NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit West Middlesex, 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 West Middlesex, Pennsylvania since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 78 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 78
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
47 deaths in all
What the records show for West Middlesex
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed West Middlesex; the strongest was Connie in 1955, a tropical storm with 51 mph winds when its centre passed 75 miles away. The record near West Middlesex begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 3 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 West Middlesex. The strongest of the 78 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on May 31, 1985; its path came within 3 miles, and it killed 18 people. Of the 78, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 29 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 22. The most recent tornado was on August 6, 2024. West Middlesex has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 81% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 92 times since 1971, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). West Middlesex has more hail reports within 10 miles than 83% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near West Middlesex
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 31 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 14 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in West Middlesex: 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 West Middlesex
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s11
- 2000s8
- 1990s22
- 1980s10(3 EF3+)
- 1970s9(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s5(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1985 | F5 | 3 mi | 47 mi | 18 / 310 |
| May 31, 1985 | F4 | 21 mi | 56.2 mi | 16 / 125 |
| May 31, 1985 | F3 | 24 mi | 39 mi | 9 / 120 |
| Aug 5, 1956 | F3 | 12 mi | 0.1 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Mar 1, 1955 | F3 | 13 mi | 2.5 mi | 1 / 6 |
| May 2, 1972 | F3 | 24 mi | 7.9 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F2 | 5 mi | 7 mi | 1 / 19 |
| Apr 9, 2001 | F2 | 11 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 8, 1992 | F2 | 9 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 8, 1992 | F2 | 5 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Jun 27, 1987 | F2 | 13 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 3, 1986 | F2 | 12 mi | 9 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 West Middlesex
The Storm Prediction Center has 92 hail reports within 10 miles of West Middlesex since 1971, made on 50 separate days. Of these, 45 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on June 16, 2022. The most recent report is from April 14, 2024. May has the most reports, 29.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in West Middlesex
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is New Castle 1 N, PA, 12 miles southeast of West Middlesex at 825 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 19°F. July is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.2 inches; the year adds up to 42.0 inches over 89 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 21 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 134 nights a year. Snowfall averages 27.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 42.0 inches is more than at 35 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (24%). Farrell, 3 miles northwest, has its own station (Youngstown Regional Airport, OH): 41.2 inches a year, 0.8 less than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 19 | 2.9 | 7 | 10.1 |
| Feb | 40 | 20 | 2.2 | 6 | 7.7 |
| Mar | 49 | 27 | 3.1 | 7 | 3.7 |
| Apr | 63 | 36 | 3.7 | 9 | 0.3 |
| May | 73 | 47 | 3.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 56 | 4.5 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 60 | 4.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 59 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 52 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 66 | 41 | 3.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 53 | 32 | 3.0 | 7 | 0.8 |
| Dec | 42 | 25 | 3.1 | 7 | 4.9 |
| Year | 63 | 39 | 42.0 | 89 | 27.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at New Castle 1 N, PA (825 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 West Middlesex
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 264 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of West Middlesex: 241 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods and 9 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 104 mph, on July 28, 1999. June has had the most flash floods, 7 of 14. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 247 have had fewer than West Middlesex.
July 28, 1999: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of West Middlesex — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “A microburst occurred across the New Wilmington area. 5 miles south of New Wilmington on Route 956.”
May 14, 2010: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of West Middlesex — $200,000 damage.
February 28, 2011: flood 6 miles from the centre of West Middlesex — $200,000 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
Mercer County, which includes West Middlesex, has been named in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 floods, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Mercer County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes and tornadoes; Very Low for heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $34.1 million a year, the 28th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $29.1 million (85%), 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 West Middlesex
- Farrell, PA3 mi
- Hermitage, PA4 mi
- Sharon, PA5 mi
- Masury, OH6 mi
- Sharpsville, PA6 mi
- Hubbard, OH6 mi
- New Wilmington, PA7 mi
- Brookfield, OH8 mi
- Campbell, OH10 mi
- Lowellville, OH10 mi
- Edinburg, PA10 mi
- Transfer, PA11 mi
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