NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Riegelsville, 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
28 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Riegelsville, Pennsylvania since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 64 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 26
- Tornadoes
- 64
- 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 Riegelsville
The strongest storm to pass near Riegelsville was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 1 hurricane with 86 mph winds when its centre passed 69 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1878, whose centre came within 39 miles. The record near Riegelsville begins with an unnamed storm in 1861; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 43 miles away. Of the 28 systems, 6 have come since 2000. Riegelsville has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site. The highest rating among the 64 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on October 18, 1990, came within 25 miles. Of the 64, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 19 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 16. The most recent tornado was on May 6, 2025. Riegelsville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 55% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 57 times since 1986, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Riegelsville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 52% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Riegelsville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 2 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | FayJul 11 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 7 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | DianeAug 19 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 16 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 69 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 39 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 26 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Riegelsville: 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 Riegelsville
By decade
- 2020s13
- 2010s3
- 2000s3
- 1990s15(1 EF3+)
- 1980s13(1 EF3+)
- 1970s9
- 1960s4
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 18, 1990 | F3 | 25 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Jul 26, 1981 | F3 | 22 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | EF2 | 22 mi | 6.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 4, 2020 | EF2 | 17 mi | 20.77 mi | 0 / 18 |
| Jul 29, 2009 | EF2 | 24 mi | 4.58 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Nov 8, 1996 | F2 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 5, 1984 | F2 | 18 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 5, 1984 | F2 | 17 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 5, 1984 | F2 | 25 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 20, 1981 | F2 | 19 mi | 4.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 5, 1979 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 2, 1973 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 64, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Riegelsville
The Storm Prediction Center has 57 hail reports within 10 miles of Riegelsville since 1986, made on 31 separate days. Of these, 35 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 29, 2019. The most recent report is from July 3, 2025. May has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Riegelsville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Springtown 1 NNE, PA, 3 miles west of Riegelsville at 860 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 19°F. July is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 53.3 inches over 85 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (28.6 of 53.3 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 13 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 121 nights a year. Snowfall averages 41.1 inches a year, most of it in February. That 53.3 inches is more than at 143 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (97%). Kintnersville, 3 miles south, has its own station (Bucksville, PA): 51.0 inches a year, 2.3 less than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 19 | 3.8 | 7 | 10.5 |
| Feb | 40 | 20 | 3.2 | 6 | 12.1 |
| Mar | 48 | 28 | 4.4 | 7 | 8.5 |
| Apr | 61 | 38 | 4.2 | 7 | 1.3 |
| May | 70 | 49 | 4.5 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 78 | 58 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 62 | 5.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 61 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 75 | 54 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 64 | 43 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.6 |
| Nov | 53 | 33 | 3.6 | 6 | 1.7 |
| Dec | 42 | 25 | 4.6 | 7 | 6.4 |
| Year | 61 | 41 | 53.3 | 85 | 41.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Springtown 1 NNE, PA (860 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 Riegelsville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 355 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Riegelsville: 252 thunderstorm wind reports, 55 flash floods, 27 floods, 15 lightning strikes and 6 heavy rain events. They killed 8 people and injured 18, and the NWS estimated $75.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on May 13, 2000. July has had the most flash floods, 18 of 55. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 545 have had fewer than Riegelsville.
September 1, 2021: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Riegelsville — 6 killed, $6.0 million damage.
August 4, 2020: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Riegelsville — 1 killed, $3,000 damage.
August 5, 2009: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Riegelsville — 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Riegelsville's ZIP code 18077 have filed 138 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1983, and were paid $2.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004: 15 claims (11% of all) and $154,000, then Torrential rain in 2005 with 10. The year with the most claims was 2005, with 60. 22% 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, 422 have fewer than Riegelsville.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Ivan2004 | 15 | $154,000 |
| Torrential rain2005 | 10 | $308,000 |
Bucks County, which includes Riegelsville, 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 Riegelsville
- Kintnersville, PA3 mi
- Hellertown, PA6 mi
- Upper Black Eddy, PA6 mi
- Milford, NJ6 mi
- Easton, PA8 mi
- Phillipsburg, NJ8 mi
- Ottsville, PA8 mi
- Bethlehem, PA9 mi
- Bloomsbury, NJ9 mi
- Stewartsville, NJ10 mi
- Center Valley, PA10 mi
- Coopersburg, PA11 mi
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