NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Canton, 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
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Canton, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Hugo in 1989. Since 1950, 8 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 2
- Tornadoes
- 8
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Canton
The strongest storm to pass near Canton was an unnamed storm in 1900, a Category 1 hurricane with 74 mph winds when its centre passed 33 miles away. The record near Canton begins with an unnamed storm in 1900; the most recent system was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm 50 miles away. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Canton. The strongest of the 8 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F2 on September 19, 1954; its path came within 22 miles. Of the 8, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and one has come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on June 9, 2004. Of the 809 New York cities, 94% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Canton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 8 times since 1994, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 809 New York cities, 95% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Canton.
Compare Canton's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Canton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | HugoSep 23 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 22 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 12 | 33 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Canton: 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 Canton
By decade
- 2000s1
- 1990s1
- 1980s4
- 1970s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 1954 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 10, 1989 | F1 | 19 mi | 1.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 31, 1985 | F1 | 16 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 1972 | F1 | 4 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 2004 | F0 | 23 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 21, 1993 | F0 | 10 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 1988 | F0 | 11 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 24, 1987 | F0 | 19 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 8 of 8, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Canton
The Storm Prediction Center has 8 hail reports within 10 miles of Canton since 1994. Of these, 5 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently July 21, 2010. The most recent report is from July 11, 2019.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Canton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Canton 4 SE, NY, 2 miles east of Canton at 448 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 80°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 27°F and 7°F. October is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.0 inches; the year adds up to 38.2 inches over 88 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 3 days a year, almost all from July. Lows fall below freezing on about 161 nights a year. Snowfall averages 77.3 inches a year, most of it in December. That 38.2 inches is more than at 27 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (20%). Heuvelton, 17 miles west, has its own station (Gouverneur 3 NW, NY): 39.9 inches a year, 1.7 more than here, and a July average high of 79°F against 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 7 | 2.2 | 6 | 18.9 |
| Feb | 30 | 8 | 2.0 | 5 | 17.5 |
| Mar | 39 | 19 | 2.3 | 6 | 12.5 |
| Apr | 53 | 33 | 3.1 | 7 | 3.5 |
| May | 67 | 45 | 3.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 75 | 55 | 3.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 80 | 59 | 3.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 78 | 57 | 3.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 71 | 49 | 3.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 58 | 38 | 4.9 | 9 | 0.2 |
| Nov | 45 | 28 | 2.9 | 7 | 5.1 |
| Dec | 34 | 16 | 2.6 | 7 | 19.6 |
| Year | 55 | 34 | 38.2 | 88 | 77.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Canton 4 SE, NY (448 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 Canton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 53 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Canton: 48 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $4.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on July 17, 2012.
August 9, 2024: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Canton — $3.0 million damage.
NWS: “Emergency Mgmt. reported widespread flash flooding across the area with numerous roads closed or washed out due to severe flash flooding.”
September 16, 2005: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Canton — $500,000 damage.
July 17, 2012: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Canton — $100,000 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
St. Lawrence County, which includes Canton, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1991, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 snowstorms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, on September 24, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives St. Lawrence County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes and strong wind; Very Low for tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $31.9 million a year, the 29th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $21.7 million (68%), 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 Canton
- Potsdam, NY9 mi
- Lisbon, NY13 mi
- Norwood, NY14 mi
- Heuvelton, NY17 mi
- Ogdensburg, NY18 mi
- Norfolk, NY19 mi
- Gouverneur, NY24 mi
- Brasher Falls, NY27 mi
- Massena, NY28 mi
- Hammond, NY29 mi
- Harrisville, NY30 mi
- Brushton, NY35 mi
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