NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Russell, 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
10 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Russell, Pennsylvania since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 39 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 39
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Russell
The strongest storm to pass near Russell was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 77 mph winds when its centre passed 63 miles away. The record near Russell begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 49 miles away. None of the 10 systems has come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 45% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Russell. The highest rating among the 39 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 31, 1985, came within 18 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on May 31, 1985, killed 4 people. Of the 39, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 14 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 12. The most recent tornado was on April 14, 2019. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 82% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Russell. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 17 times since 1976, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 89% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Russell.
Compare Russell's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Russell
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 23 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 63 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Russell: 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 Russell
By decade
- 2010s8
- 2000s6
- 1990s7
- 1980s9(5 EF3+)
- 1970s4(1 EF3+)
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1985 | F4 | 23 mi | 29 mi | 4 / 40 |
| May 31, 1985 | F4 | 18 mi | 28 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 23 mi | 28 mi | 2 / 0 |
| May 31, 1985 | F3 | 21 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 8 |
| May 31, 1985 | F3 | 9 mi | 13 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Jun 2, 1971 | F3 | 24 mi | 29.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 20, 1969 | F3 | 11 mi | 84.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 2019 | EF2 | 2 mi | 18 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 24, 2010 | EF2 | 15 mi | 7.62 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 1994 | F2 | 18 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 17, 1969 | F2 | 24 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 16, 1965 | F2 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 39, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Russell
The Storm Prediction Center has 17 hail reports within 10 miles of Russell since 1976, made on 16 separate days. Of these, 5 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), fell on June 2, 1998. The most recent report is from April 7, 2020. June has the most reports, 5.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Russell
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Warren, PA, 8 miles south of Russell at 1,210 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 33°F and 18°F. July is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 47.1 inches over 108 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (25.2 of 47.1 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 10 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal September there has highs of 74°F and 4.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 7 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 141 nights a year. Snowfall averages 71.6 inches a year, most of it in December. That 47.1 inches is more than at 102 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (69%). Frewsburg, NY, 6 miles north, has its own station (Jamestown 4 ENE, NY): 46.0 inches a year, 1.1 less than here, and a July average high of 80°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 18 | 3.6 | 10 | 18.2 |
| Feb | 35 | 18 | 2.8 | 8 | 14.9 |
| Mar | 44 | 24 | 3.3 | 9 | 10.0 |
| Apr | 58 | 34 | 4.1 | 10 | 2.4 |
| May | 70 | 45 | 4.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 77 | 55 | 4.7 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 81 | 59 | 4.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 80 | 58 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 74 | 52 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 61 | 41 | 4.0 | 10 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 48 | 32 | 3.6 | 9 | 7.5 |
| Dec | 37 | 24 | 3.8 | 10 | 18.5 |
| Year | 58 | 38 | 47.1 | 108 | 71.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Warren, PA (1,210 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 Russell
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 124 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Russell: 113 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 flash floods, 1 flood, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $529,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on May 28, 2013. August has had the most flash floods, 4 of 8. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 135 have had fewer than Russell.
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 Russell's ZIP code 16345 have filed 36 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1981, and were paid $354,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 1998, with 10. 3% 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, 213 have fewer than Russell.
Warren County, which includes Russell, has been named in 10 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Warren County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $23.1 million a year, the 40th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $20.6 million (89%), 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 Russell
- Frewsburg, NY6 mi
- Warren, PA8 mi
- Sugar Grove, PA12 mi
- Jamestown, NY12 mi
- Falconer, NY13 mi
- Youngsville, PA13 mi
- Kennedy, NY14 mi
- Lakewood, NY15 mi
- Randolph, NY16 mi
- Ashville, NY19 mi
- Conewango Valley, NY21 mi
- Bemus Point, NY21 mi
All Pennsylvania cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Russell with another place →