NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit North East, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of North East, Pennsylvania since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 27 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 27
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for North East
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed North East; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1896, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 45 miles away. The record near North East begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 12 miles away. None of the 7 systems has come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 98% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than North East. The strongest of the 27 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on May 31, 1985; its path came within 16 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 2, 1983, killed 2 people. Of the 27, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 8 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on June 9, 2025. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 93% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than North East. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 33 times since 1970, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 68% have more hail reports within 10 miles than North East.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near North East
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 23 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 14 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in North East: 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 North East
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s5
- 1990s2
- 1980s4(2 EF3+)
- 1970s3(1 EF3+)
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1985 | F4 | 16 mi | 28 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 11 mi | 28 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1971 | F3 | 20 mi | 29.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 20, 1969 | F3 | 16 mi | 84.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 2025 | EF2 | 8 mi | 1.04 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 14, 2011 | EF2 | 14 mi | 2.92 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 24, 2010 | EF2 | 14 mi | 7.61 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 16, 1997 | F2 | 20 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 2, 1983 | F2 | 13 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 18, 1977 | F2 | 24 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 7 |
| May 16, 1965 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Nov 22, 1953 | F2 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 27, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in North East
The Storm Prediction Center has 33 hail reports within 10 miles of North East since 1970, made on 26 separate days. Of these, 13 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on April 14, 2019. The most recent report is from June 20, 2021. April has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in North East
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Westfield 2 SSE, NY, 14 miles northeast of North East at 707 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 34°F and 21°F. October is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 43.6 inches over 96 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 9 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 117 nights a year. That 43.6 inches is more than at 59 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (40%). Harborcreek, 6 miles west, has its own station (Erie International Airport, PA): 43.1 inches a year, 0.5 less than here, and a July average high of 81°F against 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 21 | 2.7 | 9 |
| Feb | 36 | 21 | 2.4 | 6 |
| Mar | 44 | 28 | 2.9 | 8 |
| Apr | 57 | 38 | 3.5 | 9 |
| May | 69 | 50 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Jun | 78 | 60 | 3.6 | 8 |
| Jul | 83 | 64 | 4.4 | 7 |
| Aug | 80 | 63 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Sep | 73 | 57 | 4.6 | 9 |
| Oct | 61 | 47 | 4.9 | 9 |
| Nov | 49 | 36 | 3.8 | 9 |
| Dec | 39 | 28 | 3.2 | 8 |
| Year | 59 | 43 | 43.6 | 96 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Westfield 2 SSE, NY (707 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 North East
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 49 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of North East: 40 thunderstorm wind reports, 6 flash floods and 3 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $6.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on June 8, 2007. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 92 have had fewer than North East.
March 1, 2020: flood 6 miles from the centre of North East — $5.0 million damage.
July 10, 2001: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of North East — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “A thunderstorm downburst with winds estimated at 70 mph moved onshore from Lake Erie at North East. The damage path from this downburst was approximately one and a half miles wide and around two miles in length with the most concentrated damage near the lakeshore.”
July 22, 2005: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of North East — $300,000 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 North East's ZIP code 16428 have filed 147 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $1.4 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 1985, with 40. 3% 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, 435 have fewer than North East.
Erie County, which includes North East, has been named in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Erie County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and inland flooding; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves; Very Low for coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $47.6 million a year, the 21st highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $38.2 million (80%), 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 North East
- Harborcreek, PA6 mi
- Ripley, NY8 mi
- Wattsburg, PA11 mi
- Clymer, NY12 mi
- Erie, PA14 mi
- Westfield, NY16 mi
- Mayville, NY18 mi
- Waterford, PA19 mi
- Panama, NY19 mi
- Corry, PA21 mi
- Mc Kean, PA21 mi
- Union City, PA22 mi
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