NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ithaca, 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
9 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ithaca, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frances in 2004. Since 1950, 21 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 21
- 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 Ithaca
The strongest storm to pass near Ithaca was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 77 mph winds when its centre passed 75 miles away. The record near Ithaca begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Frances in 2004, a tropical storm 61 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1970s, with 2 systems. Of the 9 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Ithaca. The strongest of the 21 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on August 30, 1955; its path came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on August 28, 1988, killed 1 person. Of the 21, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 12 have come since 2000. August has had the most tornadoes, 7. The most recent tornado was on July 15, 2024. Of the 809 New York cities, 73% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Ithaca. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 76 times since 1971, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Ithaca has more hail reports within 10 miles than 85% of the 809 New York cities.
Compare Ithaca's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ithaca
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | FrancesSep 9 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 75 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 14 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 25 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 Ithaca: 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 Ithaca
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s4
- 2000s4
- 1990s3
- 1980s1
- 1970s1
- 1960s3
- 1950s1(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30, 1955 | F3 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 20 mi | 0.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 28, 1990 | F2 | 19 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 28, 1988 | F1 | 8 mi | 13 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF1 | 12 mi | 9.71 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 21, 2021 | EF1 | 8 mi | 2.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 2, 2014 | EF1 | 23 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 13, 2014 | EF1 | 22 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 4 mi | 2.06 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 21, 2007 | EF1 | 18 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 16, 2006 | F1 | 21 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 2002 | F1 | 25 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 7 |
The strongest 12 of 21, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ithaca
The Storm Prediction Center has 76 hail reports within 10 miles of Ithaca since 1971, made on 41 separate days. Of these, 44 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on May 3, 2012. The most recent report is from July 3, 2025. May has the most reports, 25.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ithaca
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, 2 miles east of Ithaca at 960 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 80°F and low of 58°F; January is the coolest, at 31°F and 15°F. June is the wettest at 4.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.0 inches; the year adds up to 38.3 inches over 85 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 5 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 148 nights a year. Snowfall averages 62.9 inches a year, most of it in January. That 38.3 inches is more than at 29 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (21%). Freeville, 8 miles northeast, has its own station (Freeville 1 NE, NY): 39.5 inches a year, 1.2 more than here, and a July average high of 79°F against 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 15 | 2.2 | 6 | 16.6 |
| Feb | 33 | 15 | 2.0 | 5 | 14.5 |
| Mar | 41 | 22 | 2.8 | 7 | 12.0 |
| Apr | 55 | 33 | 3.4 | 8 | 2.8 |
| May | 67 | 44 | 3.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 76 | 53 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 80 | 58 | 3.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 79 | 56 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 72 | 49 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 59 | 39 | 3.7 | 8 | 0.2 |
| Nov | 47 | 30 | 2.9 | 6 | 4.6 |
| Dec | 36 | 22 | 2.6 | 6 | 12.2 |
| Year | 56 | 36 | 38.3 | 85 | 62.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY (960 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 Ithaca
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 166 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ithaca: 140 thunderstorm wind reports, 23 flash floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $4.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on April 28, 2011. August has had the most flash floods, 8 of 23. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 370 have had fewer than Ithaca.
June 14, 2015: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Ithaca — $1.5 million damage.
August 29, 2003: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Ithaca — $400,000 damage.
September 7, 2011: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Ithaca — $400,000 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 Ithaca's ZIP code 14850 have filed 139 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $282,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 1981, with 71. 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, 410 have fewer than Ithaca.
Tompkins County, which includes Ithaca, 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.