NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Elmira, 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 Elmira, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frances in 2004. Since 1950, 26 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 26
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Elmira
The strongest storm to pass near Elmira was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 77 mph winds when its centre passed 53 miles away. The record near Elmira begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Frances in 2004, a tropical storm 66 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1970s, with 2 systems. 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 Elmira. The highest rating among the 26 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on May 2, 1983, came within 8 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on August 7, 1972, killed 1 person. Of the 26, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 16 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on May 28, 2019. Of the 809 New York cities, 58% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Elmira. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 61 times since 1968, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Elmira has more hail reports within 10 miles than 72% of the 809 New York cities.
Compare Elmira's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Elmira
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | FrancesSep 9 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 53 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 14 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 41 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 Elmira: 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 Elmira
By decade
- 2010s14
- 2000s2
- 1990s2
- 1980s4(2 EF3+)
- 1970s1
- 1960s2
- 1950s1(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 16 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 8 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Aug 30, 1955 | F3 | 17 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 9 mi | 0.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 2, 1983 | F2 | 24 mi | 9.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 1972 | F1 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 2 |
| May 28, 2019 | EF1 | 25 mi | 3.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 2, 2014 | EF1 | 5 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 13, 2014 | EF1 | 24 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 2012 | EF1 | 6 mi | 13.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 2012 | EF1 | in town | 8.81 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 2012 | EF1 | 8 mi | 2.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 26, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Elmira
The Storm Prediction Center has 61 hail reports within 10 miles of Elmira since 1968, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 41 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently September 6, 2012. The most recent report is from February 21, 2023. June has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Elmira
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Elmira, NY, 1 mile northwest of Elmira at 947 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 58°F; January is the coolest, at 34°F and 16°F. June is the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.9 inches; the year adds up to 38.1 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 59% of the year's precipitation (22.4 of 38.1 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 75°F and 4.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 12 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 151 nights a year. Snowfall averages 41.8 inches a year, most of it in March. That 38.1 inches is more than at 26 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (19%). Horseheads, 6 miles north, has its own station (Elmira Corning Regional Airport, NY): 32.4 inches a year, 5.7 less than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 16 | 2.1 | 6 | 8.4 |
| Feb | 36 | 17 | 1.9 | 5 | 9.5 |
| Mar | 45 | 23 | 2.7 | 6 | 11.2 |
| Apr | 59 | 33 | 3.3 | 7 | 1.5 |
| May | 71 | 44 | 3.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 79 | 54 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 58 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 57 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 75 | 50 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 62 | 39 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 49 | 30 | 2.7 | 6 | 2.7 |
| Dec | 39 | 23 | 2.6 | 6 | 8.4 |
| Year | 59 | 37 | 38.1 | 80 | 41.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Elmira, NY (947 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 Elmira
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 179 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Elmira: 138 thunderstorm wind reports, 39 flash floods and 2 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $6.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 71 mph, on July 21, 2003. August has had the most flash floods, 13 of 39. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 505 have had fewer than Elmira.
June 27, 2002: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Elmira — 4 injured, $50,000 damage.
April 26, 2011: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Elmira — $3.0 million damage.
September 7, 2011: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Elmira — $1.0 million 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 Elmira's 4 ZIP codes have filed 113 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $398,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1996: 34 claims (30% of all) and $107,000. 35% 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, 399 have fewer than Elmira.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1996 | 34 | $107,000 |
Chemung County, which includes Elmira, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 floods, 5 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 20, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Chemung County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $18.1 million a year, the 51st highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $14.2 million (79%), 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.