NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Saint Thomas, 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
21 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Saint Thomas, Pennsylvania since 1851, 2 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
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 19
- Tornadoes
- 38
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Saint Thomas
The strongest storm to pass near Saint Thomas was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 90 mph winds when its centre passed 59 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Hazel in 1954, whose centre came within 28 miles. The record near Saint Thomas begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 13 miles away. The 1890s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 4 systems each. Of the 21 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Saint Thomas has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site. The strongest of the 38 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on April 16, 1961; its path came within 18 miles. Of the 38, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 17 have come since 2000. June and September have had the most tornadoes, 8 each. The most recent tornado was on May 27, 2022. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 84% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Saint Thomas. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 48 times since 1976, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 54% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Saint Thomas.
Compare Saint Thomas's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Saint Thomas
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 3 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | overhead | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 28 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormOct 1 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 59 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | overhead | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Saint Thomas: 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 Saint Thomas
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s8
- 2000s8
- 1990s13
- 1980s1
- 1970s5
- 1960s2(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 16, 1961 | F3 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF2 | 1 mi | 2.89 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 30, 1994 | F2 | 12 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 29, 2019 | EF1 | 21 mi | 0.72 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF1 | 23 mi | 5.37 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF1 | 11 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 4, 2017 | EF1 | 17 mi | 1.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 2011 | EF1 | 10 mi | 0.12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 17, 2011 | EF1 | 15 mi | 2.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F1 | 24 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F1 | 16 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F1 | 3 mi | 2.5 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 Saint Thomas
The Storm Prediction Center has 48 hail reports within 10 miles of Saint Thomas since 1976, made on 30 separate days. Of these, 26 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on June 29, 1976. The most recent report is from August 7, 2023. May has the most reports, 19.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Saint Thomas
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Chambersburg 1 ESE, PA, 9 miles east of Saint Thomas at 640 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 23°F. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (22.4 of 43.4 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 19 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 109 nights a year. Snowfall averages 30.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 43.4 inches is more than at 56 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (38%). Greencastle, 9 miles south, has its own station (Hagerstown Washington Co Airport, MD): 35.6 inches a year, 7.8 less than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 23 | 3.2 | 6 | 10.0 |
| Feb | 41 | 25 | 2.6 | 6 | 8.0 |
| Mar | 50 | 32 | 3.6 | 7 | 6.0 |
| Apr | 63 | 42 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.3 |
| May | 73 | 52 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 81 | 61 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 65 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 83 | 63 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 76 | 56 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 64 | 45 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 52 | 35 | 3.1 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Dec | 41 | 27 | 3.5 | 6 | 5.5 |
| Year | 62 | 44 | 43.4 | 81 | 30.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Chambersburg 1 ESE, PA (640 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 Saint Thomas
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 142 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Saint Thomas: 126 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 flash floods, 6 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $40.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 87 mph, on May 27, 2012. May 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 Saint Thomas.
April 2, 2005: flood 5 miles from the centre of Saint Thomas — $40.0 million 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
Franklin County, which includes Saint Thomas, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 floods, 4 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 4 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Franklin County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $37.7 million a year, the 24th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $26.0 million (69%), 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 Saint Thomas
- Chambersburg, PA7 mi
- Greencastle, PA9 mi
- Mc Connellsburg, PA10 mi
- Mercersburg, PA10 mi
- Orrstown, PA14 mi
- Fayetteville, PA15 mi
- Waynesboro, PA16 mi
- Clear Spring, MD19 mi
- Shippensburg, PA19 mi
- Hagerstown, MD20 mi
- Newburg, PA20 mi
- Three Springs, PA21 mi
All Pennsylvania cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Saint Thomas with another place →