NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Thorndale, 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
31 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Thorndale, Pennsylvania since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 84 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 29
- Tornadoes
- 84
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Thorndale
The strongest storm to pass near Thorndale was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 86 mph winds when its centre passed 33 miles away. The record near Thorndale begins with an unnamed storm in 1861; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 16 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1870s, with 4 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 31 systems, 5 have come since 2000. Thorndale has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site. The highest rating among the 84 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on July 27, 1994, came within 14 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on July 27, 1994, killed 3 people. Of the 84, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 24 have come since 2000. July and August have had the most tornadoes, 15 each. The most recent tornado was on September 4, 2025. Thorndale has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 86% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 59 times since 1973, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Thorndale has more hail reports within 10 miles than 53% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Thorndale
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 1 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 3 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1992 | DanielleSep 26 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormOct 1 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 73 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 16 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 33 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 5 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 26 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Thorndale: 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 Thorndale
By decade
- 2020s9
- 2010s10
- 2000s5
- 1990s25(2 EF3+)
- 1980s12
- 1970s12
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s5(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 27, 1994 | F3 | 20 mi | 2 mi | 3 / 25 |
| Mar 22, 1955 | F3 | 8 mi | 9.6 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Jul 27, 1994 | F3 | 14 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Apr 28, 1961 | F3 | 25 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 4, 1950 | F3 | 24 mi | 15.9 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Sep 5, 1979 | F2 | 14 mi | 4.1 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Sep 1, 2021 | EF2 | 14 mi | 5.92 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 31, 2019 | EF2 | 14 mi | 0.47 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 28, 2019 | EF2 | 12 mi | 3.08 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 24, 2016 | EF2 | 12 mi | 4.87 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 28, 2004 | F2 | 21 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 2, 2002 | F2 | 23 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 84, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Thorndale
The Storm Prediction Center has 59 hail reports within 10 miles of Thorndale since 1973, made on 42 separate days. Of these, 34 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 29, 1995. The most recent report is from July 14, 2024. May has the most reports, 17.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Thorndale
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Coatesville 2 W, PA, 5 miles west of Thorndale at 640 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 39°F and 22°F. September is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 52.2 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (27.1 of 52.2 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 31 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (12); a normal September there has highs of 77°F and 5.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 16 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 120 nights a year. Snowfall averages 31.9 inches a year, most of it in February. That 52.2 inches is more than at 142 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (96%). Downingtown, 3 miles northeast, has its own station (W Chester 2 NW, PA): 51.0 inches a year, 1.2 less than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 85°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Marcus Hook, PA, 23 miles southeast, averaged 82°F in July and 39°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from July to August. Sea level at the Reedy Point tide gauge, 32 miles from Thorndale, has risen 1.55 ± 0.09 inches per decade from 1956 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 15.5 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 93 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 22 | 4.1 | 8 | 7.9 | 39 |
| Feb | 42 | 23 | 3.3 | 6 | 11.5 | 39 |
| Mar | 50 | 31 | 4.8 | 8 | 6.3 | 46 |
| Apr | 63 | 40 | 4.1 | 7 | 1.1 | 55 |
| May | 73 | 50 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 | 64 |
| Jun | 81 | 59 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.0 | 74 |
| Jul | 85 | 65 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 | 82 |
| Aug | 83 | 63 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 | 81 |
| Sep | 77 | 56 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.0 | 75 |
| Oct | 65 | 44 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 | 66 |
| Nov | 54 | 34 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.7 | 55 |
| Dec | 43 | 27 | 4.8 | 7 | 4.4 | 43 |
| Year | 63 | 43 | 52.2 | 81 | 31.9 | 60 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Coatesville 2 W, PA (640 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Marcus Hook, PA, from NOAA Tides & Currents. 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 Thorndale
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 431 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Thorndale: 296 thunderstorm wind reports, 86 flash floods, 30 floods, 12 lightning strikes and 7 heavy rain events. They killed 4 people and injured 12, and the NWS estimated $1.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 71 mph, on July 18, 2006. July has had the most flash floods, 33 of 86. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 651 have had fewer than Thorndale.
July 18, 2006: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Thorndale — 2 killed, 1 injured.
November 8, 2006: flood 4 miles from the centre of Thorndale — 1 killed, 7 injured.
April 15, 2023: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Thorndale — 1 killed, 1 injured.
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
Chester County, which includes Thorndale, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 hurricanes, 6 floods, 5 severe storms, 4 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Hurricane Ida, on September 10, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Chester 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; Relatively Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $172.6 million a year, the 5th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $105.8 million (61%), 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 Thorndale
- Downingtown, PA3 mi
- Coatesville, PA4 mi
- Glenmoore, PA7 mi
- Exton, PA7 mi
- Honey Brook, PA9 mi
- Parkesburg, PA9 mi
- Chester Springs, PA9 mi
- West Chester, PA9 mi
- Kennett Square, PA10 mi
- Elverson, PA11 mi
- Atglen, PA12 mi
- Avondale, PA12 mi
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