NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit White Haven, 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
13 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of White Haven, Pennsylvania since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 43 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 12
- Tornadoes
- 43
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for White Haven
The strongest storm to pass near White Haven was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 83 mph winds when its centre passed 3 miles away. The record near White Haven begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 37 miles away. The 1890s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 13 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 45% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than White Haven. The strongest of the 43 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on July 26, 1981; its path came within 23 miles. Of the 43, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 13 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 10. The most recent tornado was on August 12, 2023. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 74% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than White Haven. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 19 times since 1971, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 86% have more hail reports within 10 miles than White Haven.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near White Haven
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 19 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 3 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in White Haven: 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 White Haven
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s9
- 2000s2
- 1990s12
- 1980s11(1 EF3+)
- 1970s3
- 1960s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 26, 1981 | F3 | 23 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 13, 2018 | EF2 | 10 mi | 2.9 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Feb 25, 2017 | EF2 | 12 mi | 12.52 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 1, 2006 | F2 | 6 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Nov 8, 1996 | F2 | 23 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 15, 1992 | F2 | 19 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 6, 1984 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Apr 29, 1981 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 13, 1972 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 10, 1968 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 4, 1960 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 12, 2023 | EF1 | 19 mi | 3.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 43, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in White Haven
The Storm Prediction Center has 19 hail reports within 10 miles of White Haven since 1971, made on 16 separate days. Of these, 9 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on August 17, 2007. The most recent report is from February 25, 2017. July and August have the most reports, 5 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in White Haven
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Wilkes-Barre International Airport, PA, 18 miles north of White Haven at 930 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 36°F and 20°F. September is the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.1 inches; the year adds up to 39.0 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 57% of the year's precipitation (22.1 of 39.0 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 13 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal August there has highs of 82°F and 3.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 12 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 122 nights a year. Snowfall averages 45.1 inches a year, most of it in January. That 39.0 inches is more than at 9 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (6%). Freeland, 9 miles southwest, has its own station (Mahanoy City 2 N, PA): 53.7 inches a year, 14.7 more than here, and a July average high of 80°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 20 | 2.6 | 6 | 11.7 |
| Feb | 39 | 22 | 2.1 | 6 | 10.9 |
| Mar | 48 | 29 | 2.8 | 7 | 10.1 |
| Apr | 61 | 39 | 3.3 | 7 | 0.8 |
| May | 72 | 50 | 3.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 63 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 61 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 75 | 54 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 63 | 43 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.7 |
| Nov | 51 | 34 | 2.9 | 6 | 3.2 |
| Dec | 40 | 26 | 2.8 | 6 | 7.7 |
| Year | 61 | 42 | 39.0 | 80 | 45.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Wilkes-Barre International Airport, PA (930 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 White Haven
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 77 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of White Haven: 54 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 flash floods, 7 heavy rain events and 6 floods. They killed 1 person and injured 19, and the NWS estimated $148,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 26, 2024. August has had the most flash floods, 4 of 10. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 166 have had fewer than White Haven.
August 28, 2011: flood 9 miles from the centre of White Haven — 1 killed.
May 27, 2001: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of White Haven — 19 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
Flood insurance policyholders in White Haven's ZIP code 18661 have filed 12 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $20,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 33% 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, 31 have fewer than White Haven.
Carbon County, which includes White Haven, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 floods, 4 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Carbon County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and inland flooding; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $21.6 million a year, the 43rd highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $12.2 million (57%), 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 White Haven
- Freeland, PA9 mi
- Mountain Top, PA9 mi
- Weatherly, PA10 mi
- Pocono Lake, PA11 mi
- Blakeslee, PA12 mi
- Albrightsville, PA12 mi
- Hanover Township, PA12 mi
- Jim Thorpe, PA12 mi
- Wilkes Barre, PA12 mi
- Drums, PA12 mi
- Plains, PA14 mi
- Hazle Township, PA14 mi
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