NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Wattsburg, 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 Wattsburg, Pennsylvania since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 42 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 42
- 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 Wattsburg
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Wattsburg; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1896, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 42 miles away. The record near Wattsburg begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 69 miles away. Of the 8 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 92% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Wattsburg. The highest rating among the 42 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 31, 1985, came within 25 miles. Of the 42, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 15 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 10. The most recent tornado was on June 9, 2025. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 76% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Wattsburg. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 53 times since 1987, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 50% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Wattsburg.
Compare Wattsburg's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Wattsburg
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 31 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 23 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 14 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 47 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 Wattsburg: 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 Wattsburg
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s11
- 2000s1
- 1990s3
- 1980s8(5 EF3+)
- 1970s5(1 EF3+)
- 1960s7(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1985 | F4 | 25 mi | 14 mi | 12 / 82 |
| May 31, 1985 | F4 | 5 mi | 28 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1985 | F3 | 20 mi | 23 mi | 2 / 0 |
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 13 mi | 28 mi | 2 / 0 |
| May 31, 1985 | F3 | 21 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1971 | F3 | 9 mi | 29.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 20, 1969 | F3 | 10 mi | 84.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 2025 | EF2 | 5 mi | 1.04 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 14, 2011 | EF2 | 22 mi | 2.92 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 24, 2010 | EF2 | 22 mi | 7.61 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 16, 1997 | F2 | 9 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 30, 1986 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 42, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Wattsburg
The Storm Prediction Center has 53 hail reports within 10 miles of Wattsburg since 1987, made on 40 separate days. Of these, 23 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently April 14, 2019. The most recent report is from October 6, 2024. June has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Wattsburg
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Erie International Airport, PA, 19 miles west of Wattsburg 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%). Clymer, NY, 9 miles east, has its own station (Westfield 2 SSE, NY): 43.6 inches a year, 0.5 more than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 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 Wattsburg
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 63 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Wattsburg: 55 thunderstorm wind reports, 7 flash floods and 1 flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $8.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 74 mph, on June 24, 2000. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 112 have had fewer than Wattsburg.
June 30, 2009: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Wattsburg — $6.3 million damage.
June 30, 2009: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Wattsburg — $1.0 million damage.
August 10, 2009: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Wattsburg — $120,000 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
Erie County, which includes Wattsburg, 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.
Cities near Wattsburg
- Clymer, NY9 mi
- Waterford, PA10 mi
- Union City, PA11 mi
- Harborcreek, PA11 mi
- North East, PA11 mi
- Corry, PA12 mi
- Erie, PA14 mi
- Panama, NY16 mi
- Mc Kean, PA17 mi
- Ripley, NY17 mi
- Spartansburg, PA17 mi
- Cambridge Springs, PA19 mi
All Pennsylvania cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Wattsburg with another place →