NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Washington, 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
8 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Washington, Pennsylvania since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 46 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 46
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Washington
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Washington; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1878, a tropical storm with 53 mph winds when its centre passed 54 miles away. The record near Washington begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 44 miles away. Of the 8 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 92% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Washington. The strongest of the 46 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on August 3, 1963; its path came within 22 miles, and it killed 2 people. Of the 46, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 24 have come since 2000. May and June have had the most tornadoes, 11 each. The most recent tornado was on May 21, 2025. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 68% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Washington. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 59 times since 1974, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Washington has more hail reports within 10 miles than 53% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities.
Compare Washington's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Washington
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 31 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 29 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Washington: 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 Washington
By decade
- 2020s16
- 2010s6
- 2000s2
- 1990s4
- 1980s4
- 1970s8
- 1960s3(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 3, 1963 | F3 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 2 / 70 |
| May 11, 2024 | EF2 | 12 mi | 5.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 1, 2022 | EF2 | 18 mi | 1.81 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | EF2 | 6 mi | 15.67 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 30, 1990 | F2 | 6 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 22, 1983 | F2 | 21 mi | 38 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Jun 4, 1975 | F2 | 24 mi | 45.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 25, 1968 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 13, 1956 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.7 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 21, 2025 | EF1 | 5 mi | 13.89 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 26, 2024 | EF1 | 16 mi | 6.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 7, 2024 | EF1 | 20 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 46, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Washington
The Storm Prediction Center has 59 hail reports within 10 miles of Washington since 1974, made on 39 separate days. Of these, 34 were 1 inch across or larger, and 8 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on August 12, 2023. The most recent report is from August 17, 2024. June has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Washington
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Washington 3 NE, PA, 3 miles east of Washington at 1,300 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 20°F. June is the wettest at 4.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 41.3 inches over 87 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 7 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 122 nights a year. Snowfall averages 31.9 inches a year, most of it in January. That 41.3 inches is more than at 27 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (18%). Avella, 12 miles northwest, has its own station (Wheeling Ohio Co Airport, WV): 37.6 inches a year, 3.7 less than here, and the same July average high, 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 20 | 3.3 | 8 | 9.9 |
| Feb | 40 | 22 | 2.5 | 6 | 7.5 |
| Mar | 49 | 29 | 3.5 | 8 | 6.1 |
| Apr | 63 | 40 | 3.3 | 8 | 0.6 |
| May | 72 | 49 | 4.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 62 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 83 | 60 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 76 | 54 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 64 | 43 | 3.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 52 | 33 | 3.1 | 7 | 1.8 |
| Dec | 41 | 26 | 3.3 | 7 | 6.0 |
| Year | 62 | 41 | 41.3 | 87 | 31.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Washington 3 NE, PA (1,300 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 Washington
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 270 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Washington: 205 thunderstorm wind reports, 42 flash floods, 19 floods, 2 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $2.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on August 13, 1999. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 491 have had fewer than Washington.
June 16, 1998: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Washington — 1 injured, $15,000 damage.
July 22, 2011: lightning strike 6 miles from the centre of Washington — 1 injured.
August 12, 2023: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Washington — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Barn destroyed along Brush Run Road and trees down along Lone Pine Road.”
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 Washington's ZIP code 15301 have filed 232 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $9.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004: 24 claims (10% of all) and $1.1 million. The year with the most claims was 2024, with 35. 11% 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, 484 have fewer than Washington.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Ivan2004 | 24 | $1.1 million |
Washington County, which includes Washington, has been named in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 floods, 3 hurricanes, 3 severe storms, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Washington County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for hail and inland flooding; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $57.4 million a year, the 17th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $51.5 million (90%), 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 Washington
- Houston, PA5 mi
- Eighty Four, PA8 mi
- Mc Murray, PA8 mi
- Claysville, PA9 mi
- Avella, PA12 mi
- Venetia, PA12 mi
- Mc Donald, PA13 mi
- Bentleyville, PA13 mi
- Bridgeville, PA14 mi
- Finleyville, PA15 mi
- South Park, PA15 mi
- Bethel Park, PA15 mi
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