NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Polk, 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
9 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Polk, Pennsylvania since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 57 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 57
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
42 deaths in all
What the records show for Polk
None of the 9 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Polk; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1896, a tropical storm with 60 mph winds when its centre passed 55 miles away. The record near Polk begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 25 miles away. Of the 9 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 79% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Polk. The strongest of the 57 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on May 31, 1985; its path came within 19 miles, and it killed 18 people. Of the 57, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 25 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 15. The most recent tornado was on September 22, 2021. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 53% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Polk. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 48 times since 1990, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 54% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Polk.
Compare Polk's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Polk
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 31 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 14 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Polk: 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 Polk
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s11
- 2000s11
- 1990s7
- 1980s14(3 EF3+)
- 1970s7(1 EF3+)
- 1960s1
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1985 | F5 | 19 mi | 47 mi | 18 / 310 |
| May 31, 1985 | F4 | 8 mi | 56.2 mi | 16 / 125 |
| May 31, 1985 | F4 | 22 mi | 29 mi | 7 / 30 |
| May 2, 1972 | F3 | 16 mi | 7.9 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F2 | 21 mi | 7 mi | 1 / 19 |
| May 25, 2004 | F2 | 14 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 3, 1986 | F2 | 15 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1985 | F2 | 11 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 7, 1981 | F2 | 6 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 28, 1981 | F2 | 21 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jun 15, 1964 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jun 1, 1954 | F2 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 57, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Polk
The Storm Prediction Center has 48 hail reports within 10 miles of Polk since 1990, made on 28 separate days. Of these, 29 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 28, 2019. The most recent report is from April 14, 2024. May has the most reports, 20.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Polk
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Franklin, PA, 7 miles northeast of Polk at 1,015 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 34°F and 18°F. July is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 46.5 inches over 99 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 10 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 142 nights a year. Snowfall averages 53.7 inches a year, most of it in January. That 46.5 inches is more than at 93 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (63%). Harrisville, 13 miles south, has its own station (Slippery Rock 1 SSW, PA): 45.3 inches a year, 1.2 less than here, and a July average high of 81°F against 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 18 | 3.3 | 9 | 17.9 |
| Feb | 36 | 19 | 2.7 | 7 | 11.5 |
| Mar | 46 | 25 | 3.4 | 8 | 8.9 |
| Apr | 60 | 35 | 4.2 | 9 | 1.1 |
| May | 71 | 46 | 4.0 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 79 | 56 | 4.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 60 | 5.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 58 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 74 | 52 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 61 | 41 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 49 | 32 | 3.4 | 8 | 2.6 |
| Dec | 38 | 24 | 3.4 | 8 | 11.7 |
| Year | 59 | 39 | 46.5 | 99 | 53.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Franklin, PA (1,015 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 Polk
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 181 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Polk: 163 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 flash floods, 7 floods and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $1.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on April 14, 2019. June has had the most flash floods, 4 of 9. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 145 have had fewer than Polk.
July 24, 2022: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Polk — 1 killed, $10,000 damage.
June 14, 2004: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Polk — 2 injured, $30,000 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 Polk's ZIP code 16342 have filed 19 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 2006, and were paid $238,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2006, with 16. Of the 553 Pennsylvania cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 107 have fewer than Polk.
Venango County, which includes Polk, has been named in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 floods, 3 hurricanes, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Venango County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $15.8 million a year, the 51st highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $13.2 million (84%), 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.