NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Saltsburg, 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 Saltsburg, Pennsylvania since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 68 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 10
- Tornadoes
- 68
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
10 deaths in all
What the records show for Saltsburg
None of the 10 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Saltsburg; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1896, a tropical storm with 64 mph winds when its centre passed 39 miles away. The record near Saltsburg begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 5 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1870s, with 2 systems. Of the 10 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 73% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Saltsburg. The strongest of the 68 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on June 3, 1980; its path came within 6 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 31, 1985, killed 9 people. Of the 68, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 34 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 20. The most recent tornado was on March 16, 2025. Saltsburg has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 62% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 39 times since 1974, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 61% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Saltsburg.
Compare Saltsburg's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Saltsburg
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 74 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 Saltsburg: 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 Saltsburg
By decade
- 2020s18
- 2010s12
- 2000s4
- 1990s10
- 1980s10(2 EF3+)
- 1970s8(1 EF3+)
- 1960s2
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 3, 1980 | F4 | 6 mi | 11.8 mi | 0 / 140 |
| May 31, 1985 | F3 | 21 mi | 39 mi | 9 / 120 |
| Jul 11, 1976 | F3 | 11 mi | 11.8 mi | 1 / 17 |
| Jun 26, 2024 | EF2 | 9 mi | 10.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 31, 2022 | EF2 | 23 mi | 8.55 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 2, 2018 | EF2 | 25 mi | 1.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 23, 2011 | EF2 | 17 mi | 8.96 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F2 | 12 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 15, 1997 | F2 | 14 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 22, 1983 | F2 | 5 mi | 38 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Jul 26, 1981 | F2 | 12 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 1981 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 68, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Saltsburg
The Storm Prediction Center has 39 hail reports within 10 miles of Saltsburg since 1974, made on 27 separate days. Of these, 23 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently May 4, 2025. The most recent report is from May 4, 2025. June has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Saltsburg
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Loyalhanna Lake, PA, 3 miles south of Saltsburg at 990 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 19°F. August is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 43.5 inches over 90 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (23.2 of 43.5 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 10 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal September there has highs of 76°F and 4.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 14 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 130 nights a year. That 43.5 inches is more than at 57 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (39%). Avonmore, 3 miles northwest, has its own station (Salina 3 W, PA): 45.8 inches a year, 2.3 more than here, and the same July average high, 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 19 | 3.1 | 8 |
| Feb | 40 | 20 | 2.5 | 7 |
| Mar | 49 | 27 | 3.3 | 8 |
| Apr | 62 | 36 | 3.8 | 9 |
| May | 72 | 46 | 4.0 | 9 |
| Jun | 80 | 55 | 4.1 | 9 |
| Jul | 83 | 59 | 4.3 | 8 |
| Aug | 82 | 58 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Sep | 76 | 51 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Oct | 64 | 40 | 2.9 | 7 |
| Nov | 52 | 30 | 3.3 | 7 |
| Dec | 41 | 24 | 3.6 | 7 |
| Year | 61 | 39 | 43.5 | 90 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Loyalhanna Lake, PA (990 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 Saltsburg
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 209 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Saltsburg: 163 thunderstorm wind reports, 32 flash floods, 13 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $3.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on May 12, 2002. June has had the most flash floods, 13 of 32. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 438 have had fewer than Saltsburg.
May 12, 2002: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Saltsburg — 1 killed, 2 injured, $100,000 damage.
October 6, 2024: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Saltsburg — $2.5 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
Indiana County, which includes Saltsburg, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 floods, 4 snowstorms, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Debby, on September 11, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Indiana 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, hail and strong wind; Very Low for heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $18.7 million a year, the 44th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $14.2 million (76%), 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.