NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ottsville, 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
31 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ottsville, Pennsylvania since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 69 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 29
- Tornadoes
- 69
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Ottsville
The strongest storm to pass near Ottsville was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 1 hurricane with 87 mph winds when its centre passed 66 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1878, whose centre came within 45 miles. The record near Ottsville begins with an unnamed storm in 1861; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 35 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1870s, with 4 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 31 systems, 6 have come since 2000. Ottsville has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site. The highest rating among the 69 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on July 29, 2021, came within 25 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on July 27, 1994, killed 3 people. Of the 69, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 21 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 15. The most recent tornado was on August 7, 2023. Ottsville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 64% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 50 times since 1975, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 52% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Ottsville.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ottsville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 2 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | FayJul 11 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 7 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1992 | DanielleSep 26 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | DianeAug 19 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 16 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 66 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 45 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 5 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 26 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Ottsville: 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 Ottsville
By decade
- 2020s15(1 EF3+)
- 2010s4
- 2000s2
- 1990s12(2 EF3+)
- 1980s13
- 1970s9
- 1960s9(1 EF3+)
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 27, 1994 | F3 | 25 mi | 2 mi | 3 / 25 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | EF3 | 25 mi | 3.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 18, 1990 | F3 | 21 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Jun 24, 1960 | F3 | 25 mi | 12.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 1, 2021 | EF2 | 18 mi | 8.28 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | EF2 | 14 mi | 6.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 4, 2020 | EF2 | 9 mi | 20.77 mi | 0 / 18 |
| May 31, 1998 | F2 | 25 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 17, 1988 | F2 | 24 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 5, 1984 | F2 | 19 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 5, 1984 | F2 | 20 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 29, 1973 | F2 | 18 mi | 1.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 69, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ottsville
The Storm Prediction Center has 50 hail reports within 10 miles of Ottsville since 1975, made on 35 separate days. Of these, 29 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on May 13, 2000. The most recent report is from September 8, 2023. May has the most reports, 19.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ottsville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Bucksville, PA, 3 miles northwest of Ottsville at 387 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 39°F and 19°F. July is the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 51.0 inches over 68 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (27.9 of 51.0 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 31 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (11); a normal September there has highs of 76°F and 4.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 17 days a year, almost all from May to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 139 nights a year. That 51.0 inches is more than at 138 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (93%). Pipersville, 4 miles southeast, has its own station (Doylestown Airport, PA): 48.0 inches a year, 3.0 less than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 19 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Feb | 41 | 20 | 3.0 | 5 |
| Mar | 50 | 28 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Apr | 63 | 39 | 3.9 | 5 |
| May | 72 | 49 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Jul | 85 | 63 | 5.8 | 6 |
| Aug | 82 | 61 | 4.8 | 6 |
| Sep | 76 | 54 | 4.6 | 5 |
| Oct | 65 | 42 | 5.1 | 6 |
| Nov | 54 | 31 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Dec | 43 | 25 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Year | 62 | 41 | 51.0 | 68 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Bucksville, PA (387 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 Ottsville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 221 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ottsville: 171 thunderstorm wind reports, 23 flash floods, 12 floods, 12 lightning strikes and 3 heavy rain events. They killed 0 people and injured 12, and the NWS estimated $18.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on July 26, 2009. July has had the most flash floods, 7 of 23. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 370 have had fewer than Ottsville.
July 26, 2009: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Ottsville — 10 injured, $100,000 damage.
July 27, 2008: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Ottsville — 1 injured, $100,000 damage.
July 16, 2024: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Ottsville — 1 injured.
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
Bucks County, which includes Ottsville, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 hurricanes, 7 floods, 5 severe storms, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Hurricane Ida, on September 10, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Bucks County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, coastal flooding and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $202.6 million a year, the 4th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $141.2 million (70%), 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 Ottsville
- Pipersville, PA4 mi
- Upper Black Eddy, PA5 mi
- Kintnersville, PA6 mi
- Dublin, PA7 mi
- Frenchtown, NJ7 mi
- Perkasie, PA8 mi
- Riegelsville, PA8 mi
- Milford, NJ9 mi
- Doylestown, PA9 mi
- Quakertown, PA10 mi
- Stockton, NJ11 mi
- Sellersville, PA11 mi
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