NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Steelton, 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
25 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Steelton, Pennsylvania since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 78 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 23
- Tornadoes
- 78
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Steelton
The strongest storm to pass near Steelton was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 87 mph winds when its centre passed 24 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Hazel in 1954, whose centre came within 20 miles. The record near Steelton begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 71 miles away. The 1890s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 4 systems each. Of the 25 systems, 4 have come since 2000. Steelton has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site. The highest rating among the 78 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on July 14, 2004, came within 13 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on December 1, 2006, killed 1 person. Of the 78, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 35 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 16. The most recent tornado was on August 9, 2024. Steelton has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 81% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 87 times since 1958, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Steelton has more hail reports within 10 miles than 80% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities.
Compare Steelton's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Steelton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 2 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 3 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1992 | DanielleSep 26 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 20 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormOct 1 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 24 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 56 mi | 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 Steelton: 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 Steelton
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s15
- 2000s14(1 EF3+)
- 1990s17
- 1980s5(1 EF3+)
- 1970s8
- 1960s7
- 1950s6(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 14, 2004 | F3 | 13 mi | 7.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 7, 1980 | F3 | 23 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 1952 | F3 | 20 mi | 17.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF2 | 18 mi | 1.07 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF2 | 8 mi | 2.62 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 9, 1992 | F2 | 10 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 1991 | F2 | 13 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 15, 1989 | F2 | 20 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jul 31, 1985 | F2 | 6 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 7, 1980 | F2 | 16 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 5, 1977 | F2 | 1 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 11, 1975 | F2 | 19 mi | 17.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 78, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Steelton
The Storm Prediction Center has 87 hail reports within 10 miles of Steelton since 1958, made on 56 separate days. Of these, 46 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on June 1, 1976. The most recent report is from September 21, 2024. June has the most reports, 36.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Steelton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Harrisburg Cptl Cy Airport, PA, 2 miles southwest of Steelton at 340 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 40°F and 25°F. July is the wettest at 4.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 41.1 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (22.3 of 41.1 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 26 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 102 nights a year. That 41.1 inches is more than at 22 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (15%). Highspire, 3 miles southeast, has its own station (Middletown Harrisburg International Airport, PA): 44.2 inches a year, 3.1 more than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 25 | 2.6 | 5 |
| Feb | 43 | 26 | 2.4 | 5 |
| Mar | 53 | 34 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Apr | 65 | 43 | 3.7 | 7 |
| May | 75 | 53 | 3.5 | 8 |
| Jun | 83 | 63 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Jul | 88 | 67 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Aug | 85 | 66 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Sep | 79 | 58 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Oct | 67 | 47 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Nov | 55 | 37 | 2.8 | 5 |
| Dec | 44 | 30 | 3.2 | 7 |
| Year | 65 | 46 | 41.1 | 75 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Harrisburg Cptl Cy Airport, PA (340 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 Steelton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 324 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Steelton: 287 thunderstorm wind reports, 24 flash floods, 11 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 5, and the NWS estimated $1.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on June 29, 2012. September has had the most flash floods, 5 of 24. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 377 have had fewer than Steelton.
June 19, 2007: lightning strike 5 miles from the centre of Steelton — 1 killed, 1 injured.
September 7, 1998: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Steelton — 4 injured.
June 1, 2007: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Steelton — $500,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Steelton's ZIP code 17113 have filed 176 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $1.3 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1996: 62 claims (35% of all) and $361,000, then Tropical Storm Lee in 2011 with 48 and Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004 with 39. 88% 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, 458 have fewer than Steelton.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1996 | 62 | $361,000 |
| Tropical Storm Lee2011 | 48 | $584,000 |
| Tropical Storm Ivan2004 | 39 | $275,000 |
Dauphin County, which includes Steelton, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 floods, 5 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 4 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Hurricane Ida, on September 10, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Dauphin County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $99.8 million a year, the 11th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $75.0 million (75%), 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.