NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Punxsutawney, 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
11 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 38 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 11
- Tornadoes
- 38
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Punxsutawney
None of the 11 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Punxsutawney; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1893, a tropical storm with 71 mph winds when its centre passed 60 miles away. The record near Punxsutawney begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 34 miles away. The 1870s and the 1890s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 11 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 70% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Punxsutawney. The strongest of the 38 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on May 31, 1985; its path came within 22 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on July 11, 1976, killed 1 person. Of the 38, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 17 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 10. The most recent tornado was on June 9, 2025. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 84% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Punxsutawney. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 24 times since 1993, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 79% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Punxsutawney.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Punxsutawney
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Punxsutawney: 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 Punxsutawney
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s9
- 2000s5
- 1990s7
- 1980s6(1 EF3+)
- 1970s5
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1985 | F4 | 22 mi | 69 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 11, 1976 | F2 | 4 mi | 28.7 mi | 1 / 7 |
| Mar 31, 2022 | EF2 | 15 mi | 8.55 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 2, 2018 | EF2 | 14 mi | 4.09 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F2 | 25 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 19, 1996 | F2 | 2 mi | 27.4 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jul 19, 1996 | F2 | 6 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 26, 1994 | F2 | 23 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 23, 1986 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 27, 1951 | F2 | 12 mi | 19.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 16, 2019 | EF1 | 17 mi | 0.27 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 21, 2018 | EF1 | 22 mi | 2.39 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 38, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Punxsutawney
The Storm Prediction Center has 24 hail reports within 10 miles of Punxsutawney since 1993, made on 17 separate days. Of these, 11 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), fell on May 30, 2017. The most recent report is from May 2, 2025. May has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Punxsutawney
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Dubois Jefferson Co Airport, PA, 16 miles north of Punxsutawney at 1,814 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 79°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 32°F and 17°F. June is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 42.6 inches over 92 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (23.6 of 42.6 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 11 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal September there has highs of 71°F and 4.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 2 days a year, almost all from July. Lows fall below freezing on about 138 nights a year. That 42.6 inches is more than at 47 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (32%). Marion Center, 13 miles south, has its own station (Indiana 3 SE, PA): 47.8 inches a year, 5.2 more than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 79°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 17 | 2.9 | 6 |
| Feb | 35 | 19 | 2.4 | 6 |
| Mar | 44 | 26 | 3.3 | 8 |
| Apr | 58 | 37 | 3.7 | 9 |
| May | 68 | 47 | 3.7 | 9 |
| Jun | 75 | 55 | 4.7 | 9 |
| Jul | 79 | 59 | 4.4 | 9 |
| Aug | 78 | 58 | 3.9 | 7 |
| Sep | 71 | 51 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Oct | 59 | 41 | 3.4 | 8 |
| Nov | 47 | 32 | 3.2 | 7 |
| Dec | 36 | 23 | 3.0 | 7 |
| Year | 57 | 39 | 42.6 | 92 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Dubois Jefferson Co Airport, PA (1,814 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 Punxsutawney
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 149 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Punxsutawney: 123 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 floods, 6 flash floods and 4 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on April 1, 2023. June has had the most flash floods, 3 of 6. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 92 have had fewer than Punxsutawney.
April 25, 2011: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Punxsutawney — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Emergency management reported multiple trees down on Barton Chapel Road with 2 homes with minor damage. Small hail also covered the ground.”
June 27, 2013: flood 3 miles from the centre of Punxsutawney — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Emergency manager reported flooding on several portions of State Route 119 including the roadway in the towns of Punxsutawney, Big Run, Stump Creek and Sykesville. Flooding was also reported on Eddy and Yound Road, which were being used as a detour for already flooded roadways.”
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 Punxsutawney's ZIP code 15767 have filed 145 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $3.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1996: 71 claims (49% of all) and $3.0 million, then Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004 with 17. 61% 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, 433 have fewer than Punxsutawney.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1996 | 71 | $3.0 million |
| Tropical Storm Ivan2004 | 17 | $237,000 |
Jefferson County, which includes Punxsutawney, has been named in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 floods, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Jefferson County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and strong wind; Very Low for hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $14.0 million a year, the 57th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $11.2 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 Punxsutawney
- Reynoldsville, PA11 mi
- Marion Center, PA13 mi
- Brookville, PA15 mi
- Dayton, PA15 mi
- Du Bois, PA17 mi
- Cherry Tree, PA17 mi
- Clymer, PA19 mi
- New Bethlehem, PA20 mi
- Brockway, PA22 mi
- Curwensville, PA22 mi
- Northern Cambria, PA22 mi
- Hastings, PA24 mi
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