NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Waterford, 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 Waterford, Pennsylvania since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 50 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 50
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
16 deaths in all
What the records show for Waterford
None of the 9 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Waterford; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1896, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 51 miles away. The record near Waterford begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 60 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 Waterford. The highest rating among the 50 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 31, 1985, came within 15 miles. Of the 50, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 19 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on June 9, 2025. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 63% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Waterford. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 67 times since 1985, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Waterford has more hail reports within 10 miles than 62% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities.
Compare Waterford's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Waterford
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 31 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 14 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Waterford: 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 Waterford
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s12
- 2000s3
- 1990s4
- 1980s13(5 EF3+)
- 1970s5(1 EF3+)
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1985 | F4 | 15 mi | 14 mi | 12 / 82 |
| May 31, 1985 | F4 | 2 mi | 28 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1985 | F3 | 15 mi | 23 mi | 2 / 0 |
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 24 mi | 28 mi | 2 / 0 |
| May 31, 1985 | F3 | 18 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1971 | F3 | 4 mi | 29.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 20, 1969 | F3 | 19 mi | 84.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 2025 | EF2 | 11 mi | 1.04 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 2, 2018 | EF2 | 20 mi | 4.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 16, 1997 | F2 | 8 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 30, 1986 | F2 | 10 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 22, 1985 | F2 | 16 mi | 33.4 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 50, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Waterford
The Storm Prediction Center has 67 hail reports within 10 miles of Waterford since 1985, made on 49 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on June 29, 1998. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Waterford
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Erie International Airport, PA, 14 miles northwest of Waterford at 730 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 35°F and 21°F. October is the wettest at 4.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 43.1 inches over 99 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 5 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 112 nights a year. Snowfall averages 104.3 inches a year, most of it in January. That 43.1 inches is more than at 51 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (34%). Union City, 9 miles southeast, has its own station (Titusville Wtr Wks, PA): 46.4 inches a year, 3.3 more than here, and the same July average high, 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 21 | 3.4 | 10 | 31.8 |
| Feb | 37 | 21 | 2.5 | 8 | 19.4 |
| Mar | 44 | 28 | 3.1 | 8 | 14.5 |
| Apr | 57 | 38 | 3.5 | 9 | 2.6 |
| May | 68 | 49 | 3.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 77 | 59 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 81 | 64 | 3.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 80 | 63 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 74 | 57 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 62 | 46 | 4.4 | 10 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 51 | 37 | 3.8 | 9 | 9.6 |
| Dec | 40 | 28 | 4.2 | 11 | 26.3 |
| Year | 59 | 43 | 43.1 | 99 | 104.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Erie International Airport, PA (730 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 Waterford
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 94 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Waterford: 85 thunderstorm wind reports and 9 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $3.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on April 14, 2019. June has had the most flash floods, 3 of 9. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 145 have had fewer than Waterford.
June 30, 2009: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Waterford — $1.5 million damage.
May 21, 2022: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Waterford — $500,000 damage.
August 10, 2009: thunderstorm wind in Waterford — $120,000 damage.
NWS: “Many trees were reported down in the area. Several houses sustained damage from fallen trees.”
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
Erie County, which includes Waterford, has been named in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Erie County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and inland flooding; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves; Very Low for coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $47.6 million a year, the 21st highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $38.2 million (80%), 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.