NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Avoca, 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
10 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Avoca, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frances in 2004. Since 1950, 14 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 14
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Avoca
The strongest storm to pass near Avoca was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 76 mph winds when its centre passed 28 miles away. The record near Avoca begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Frances in 2004, a tropical storm 27 miles away. The 1870s and the 1900s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 10 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Avoca. The highest rating among the 14 tornadoes within 25 miles is F1 or EF1, reached 11 times; the most recent, on September 19, 2022, came within 12 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on August 7, 1972, killed 1 person. Of the 14, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 5 have come since 2000. July and September have had the most tornadoes, 3 each. Of the 809 New York cities, 87% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Avoca. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 33 times since 1961, with stones up to 2.25 inches. Of the 809 New York cities, 62% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Avoca.
Compare Avoca's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Avoca
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | FrancesSep 9 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 28 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 14 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Avoca: 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 Avoca
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s2
- 2000s1
- 1990s5
- 1970s1
- 1960s1
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 1972 | F1 | 20 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Sep 19, 2022 | EF1 | 12 mi | 1.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 12, 2021 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 3, 2018 | EF1 | 25 mi | 1.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 19 mi | 4.62 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 12, 2005 | F1 | 13 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 1996 | F1 | 21 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 28, 1993 | F1 | 15 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 9, 1991 | F1 | 17 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 1, 1956 | F1 | 21 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 14, 1954 | F1 | 23 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 30, 1996 | F0 | 18 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 14, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Avoca
The Storm Prediction Center has 33 hail reports within 10 miles of Avoca since 1961, made on 26 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.25 inches, fell on June 26, 2009. The most recent report is from June 9, 2025. June has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Avoca
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hornell Almond Dam, NY, 15 miles west of Avoca at 1,325 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 54°F; January is the coolest, at 30°F and 12°F. June is the wettest at 4.1 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.9 inches; the year adds up to 38.5 inches over 89 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 58% of the year's precipitation (22.2 of 38.5 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 10 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (4); a normal September there has highs of 71°F and 3.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 6 days a year, almost all from July to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 165 nights a year. Snowfall averages 62.1 inches a year, most of it in January. That 38.5 inches is more than at 31 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (23%). Cohocton, 6 miles northwest, has its own station (Dansville, NY): 31.4 inches a year, 7.1 less 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 | 30 | 12 | 2.4 | 7 | 16.4 |
| Feb | 33 | 13 | 1.9 | 6 | 13.9 |
| Mar | 41 | 20 | 2.6 | 7 | 11.6 |
| Apr | 55 | 30 | 3.3 | 8 | 2.3 |
| May | 68 | 41 | 3.4 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Jun | 76 | 50 | 4.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 81 | 54 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 79 | 54 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 71 | 47 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 58 | 37 | 3.6 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Nov | 46 | 28 | 2.7 | 7 | 3.5 |
| Dec | 35 | 20 | 2.7 | 7 | 14.0 |
| Year | 56 | 34 | 38.5 | 89 | 62.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hornell Almond Dam, NY (1,325 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 Avoca
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 102 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Avoca: 65 thunderstorm wind reports, 34 flash floods, 1 flood, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 12, 2015. July has had the most flash floods, 10 of 34. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 480 have had fewer than Avoca.
August 17, 2022: lightning strike 6 miles from the centre of Avoca — 1 injured.
June 14, 2015: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Avoca — $165,000 damage.
June 14, 2015: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Avoca — $165,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Avoca's ZIP code 14809 have filed 11 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1993, and were paid $57,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 64% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 549 New York cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 15 have fewer than Avoca.
Steuben County, which includes Avoca, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 6 floods, 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 Steuben 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, tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $32.9 million a year, the 27th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $27.7 million (84%), 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 Avoca
- Cohocton, NY6 mi
- Bath, NY7 mi
- Wayland, NY13 mi
- Hornell, NY13 mi
- Hammondsport, NY13 mi
- Savona, NY14 mi
- Canisteo, NY14 mi
- Arkport, NY14 mi
- Naples, NY15 mi
- Campbell, NY17 mi
- Dansville, NY18 mi
- Springwater, NY19 mi
All New York cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Avoca with another place →