NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Smethport, 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 Smethport, Pennsylvania since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Connie in 1955. Since 1950, 21 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 21
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Smethport
The strongest storm to pass near Smethport was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 77 mph winds when its centre passed 33 miles away. The record near Smethport begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Connie in 1955, a tropical storm 26 miles away. None of the 9 systems has come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 45% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Smethport. The strongest of the 21 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on May 31, 1985; its path came within 18 miles, and it killed 4 people. Of the 21, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 11 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 10. The most recent tornado was on March 16, 2025. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 97% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Smethport. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 22 times since 1974, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 82% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Smethport.
Compare Smethport's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Smethport
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 33 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 14 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 35 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 Smethport: 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 Smethport
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s6
- 2000s4
- 1990s3
- 1980s2(1 EF3+)
- 1970s2
- 1960s2(1 EF3+)
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1985 | F4 | 18 mi | 29 mi | 4 / 40 |
| May 15, 1961 | F3 | 21 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1985 | F2 | 14 mi | 19 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 14, 1962 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 12, 1954 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 16, 2025 | EF1 | 21 mi | 0.51 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 1, 2017 | EF1 | 20 mi | 1.68 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 27, 2013 | EF1 | 25 mi | 2.94 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 24, 2010 | EF1 | 20 mi | 7.78 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 2009 | EF1 | 24 mi | 12.88 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 2009 | EF1 | 23 mi | 1.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 21, 2003 | F1 | 9 mi | 5.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 21, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Smethport
The Storm Prediction Center has 22 hail reports within 10 miles of Smethport since 1974, made on 17 separate days. Of these, 12 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 31, 1985. The most recent report is from July 23, 2022. July has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Smethport
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Clermont 1 NW, PA, 8 miles south of Smethport at 2,080 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 76°F and low of 55°F; January is the coolest, at 29°F and 13°F. July and August are the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 50.8 inches over 111 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs of 90°F are rare: fewer than one day a year on average. Lows fall below freezing on about 166 nights a year. Snowfall averages 79.5 inches a year, most of it in February. That 50.8 inches is more than at 134 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (91%). Port Allegany, 9 miles east, has its own station (Port Allegany, PA): 42.6 inches a year, 8.2 less than here, and a July average high of 80°F against 76°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 13 | 3.7 | 9 | 18.4 |
| Feb | 32 | 14 | 3.0 | 9 | 19.1 |
| Mar | 41 | 21 | 3.7 | 9 | 10.8 |
| Apr | 55 | 31 | 4.4 | 10 | 4.0 |
| May | 66 | 42 | 4.7 | 11 | 0.4 |
| Jun | 73 | 51 | 4.7 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 76 | 55 | 4.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 74 | 53 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 67 | 47 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 57 | 37 | 4.4 | 10 | 1.5 |
| Nov | 44 | 28 | 4.1 | 9 | 7.1 |
| Dec | 34 | 20 | 4.1 | 10 | 18.2 |
| Year | 54 | 34 | 50.8 | 111 | 79.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Clermont 1 NW, PA (2,080 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 Smethport
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 57 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Smethport: 51 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 flash floods and 1 flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $138,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on May 2, 2012. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 71 have had fewer than Smethport.
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
McKean County, which includes Smethport, has been named in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 floods, 3 hurricanes, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives McKean County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes and strong wind; Very Low for tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $15.0 million a year, the 54th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $12.8 million (85%), 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 Smethport
- Port Allegany, PA9 mi
- Eldred, PA11 mi
- Lewis Run, PA13 mi
- Bradford, PA15 mi
- Shinglehouse, PA17 mi
- Portville, NY18 mi
- Olean, NY19 mi
- Allegany, NY21 mi
- Emporium, PA22 mi
- Kane, PA22 mi
- Coudersport, PA23 mi
- Johnsonburg, PA24 mi
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