NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Gillett, 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 Gillett, Pennsylvania since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frances in 2004. Since 1950, 31 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 10
- Tornadoes
- 31
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Gillett
The strongest storm to pass near Gillett was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 77 mph winds when its centre passed 52 miles away. The record near Gillett begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Frances in 2004, a tropical storm 73 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1970s, with 2 systems. Of the 11 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 45% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Gillett. The highest rating among the 31 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 2, 1983, came within 8 miles. Of the 31, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 17 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on May 29, 2019. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 90% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Gillett. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 25 times since 1968, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 78% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Gillett.
Compare Gillett's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Gillett
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | FrancesSep 9 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 52 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 14 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Gillett: 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 Gillett
By decade
- 2010s14
- 2000s3
- 1990s3
- 1980s4(2 EF3+)
- 1970s4
- 1960s2
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 14 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 8 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jun 13, 2018 | EF2 | 17 mi | 5.16 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 16 mi | 0.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 2, 1983 | F2 | 24 mi | 9.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 28, 2019 | EF1 | 19 mi | 3.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 25, 2016 | EF1 | 22 mi | 0.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 2, 2014 | EF1 | 11 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 2012 | EF1 | 12 mi | 13.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 2012 | EF1 | 9 mi | 8.81 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 2012 | EF1 | 15 mi | 2.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 2012 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.26 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 31, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Gillett
The Storm Prediction Center has 25 hail reports within 10 miles of Gillett since 1968, made on 17 separate days. Of these, 17 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently September 6, 2012. The most recent report is from June 5, 2017. May has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Gillett
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Elmira, NY, 11 miles north of Gillett at 947 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 58°F; January is the coolest, at 34°F and 16°F. June is the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.9 inches; the year adds up to 38.1 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 59% of the year's precipitation (22.4 of 38.1 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 12 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 151 nights a year. Snowfall averages 41.8 inches a year, most of it in March. That 38.1 inches is more than at 6 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (4%). Columbia Cross Roads, 6 miles south, has its own station (Canton, PA): 41.2 inches a year, 3.1 more than here, and a July average high of 81°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 16 | 2.1 | 6 | 8.4 |
| Feb | 36 | 17 | 1.9 | 5 | 9.5 |
| Mar | 45 | 23 | 2.7 | 6 | 11.2 |
| Apr | 59 | 33 | 3.3 | 7 | 1.5 |
| May | 71 | 44 | 3.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 79 | 54 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 58 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 57 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 75 | 50 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 62 | 39 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 49 | 30 | 2.7 | 6 | 2.7 |
| Dec | 39 | 23 | 2.6 | 6 | 8.4 |
| Year | 59 | 37 | 38.1 | 80 | 41.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Elmira, NY (947 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 Gillett
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 89 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Gillett: 58 thunderstorm wind reports, 30 flash floods and 1 flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $4.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 26, 2011. September has had the most flash floods, 9 of 30. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 424 have had fewer than Gillett.
April 26, 2011: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Gillett — $3.0 million damage.
NWS: “Bradford County experienced significant flash flooding on the overnight period of April 26th into April 27th. The bulk of the damage was roadway related with most townships in the county reporting at least some flooded roads.”
August 13, 2018: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Gillett — $150,000 damage.
NWS: “Severe flooding occurred in the area. Boats were requested for evacuations in Ridgebury Township.”
July 25, 2018: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Gillett — $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 Gillett's ZIP code 16925 have filed 43 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1993, and were paid $1.8 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Tropical Storm Lee in 2011: 20 claims (47% of all) and $464,000. 49% 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, 248 have fewer than Gillett.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Lee2011 | 20 | $464,000 |
Bradford County, which includes Gillett, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 floods, 7 severe storms, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Bradford County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and strong wind; Very Low for hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $32.2 million a year, the 30th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $28.3 million (88%), 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.