NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Kittanning, 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 Kittanning, Pennsylvania since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 42 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 11
- Tornadoes
- 42
- 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 Kittanning
None of the 11 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Kittanning; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1896, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 38 miles away. The record near Kittanning begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 13 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 Kittanning. The strongest of the 42 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on June 3, 1980; its path came within 15 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 31, 1985, killed 9 people. Of the 42, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 15 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 12. The most recent tornado was on May 21, 2025. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 76% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Kittanning. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 35 times since 1984, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 65% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Kittanning.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Kittanning
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 66 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 | 73 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 Kittanning: 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 Kittanning
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s6
- 2000s3
- 1990s7
- 1980s8(2 EF3+)
- 1970s9
- 1960s1
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 3, 1980 | F4 | 15 mi | 11.8 mi | 0 / 140 |
| May 31, 1985 | F3 | 14 mi | 39 mi | 9 / 120 |
| Mar 31, 2022 | EF2 | 7 mi | 8.55 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F2 | 22 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 19, 1996 | F2 | 21 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 23, 1986 | F2 | 12 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 26, 1981 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 1981 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 3, 1980 | F2 | 19 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 23, 1966 | F2 | 9 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 1, 1954 | F2 | 16 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 27, 1951 | F2 | 16 mi | 19.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 42, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Kittanning
The Storm Prediction Center has 35 hail reports within 10 miles of Kittanning since 1984, made on 20 separate days. Of these, 26 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 May 28, 2019. The most recent report is from August 6, 2024. May has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Kittanning
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Ford City 4 S Dam, PA, 7 miles south of Kittanning 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%). East Brady, 13 miles northwest, has its own station (Clarion 3 SW, PA): 46.9 inches a year, 2.5 more than here, and a July average high of 82°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 Kittanning
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 178 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Kittanning: 152 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods and 12 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on August 31, 2005. June has had the most flash floods, 6 of 14. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 247 have had fewer than Kittanning.
August 31, 2005: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Kittanning — $100,000 damage.
April 25, 2011: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Kittanning — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Emergency management reported 13 structures with some damage as well as numerous large trees down.”
November 15, 2020: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Kittanning — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Widespread tree and power line damage was reported across Armstrong County.”
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 Kittanning's ZIP code 16201 have filed 84 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $440,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004: 35 claims (42% of all) and $241,000, then Flooding in 1996 with 20. 65% 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, 347 have fewer than Kittanning.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Ivan2004 | 35 | $241,000 |
| Flooding1996 | 20 | $68,000 |
Armstrong County, which includes Kittanning, 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 Kittanning
- Ford City, PA4 mi
- Worthington, PA8 mi
- Freeport, PA11 mi
- East Brady, PA13 mi
- Cabot, PA13 mi
- Shelocta, PA14 mi
- Leechburg, PA14 mi
- Vandergrift, PA14 mi
- Sarver, PA14 mi
- Dayton, PA14 mi
- New Bethlehem, PA16 mi
- Rimersburg, PA16 mi
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