NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Groton, 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 Groton, New York since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frances in 2004. Since 1950, 14 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 14
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Groton
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Groton; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1893, a tropical storm with 69 mph winds when its centre passed 61 miles away. The record near Groton begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Frances in 2004, a tropical storm 57 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1970s, with 2 systems. Of the 8 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 79% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Groton. The highest rating among the 14 tornadoes within 25 miles is F1 or EF1, reached 8 times; the most recent, on August 7, 2023, came within 11 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on August 28, 1988, killed 1 person. Of the 14, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 7 have come since 2000. June and August have had the most tornadoes, 5 each. The most recent tornado was on July 15, 2024. Of the 809 New York cities, 87% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Groton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 39 times since 1971, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 809 New York cities, 52% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Groton.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Groton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | FrancesSep 9 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 14 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 19 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 Groton: 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 Groton
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s1
- 2000s2
- 1990s2
- 1980s1
- 1970s1
- 1960s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 1988 | F1 | 13 mi | 13 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF1 | 11 mi | 9.71 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 21, 2021 | EF1 | 10 mi | 2.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 15 mi | 2.06 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 21, 2007 | EF1 | 16 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 18, 1977 | F1 | 9 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 20, 1969 | F1 | 14 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 15, 1964 | F1 | 18 mi | 6.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 15, 2024 | EF0 | 11 mi | 7.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF0 | 11 mi | 1.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 18, 2004 | F0 | 13 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 21, 1994 | F0 | 9 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 14, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Groton
The Storm Prediction Center has 39 hail reports within 10 miles of Groton since 1971, made on 27 separate days. Of these, 15 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 5 days, most recently July 3, 2025. The most recent report is from July 3, 2025. July has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Groton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Freeville 1 NE, NY, 6 miles southeast of Groton at 1,050 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 79°F and low of 58°F; January is the coolest, at 30°F and 12°F. June is the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.0 inches; the year adds up to 39.5 inches over 89 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 156 nights a year. Snowfall averages 64.4 inches a year, most of it in January. That 39.5 inches is more than at 37 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (27%). Lansing, 8 miles west, has its own station (Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY): 38.3 inches a year, 1.2 less than here, and a July average high of 80°F against 79°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 12 | 2.2 | 6 | 16.1 |
| Feb | 33 | 12 | 2.0 | 6 | 14.5 |
| Mar | 40 | 20 | 2.7 | 7 | 13.0 |
| Apr | 53 | 33 | 3.2 | 8 | 2.4 |
| May | 66 | 44 | 3.5 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 75 | 53 | 4.2 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 79 | 58 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 78 | 55 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 71 | 49 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 58 | 38 | 3.9 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 46 | 29 | 2.8 | 6 | 5.6 |
| Dec | 35 | 21 | 2.7 | 7 | 12.7 |
| Year | 55 | 35 | 39.5 | 89 | 64.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Freeville 1 NE, NY (1,050 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 Groton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 160 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Groton: 128 thunderstorm wind reports, 27 flash floods, 3 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $3.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on June 22, 2024. July has had the most flash floods, 11 of 27. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 429 have had fewer than Groton.
June 22, 2024: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Groton — 1 injured, $59,000 damage.
June 9, 2025: lightning strike 5 miles from the centre of Groton — 1 injured.
April 30, 2020: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Groton — $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 Groton's ZIP code 13073 have filed 16 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $622,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 56% 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, 74 have fewer than Groton.
Tompkins County, which includes Groton, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1970, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 severe storms, 5 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 20, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Tompkins County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $34.8 million a year, the 25th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $29.9 million (86%), 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 Groton
- Locke, NY4 mi
- Freeville, NY6 mi
- Lansing, NY8 mi
- Dryden, NY10 mi
- Cortland, NY10 mi
- Ithaca, NY11 mi
- Moravia, NY11 mi
- Homer, NY12 mi
- Trumansburg, NY15 mi
- Brooktondale, NY16 mi
- Mc Graw, NY16 mi
- Interlaken, NY17 mi
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