NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Shippenville, 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
9 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Shippenville, Pennsylvania since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 41 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 41
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
26 deaths in all
What the records show for Shippenville
None of the 9 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Shippenville; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1896, a tropical storm with 61 mph winds when its centre passed 31 miles away. The record near Shippenville begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 39 miles away. Of the 9 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 79% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Shippenville. The highest rating among the 41 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 31, 1985, came within 12 miles. Of the 41, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 24 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on June 9, 2025. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 78% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Shippenville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 31 times since 1983, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 70% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Shippenville.
Compare Shippenville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Shippenville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 31 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Shippenville: 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 Shippenville
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s18
- 2000s3
- 1990s3
- 1980s6(2 EF3+)
- 1970s7
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1985 | F4 | 12 mi | 56.2 mi | 16 / 125 |
| May 31, 1985 | F4 | 18 mi | 29 mi | 7 / 30 |
| Jul 11, 1976 | F2 | 14 mi | 28.7 mi | 1 / 7 |
| Oct 2, 2018 | EF2 | 17 mi | 4.09 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 1, 2017 | EF2 | 23 mi | 1.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 1, 2017 | EF2 | 22 mi | 0.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 19, 1996 | F2 | 14 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 23, 1986 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 31, 1985 | F2 | 13 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 7, 1981 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 1, 1954 | F2 | 3 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 16, 2021 | EF1 | 22 mi | 1.16 mi | 1 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 41, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Shippenville
The Storm Prediction Center has 31 hail reports within 10 miles of Shippenville since 1983, made on 23 separate days. Of these, 15 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently August 3, 2015. The most recent report is from April 17, 2024. April has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Shippenville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Clarion 3 SW, PA, 5 miles south of Shippenville at 1,040 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 57°F; January is the coolest, at 33°F and 16°F. July is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 46.9 inches over 101 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 9 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 155 nights a year. That 46.9 inches is more than at 99 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (67%). Seneca, 15 miles northwest, has its own station (Franklin, PA): 46.5 inches a year, 0.4 less than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 16 | 3.6 | 10 |
| Feb | 36 | 16 | 2.7 | 8 |
| Mar | 46 | 23 | 3.5 | 8 |
| Apr | 60 | 33 | 4.1 | 10 |
| May | 71 | 44 | 3.9 | 8 |
| Jun | 79 | 53 | 4.7 | 9 |
| Jul | 82 | 57 | 5.3 | 8 |
| Aug | 81 | 56 | 4.2 | 8 |
| Sep | 74 | 50 | 4.0 | 8 |
| Oct | 62 | 38 | 3.6 | 8 |
| Nov | 49 | 29 | 3.6 | 8 |
| Dec | 38 | 22 | 3.7 | 9 |
| Year | 59 | 36 | 46.9 | 101 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Clarion 3 SW, PA (1,040 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 Shippenville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 139 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Shippenville: 115 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods, 7 floods and 6 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on October 16, 2021. July has had the most flash floods, 6 of 11. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 188 have had fewer than Shippenville.
October 6, 2024: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Shippenville — $1.0 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
Clarion County, which includes Shippenville, 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 Clarion County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $8.7 million a year, the 61st highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.2 million (72%), 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.