NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Pocono Lake, 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
15 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Pocono Lake, Pennsylvania since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 47 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 14
- Tornadoes
- 47
- 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 Pocono Lake
The strongest storm to pass near Pocono Lake was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 82 mph winds when its centre passed 5 miles away. The record near Pocono Lake begins with an unnamed storm in 1863; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 29 miles away. Of the 15 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 45% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Pocono Lake. The highest rating among the 47 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on July 26, 1981, came within 24 miles. Of the 47, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 16 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 10. The most recent tornado was on July 2, 2023. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 67% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Pocono Lake. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 21 times since 1973, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 84% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Pocono Lake.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Pocono Lake
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 19 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | overhead | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 5 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Pocono Lake: 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 Pocono Lake
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s11
- 2000s4
- 1990s14
- 1980s8(1 EF3+)
- 1970s6(1 EF3+)
- 1960s2
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 26, 1981 | F3 | 24 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 21, 1976 | F3 | 23 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 2018 | EF2 | 14 mi | 2.9 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Feb 25, 2017 | EF2 | 13 mi | 12.52 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2009 | EF2 | 22 mi | 4.58 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Dec 1, 2006 | F2 | 11 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 31, 1998 | F2 | 23 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 8, 1996 | F2 | 24 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 29, 1981 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 5, 1979 | F2 | 21 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 13, 1972 | F2 | 8 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 10, 1968 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 47, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Pocono Lake
The Storm Prediction Center has 21 hail reports within 10 miles of Pocono Lake since 1973, made on 19 separate days. Of these, 8 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 August 19, 2011. The most recent report is from May 29, 2019. June has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Pocono Lake
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Mt Pocono Mountains Airport, PA, 9 miles east of Pocono Lake at 1,916 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 78°F and low of 58°F; January is the coolest, at 30°F and 15°F. September is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 50.3 inches over 84 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 57% of the year's precipitation (28.9 of 50.3 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 15 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal August there has highs of 76°F and 4.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 1 days a year. Lows fall below freezing on about 147 nights a year. That 50.3 inches is more than at 130 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (88%). White Haven, 11 miles west, has its own station (Wilkes-Barre International Airport, PA): 39.0 inches a year, 11.3 less than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 78°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 15 | 3.0 | 5 |
| Feb | 33 | 17 | 2.5 | 5 |
| Mar | 41 | 24 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Apr | 55 | 34 | 4.2 | 7 |
| May | 65 | 45 | 4.1 | 9 |
| Jun | 73 | 53 | 4.7 | 9 |
| Jul | 78 | 58 | 4.7 | 8 |
| Aug | 76 | 56 | 4.6 | 8 |
| Sep | 69 | 50 | 5.6 | 6 |
| Oct | 57 | 39 | 5.2 | 7 |
| Nov | 46 | 30 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Dec | 35 | 21 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Year | 55 | 37 | 50.3 | 84 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Mt Pocono Mountains Airport, PA (1,916 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 Pocono Lake
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 121 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Pocono Lake: 90 thunderstorm wind reports, 13 heavy rain events, 10 flash floods, 5 floods and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 3 people and injured 30, and the NWS estimated $59,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 26, 2024. August has had the most flash floods, 5 of 10. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 166 have had fewer than Pocono Lake.
August 5, 2012: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Pocono Lake — 1 killed, 7 injured.
June 14, 2008: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Pocono Lake — 1 killed, 3 injured.
August 28, 2011: flood 9 miles from the centre of Pocono Lake — 1 killed.
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
Monroe County, which includes Pocono Lake, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 floods, 6 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Monroe County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $56.9 million a year, the 18th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $33.1 million (58%), 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 Pocono Lake
- Blakeslee, PA6 mi
- Gouldsboro, PA8 mi
- Long Pond, PA8 mi
- Pocono Summit, PA9 mi
- Albrightsville, PA10 mi
- Tobyhanna, PA10 mi
- Mount Pocono, PA11 mi
- White Haven, PA11 mi
- Effort, PA13 mi
- Moscow, PA14 mi
- Tannersville, PA14 mi
- Newfoundland, PA14 mi
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