NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Alfred, NY
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
12 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Alfred, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frances in 2004. Since 1950, 16 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 11
- Tornadoes
- 16
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Alfred
The strongest storm to pass near Alfred was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 77 mph winds when its centre passed 8 miles away. The record near Alfred begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Frances in 2004, a tropical storm 19 miles away. Of the 12 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Alfred. The highest rating among the 16 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on July 21, 2003, came within 24 miles. Of the 16, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 12 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 6. The most recent tornado was on September 6, 2024. Of the 809 New York cities, 82% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Alfred. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 16 times since 1976, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 809 New York cities, 87% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Alfred.
Compare Alfred's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Alfred
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | FrancesSep 9 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 8 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 14 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Alfred: 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 Alfred
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s4
- 2000s6(1 EF3+)
- 1990s3
- 1960s1(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 21, 2003 | F3 | 24 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 20, 1969 | F3 | 14 mi | 84.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F2 | 12 mi | 6.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 3, 1993 | F2 | 11 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 6, 2024 | EF1 | 16 mi | 5.98 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 19, 2022 | EF1 | 24 mi | 1.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 20, 2017 | EF1 | 9 mi | 4.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 27, 2013 | EF1 | 19 mi | 14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 27, 2010 | EF1 | 17 mi | 7.44 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 2009 | EF1 | 22 mi | 7.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 12, 2005 | F1 | 10 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 22, 2002 | F1 | 11 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 16, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Alfred
The Storm Prediction Center has 16 hail reports within 10 miles of Alfred since 1976, made on 11 separate days. Of these, 9 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently May 31, 1998. The most recent report is from May 3, 2012. June has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Alfred
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Alfred, NY, 2 miles northeast of Alfred at 1,924 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 54°F; January is the coolest, at 32°F and 12°F. June is the wettest at 3.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.7 inches; the year adds up to 37.8 inches over 91 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 57% of the year's precipitation (21.7 of 37.8 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 12 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal September there has highs of 71°F and 3.7 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 5 days a year, almost all from July to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 170 nights a year. Snowfall averages 82.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 37.8 inches is more than at 25 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (18%). Andover, 7 miles south, has its own station (Wellsville, NY): 39.7 inches a year, 1.9 more than here, and a July average high of 79°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 12 | 2.4 | 7 | 18.6 |
| Feb | 35 | 13 | 1.7 | 6 | 18.1 |
| Mar | 43 | 20 | 2.5 | 7 | 16.9 |
| Apr | 56 | 30 | 3.2 | 8 | 3.7 |
| May | 69 | 41 | 3.4 | 9 | 0.1 |
| Jun | 77 | 50 | 3.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 81 | 54 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 79 | 52 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 71 | 46 | 3.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 60 | 36 | 3.7 | 9 | 0.3 |
| Nov | 47 | 27 | 2.8 | 8 | 6.5 |
| Dec | 36 | 19 | 2.9 | 7 | 18.0 |
| Year | 57 | 33 | 37.8 | 91 | 82.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Alfred, NY (1,924 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 Alfred
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 105 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Alfred: 77 thunderstorm wind reports, 26 flash floods, 1 flood and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $36.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on April 28, 2002. August has had the most flash floods, 16 of 26. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 418 have had fewer than Alfred.
July 28, 2002: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Alfred — 2 injured, $2,000 damage.
August 9, 2024: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Alfred — $35.0 million damage.
August 9, 2024: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Alfred — $250,000 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
Allegany County, which includes Alfred, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 floods, 7 severe storms, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, on September 24, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Allegany County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes and tornadoes; Very Low for hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $26.9 million a year, the 33rd highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $23.7 million (88%), 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 Alfred
- Andover, NY7 mi
- Hornell, NY9 mi
- Canisteo, NY10 mi
- Arkport, NY11 mi
- Belmont, NY12 mi
- Wellsville, NY14 mi
- Friendship, NY19 mi
- Fillmore, NY21 mi
- Avoca, NY21 mi
- Cohocton, NY22 mi
- Bolivar, NY22 mi
- Dansville, NY22 mi
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