
| Feb 25, 2017 | EF2 | 19 mi | 12.52 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 23, 2010 | EF2 | 5 mi | 25.72 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1998 | F2 | 25 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 18, 1991 | F2 | 9 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 17, 1954 | F2 | 10 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 2024 | EF1 | 15 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF1 | 24 mi | 1.96 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF1 | 23 mi | 1.41 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 28, 2019 | EF1 | 21 mi | 0.79 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 2019 | EF1 | 12 mi | 2.35 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 15, 2018 | EF1 | 6 mi | 0.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 38, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Forest City
The Storm Prediction Center has 20 hail reports within 10 miles of Forest City since 1976, made on 13 separate days. Of these, 15 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently June 9, 2011. The most recent report is from June 28, 2020. July has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Forest City
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Pleasant Mt 1 W, PA, 6 miles north of Forest City at 1,800 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 77°F and low of 56°F; January is the coolest, at 29°F and 12°F. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (28.3 of 51.5 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 12 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal August there has highs of 76°F and 4.5 inches of precipitation. Highs of 90°F are rare: fewer than one day a year on average. Lows fall below freezing on about 169 nights a year. Snowfall averages 69.2 inches a year, most of it in February. That 51.5 inches is more than at 140 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (95%). Honesdale, 11 miles east, has its own station (Hawley 1 E, PA): 45.2 inches a year, 6.3 less than here, and a July average high of 81°F against 77°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 12 | 3.5 | 8 | 17.3 |
| Feb | 32 | 13 | 3.0 | 7 | 17.7 |
| Mar | 40 | 20 | 3.6 | 7 | 13.0 |
| Apr | 53 | 31 | 4.2 | 9 | 1.3 |
| May | 65 | 43 | 4.9 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 73 | 52 | 5.0 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 77 | 56 | 5.0 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 76 | 55 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 69 | 47 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 57 | 36 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.4 |
| Nov | 45 | 27 | 3.8 | 7 | 4.9 |
| Dec | 34 | 19 | 4.0 | 8 | 14.6 |
| Year | 54 | 34 | 51.5 | 97 | 69.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Pleasant Mt 1 W, PA (1,800 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 Forest City
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 92 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Forest City: 68 thunderstorm wind reports, 21 flash floods, 2 lightning strikes and 1 flood. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $939,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 110 mph, on May 15, 2018. August has had the most flash floods, 9 of 21. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 347 have had fewer than Forest City.
July 15, 2024: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Forest City — 1 injured.
November 25, 2004: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Forest City — $200,000 damage.
May 15, 2018: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Forest 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
Wayne County, which includes Forest City, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 floods, 6 hurricanes, 6 severe storms, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Debby, on September 11, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Wayne County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $17.2 million a year, the 49th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $12.7 million (74%), 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 Forest City
- Carbondale, PA5 mi
- Waymart, PA6 mi
- Clifford Township, PA6 mi
- Jermyn, PA9 mi
- Honesdale, PA11 mi
- Eynon, PA12 mi
- Peckville, PA13 mi
- Jessup, PA14 mi
- Olyphant, PA14 mi
- Nicholson, PA15 mi
- Dickson City, PA16 mi
- Lake Ariel, PA16 mi
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