NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Fredonia, 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 Fredonia, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 31 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 31
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Fredonia
The strongest storm to pass near Fredonia was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 76 mph winds when its centre passed 66 miles away. The record near Fredonia begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 16 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 Fredonia. The highest rating among the 31 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on May 31, 1985, came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 2, 1983, killed 2 people. Of the 31, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 7 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 12. The most recent tornado was on July 10, 2024. Fredonia has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 56% of the 809 New York cities. 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 Fredonia.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Fredonia
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 23 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 14 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 66 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 34 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 Fredonia: 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 Fredonia
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s4
- 1990s9
- 1980s5(2 EF3+)
- 1970s3
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 12 mi | 28 mi | 2 / 0 |
| May 31, 1985 | F3 | 23 mi | 13 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Jun 20, 1969 | F3 | 23 mi | 84.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 14, 2011 | EF2 | 13 mi | 2.92 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 14, 2011 | EF2 | 1 mi | 4.13 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 24, 2010 | EF2 | 25 mi | 7.62 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 24, 2010 | EF2 | 14 mi | 7.61 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 1994 | F2 | 19 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F2 | in town | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 17, 1969 | F2 | 11 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 6, 1968 | F2 | 13 mi | 31.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| May 16, 1965 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 31, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Fredonia
The Storm Prediction Center has 16 hail reports within 10 miles of Fredonia since 1958, made on 13 separate days. Of these, 12 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 July 15, 2024. May has the most reports, 5.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Fredonia
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Fredonia, NY, 2 miles northeast of Fredonia 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 Fredonia
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 112 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Fredonia: 86 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods, 6 heavy rain events, 3 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $4.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on July 16, 2020. July has had the most flash floods, 10 of 16. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 247 have had fewer than Fredonia.
July 14, 2015: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Fredonia — $750,000 damage.
July 14, 2015: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Fredonia — $750,000 damage.
June 28, 2013: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Fredonia — $500,000 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 Fredonia's ZIP code 14063 have filed 100 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $808,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 1979, with 42. Of the 549 New York cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 377 have fewer than Fredonia.
Chautauqua County, which includes Fredonia, 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.
Cities near Fredonia
- Dunkirk, NY4 mi
- Brocton, NY6 mi
- Forestville, NY9 mi
- Silver Creek, NY12 mi
- Sinclairville, NY12 mi
- Westfield, NY14 mi
- South Dayton, NY15 mi
- Mayville, NY16 mi
- Irving, NY16 mi
- Bemus Point, NY18 mi
- Conewango Valley, NY19 mi
- Gowanda, NY21 mi
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