NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Dunkirk, 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
8 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Dunkirk, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 26 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 26
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Dunkirk
The strongest storm to pass near Dunkirk was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 76 mph winds when its centre passed 64 miles away. The record near Dunkirk begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 13 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1950s, with 2 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. None of the 8 systems has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Dunkirk. The strongest of the 26 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on May 2, 1983; its path came within 15 miles, and it killed 2 people. Of the 26, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 6 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 11. The most recent tornado was on July 10, 2024. Of the 809 New York cities, 58% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Dunkirk. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 16 times since 1958, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 809 New York cities, 87% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Dunkirk.
Compare Dunkirk's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Dunkirk
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 23 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 14 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 64 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 26 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 Dunkirk: 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 Dunkirk
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s3
- 1990s9
- 1980s4(1 EF3+)
- 1970s3
- 1960s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 15 mi | 28 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Nov 14, 2011 | EF2 | 16 mi | 2.92 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 14, 2011 | EF2 | 3 mi | 4.13 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 24, 2010 | EF2 | 17 mi | 7.61 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 1994 | F2 | 21 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F2 | 2 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 17, 1969 | F2 | 15 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 6, 1968 | F2 | 14 mi | 31.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jul 10, 2024 | EF1 | 8 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 16, 2020 | EF1 | 12 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1998 | F1 | 9 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Aug 28, 1994 | F1 | 3 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 26, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Dunkirk
The Storm Prediction Center has 16 hail reports within 10 miles of Dunkirk since 1958, made on 13 separate days. Of these, 11 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on May 28, 2017. The most recent report is from April 14, 2019. April and May have the most reports, 5 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Dunkirk
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Fredonia, NY, 2 miles south of Dunkirk at 760 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 34°F and 21°F. October is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.1 inches; the year adds up to 41.2 inches over 84 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 113 nights a year. Snowfall averages 75.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 41.2 inches is more than at 53 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (39%). Forestville, 9 miles east, has its own station (Dunkirk Chautauqua Airport, NY): 33.2 inches a year, 8.0 less than here, and a July average high of 80°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 21 | 3.0 | 8 | 26.7 |
| Feb | 36 | 21 | 2.1 | 6 | 13.0 |
| Mar | 45 | 28 | 2.4 | 7 | 11.6 |
| Apr | 58 | 38 | 3.6 | 7 | 1.4 |
| May | 69 | 49 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 77 | 59 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 81 | 64 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 79 | 63 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 74 | 56 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 62 | 46 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Nov | 50 | 37 | 3.8 | 8 | 5.4 |
| Dec | 40 | 28 | 2.9 | 8 | 17.3 |
| Year | 59 | 42 | 41.2 | 84 | 75.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Fredonia, NY (760 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 Dunkirk
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 105 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Dunkirk: 75 thunderstorm wind reports, 17 flash floods, 6 heavy rain events, 5 floods and 2 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $34.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 77 mph, on May 3, 2008. July has had the most flash floods, 9 of 17. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 271 have had fewer than Dunkirk.
August 9, 2009: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Dunkirk — $30.0 million damage.
July 14, 2015: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Dunkirk — $750,000 damage.
July 14, 2015: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Dunkirk — $750,000 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 Dunkirk's ZIP code 14048 have filed 84 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $760,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 1979, with 41. 4% 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, 360 have fewer than Dunkirk.
Chautauqua County, which includes Dunkirk, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 snowstorms, 6 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 20, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Chautauqua County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and inland flooding; Relatively Low for hurricanes; Very Low for hail, coastal flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $43.6 million a year, the 22nd highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $36.0 million (83%), 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.