NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bolivar, 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
11 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bolivar, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frances in 2004. Since 1950, 25 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 10
- Tornadoes
- 25
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Bolivar
The strongest storm to pass near Bolivar was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 77 mph winds when its centre passed 13 miles away. The record near Bolivar begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Frances in 2004, a tropical storm 12 miles away. Of the 11 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Bolivar. The highest rating among the 25 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on July 21, 2003, came within 15 miles. Of the 25, one 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 June 9, 2025. Of the 809 New York cities, 60% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Bolivar. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 11 times since 1987, with stones up to 1.5 inches (ping pong ball size). Of the 809 New York cities, 92% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Bolivar.
Compare Bolivar's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bolivar
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | FrancesSep 9 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 13 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 14 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Bolivar: 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 Bolivar
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s6
- 2000s5(1 EF3+)
- 1990s3
- 1980s1
- 1970s3
- 1960s5(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 21, 2003 | F3 | 15 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 20, 1969 | F3 | 15 mi | 84.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 24, 1967 | F3 | 24 mi | 11.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 15, 1961 | F3 | 19 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F2 | 17 mi | 6.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 3, 1993 | F2 | 17 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 6, 1968 | F2 | 21 mi | 31.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jun 14, 1962 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 2025 | EF1 | 25 mi | 2.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 6, 2024 | EF1 | 4 mi | 5.98 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 20, 2017 | EF1 | 20 mi | 4.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 24, 2010 | EF1 | 18 mi | 7.78 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 25, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bolivar
The Storm Prediction Center has 11 hail reports within 10 miles of Bolivar since 1987, made on 10 separate days. Of these, 4 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.5 inches (ping pong ball size), fell on May 23, 2013. The most recent report is from September 21, 2024. May and August have the most reports, 3 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bolivar
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Wellsville Municipal Airport, NY, 8 miles east of Bolivar at 2,124 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 78°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 29°F and 17°F. July is the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.6 inches; the year adds up to 37.3 inches over 85 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 58% of the year's precipitation (21.8 of 37.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 11 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal September there has highs of 69°F and 3.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 1 days a year. Lows fall below freezing on about 145 nights a year. That 37.3 inches is more than at 22 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (16%). Portville, 9 miles west, has its own station (Olean, NY): 40.8 inches a year, 3.5 more than here, and a July average high of 80°F against 78°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 17 | 2.1 | 5 |
| Feb | 32 | 19 | 1.6 | 5 |
| Mar | 41 | 25 | 2.5 | 7 |
| Apr | 54 | 35 | 3.5 | 8 |
| May | 66 | 46 | 3.3 | 8 |
| Jun | 73 | 55 | 3.9 | 9 |
| Jul | 78 | 59 | 4.2 | 8 |
| Aug | 76 | 58 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Sep | 69 | 51 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Oct | 57 | 41 | 3.6 | 9 |
| Nov | 45 | 32 | 2.8 | 6 |
| Dec | 34 | 23 | 2.5 | 7 |
| Year | 54 | 38 | 37.3 | 85 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Wellsville Municipal Airport, NY (2,124 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 Bolivar
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 114 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bolivar: 80 thunderstorm wind reports, 31 flash floods, 2 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 35, and the NWS estimated $3.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on May 25, 2011. July has had the most flash floods, 14 of 31. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 461 have had fewer than Bolivar.
November 14, 2011: thunderstorm wind in Bolivar — 15 injured.
NWS: “Powerlines were downed along Route 417.”
November 14, 2011: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Bolivar — 10 injured.
June 12, 2012: flash flood 1 mile from the centre of Bolivar — 10 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
Allegany County, which includes Bolivar, 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.