NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Mercersburg, 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
22 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Mercersburg, Pennsylvania since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 43 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 19
- Tornadoes
- 43
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Mercersburg
The strongest storm to pass near Mercersburg was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 91 mph winds when its centre passed 60 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 2 miles. The record near Mercersburg begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 22 miles away. The 1890s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 4 systems each. Of the 22 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Mercersburg has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 89% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site. The highest rating among the 43 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 19, 2019, came within 9 miles. Of the 43, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 22 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 12. The most recent tornado was on June 17, 2025. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 74% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Mercersburg. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 49 times since 1968, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 53% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Mercersburg.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Mercersburg
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 2 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | overhead | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 32 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormOct 1 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 2 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 60 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Mercersburg: 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 Mercersburg
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s11
- 2000s8
- 1990s13
- 1980s1
- 1970s5
- 1960s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF2 | 9 mi | 2.89 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 30, 1994 | F2 | 15 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 17, 2025 | EF1 | 22 mi | 1.06 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 29, 2019 | EF1 | 23 mi | 0.72 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF1 | 15 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 4, 2017 | EF1 | 12 mi | 1.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 2014 | EF1 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 1, 2012 | EF1 | 24 mi | 1.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 2011 | EF1 | 17 mi | 0.12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 17, 2011 | EF1 | 10 mi | 2.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F1 | 25 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F1 | 8 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 43, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Mercersburg
The Storm Prediction Center has 49 hail reports within 10 miles of Mercersburg since 1968, made on 28 separate days. Of these, 28 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on August 7, 2023, the most recent report. May has the most reports, 23.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Mercersburg
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hagerstown Washington Co Airport, MD, 12 miles southeast of Mercersburg at 698 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 25°F. September is the wettest at 3.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.0 inches; the year adds up to 35.6 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (18.4 of 35.6 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 24 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 93 nights a year. That 35.6 inches is more than at 0 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (0%). Saint Thomas, 10 miles northeast, has its own station (Chambersburg 1 ESE, PA): 43.4 inches a year, 7.8 more than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 25 | 2.5 | 5 |
| Feb | 44 | 27 | 2.0 | 5 |
| Mar | 53 | 34 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Apr | 65 | 44 | 3.3 | 7 |
| May | 74 | 55 | 3.6 | 8 |
| Jun | 83 | 64 | 3.4 | 7 |
| Jul | 87 | 68 | 2.9 | 6 |
| Aug | 85 | 66 | 2.9 | 6 |
| Sep | 78 | 59 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Oct | 66 | 47 | 2.8 | 5 |
| Nov | 54 | 37 | 2.6 | 5 |
| Dec | 44 | 30 | 2.8 | 5 |
| Year | 64 | 46 | 35.6 | 71 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hagerstown Washington Co Airport, MD (698 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 Mercersburg
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 121 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Mercersburg: 85 thunderstorm wind reports, 23 floods, 12 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $1.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 18, 2019. June has had the most flash floods, 4 of 12. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 211 have had fewer than Mercersburg.
April 11, 2021: flood 10 miles from the centre of Mercersburg — 1 killed.
April 19, 2025: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Mercersburg — $500,000 damage.
August 7, 2023: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Mercersburg — $250,000 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
Franklin County, which includes Mercersburg, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 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 Franklin County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $37.7 million a year, the 24th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $26.0 million (69%), 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 Mercersburg
- Clear Spring, MD9 mi
- Greencastle, PA10 mi
- Saint Thomas, PA10 mi
- Mc Connellsburg, PA11 mi
- Williamsport, MD15 mi
- Falling Waters, WV15 mi
- Hagerstown, MD16 mi
- Chambersburg, PA16 mi
- Warfordsburg, PA16 mi
- Hancock, MD17 mi
- Hedgesville, WV19 mi
- Waynesboro, PA19 mi
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