NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Derby, 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
9 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Derby, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frances in 2004. Since 1950, 34 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 34
- 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 Derby
The strongest storm to pass near Derby was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds when its centre passed 43 miles away. The record near Derby begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Frances in 2004, a tropical storm 48 miles away. The 1890s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 9 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Derby. The highest rating among the 34 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on August 19, 1970, came within 5 miles. Of the 34, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 12 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 12. The most recent tornado was on September 9, 2024. Derby has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 66% of the 809 New York cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 19 times since 1965, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 809 New York cities, 83% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Derby.
Compare Derby's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Derby
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | FrancesSep 9 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 23 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 14 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 43 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Derby: 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 Derby
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s4
- 2000s2
- 1990s9
- 1980s2
- 1970s6(1 EF3+)
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 19, 1970 | F3 | 5 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jul 24, 1967 | F3 | 25 mi | 11.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 10, 2024 | EF2 | 7 mi | 3.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 20, 2017 | EF2 | 7 mi | 6.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F2 | 21 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 30, 1987 | F2 | 19 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 2, 1972 | F2 | 24 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 23, 1971 | F2 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 6, 1968 | F2 | 21 mi | 31.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jul 7, 1961 | F2 | 21 mi | 7.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 5, 2024 | EF1 | 14 mi | 1.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 10, 2024 | EF1 | 15 mi | 2.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 34, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Derby
The Storm Prediction Center has 19 hail reports within 10 miles of Derby since 1965, made on 17 separate days. Of these, 10 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently July 25, 1994. The most recent report is from May 28, 2017. May has the most reports, 7.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Derby
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Colden 1W, NY, 14 miles east of Derby at 1,535 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 77°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 30°F and 16°F. October is the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and March the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 53.2 inches over 122 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 1 days a year. Lows fall below freezing on about 144 nights a year. Snowfall averages 167.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 53.2 inches is more than at 132 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (96%). Angola, 5 miles southwest, has its own station (Perrysburg, NY): 53.9 inches a year, 0.7 more than here, and a July average high of 79°F against 77°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Buffalo, NY, 14 miles north, averaged 76°F in July and 34°F in February over 2021–2025. No month averaged 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 16 | 4.8 | 14 | 50.5 | 36 |
| Feb | 31 | 16 | 3.9 | 11 | 37.2 | 34 |
| Mar | 39 | 23 | 3.7 | 9 | 18.6 | 37 |
| Apr | 53 | 34 | 4.5 | 11 | 8.2 | 46 |
| May | 65 | 46 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.1 | 57 |
| Jun | 73 | 55 | 4.5 | 9 | 0.0 | 68 |
| Jul | 77 | 59 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 | 76 |
| Aug | 76 | 58 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.0 | 76 |
| Sep | 70 | 51 | 4.6 | 8 | 0.0 | 72 |
| Oct | 57 | 41 | 5.4 | 13 | 0.4 | 62 |
| Nov | 45 | 32 | 4.8 | 10 | 14.0 | 50 |
| Dec | 35 | 23 | 4.5 | 14 | 38.6 | 40 |
| Year | 54 | 38 | 53.2 | 122 | 167.6 | 55 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Colden 1W, NY (1,535 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Buffalo, NY, from NOAA Tides & Currents. 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 Derby
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 63 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Derby: 56 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 floods and 3 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $517,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 8, 2003.
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 Derby's ZIP code 14047 have filed 18 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $82,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. Of the 549 New York cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 92 have fewer than Derby.
Erie County, which includes Derby, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 snowstorms, 6 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm, on March 15, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Erie County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Moderate for strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $286.0 million a year, the 6th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $205.3 million (72%), 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.