NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Hornell, 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
11 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Hornell, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frances in 2004. Since 1950, 18 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 10
- Tornadoes
- 18
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Hornell
The strongest storm to pass near Hornell was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 76 mph winds when its centre passed 16 miles away. The record near Hornell begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Frances in 2004, a tropical storm 21 miles away. Of the 11 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Hornell. The strongest of the 18 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on June 20, 1969; its path came within 20 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on August 7, 1972, killed 1 person. Of the 18, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 11 have come since 2000. September has had the most tornadoes, 5. The most recent tornado was on September 6, 2024. Of the 809 New York cities, 79% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Hornell. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 23 times since 1961, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 809 New York cities, 78% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Hornell.
Compare Hornell's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Hornell
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | FrancesSep 9 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 16 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | overhead | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 14 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Hornell: 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 Hornell
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s4
- 2000s4
- 1990s5
- 1970s1
- 1960s1(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 20, 1969 | F3 | 20 mi | 84.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F2 | 19 mi | 6.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 3, 1993 | F2 | 16 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 1972 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Sep 6, 2024 | EF1 | 24 mi | 5.98 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 19, 2022 | EF1 | 16 mi | 1.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 12, 2021 | EF1 | 23 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 20, 2017 | EF1 | 15 mi | 4.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 27, 2013 | EF1 | 20 mi | 14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 25 mi | 4.62 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 27, 2010 | EF1 | 22 mi | 7.44 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 12, 2005 | F1 | 5 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 18, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Hornell
The Storm Prediction Center has 23 hail reports within 10 miles of Hornell since 1961, made on 16 separate days. Of these, 13 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently June 20, 2016. The most recent report is from June 20, 2016. June has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Hornell
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hornell Almond Dam, NY, 3 miles northwest of Hornell at 1,325 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 54°F; January is the coolest, at 30°F and 12°F. June is the wettest at 4.1 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.9 inches; the year adds up to 38.5 inches over 89 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 58% of the year's precipitation (22.2 of 38.5 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 11 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal September there has highs of 71°F and 3.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 6 days a year, almost all from July to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 165 nights a year. Snowfall averages 62.1 inches a year, most of it in January. That 38.5 inches is more than at 31 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (23%). Alfred, 9 miles southwest, has its own station (Alfred, NY): 37.8 inches a year, 0.7 less than here, and the same July average high, 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 12 | 2.4 | 7 | 16.4 |
| Feb | 33 | 13 | 1.9 | 6 | 13.9 |
| Mar | 41 | 20 | 2.6 | 7 | 11.6 |
| Apr | 55 | 30 | 3.3 | 8 | 2.3 |
| May | 68 | 41 | 3.4 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Jun | 76 | 50 | 4.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 81 | 54 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 79 | 54 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 71 | 47 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 58 | 37 | 3.6 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Nov | 46 | 28 | 2.7 | 7 | 3.5 |
| Dec | 35 | 20 | 2.7 | 7 | 14.0 |
| Year | 56 | 34 | 38.5 | 89 | 62.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hornell Almond Dam, NY (1,325 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 Hornell
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 102 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Hornell: 76 thunderstorm wind reports, 24 flash floods, 1 flood and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $1.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 12, 2015. August has had the most flash floods, 13 of 24. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 384 have had fewer than Hornell.
July 28, 2002: thunderstorm wind in Hornell — 2 injured, $2,000 damage.
NWS: “Trees and wires were downed in Hornell and North Hornell. 600 customers lost electric power.”
August 9, 2024: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Hornell — $250,000 damage.
August 18, 2021: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Hornell — $245,000 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 Hornell's ZIP code 14843 have filed 28 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $75,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1984: 14 claims (50% of all) and $60,000. 54% 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, 179 have fewer than Hornell.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1984 | 14 | $60,000 |
Steuben County, which includes Hornell, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 6 floods, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, on September 24, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Steuben County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $32.9 million a year, the 27th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $27.7 million (84%), 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 Hornell
- Arkport, NY6 mi
- Canisteo, NY7 mi
- Alfred, NY9 mi
- Avoca, NY13 mi
- Cohocton, NY13 mi
- Andover, NY14 mi
- Bath, NY16 mi
- Wayland, NY17 mi
- Dansville, NY17 mi
- Belmont, NY20 mi
- Nunda, NY22 mi
- Wellsville, NY22 mi
All New York cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Hornell with another place →