NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Kenmore, 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 Kenmore, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frances in 2004. Since 1950, 28 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 28
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Kenmore
The strongest storm to pass near Kenmore was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds when its centre passed 33 miles away. The record near Kenmore begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Frances in 2004, a tropical storm 55 miles away. The 1890s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 8 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Kenmore. The strongest of the 28 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on August 19, 1970; its path came within 21 miles. Of the 28, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 10 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on September 9, 2024. Of the 809 New York cities, 50% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Kenmore. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 56 times since 1962, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Kenmore has more hail reports within 10 miles than 68% of the 809 New York cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Kenmore
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | FrancesSep 9 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 23 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 14 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 33 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 8 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 Kenmore: 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 Kenmore
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s3
- 2000s2
- 1990s9
- 1980s1
- 1970s4(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 19, 1970 | F3 | 21 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jul 10, 2024 | EF2 | 22 mi | 3.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 20, 2017 | EF2 | 16 mi | 6.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 30, 1987 | F2 | 6 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 2, 1972 | F2 | 24 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 23, 1971 | F2 | 9 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 7, 1961 | F2 | 2 mi | 7.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 5, 2024 | EF1 | 5 mi | 1.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 10, 2024 | EF1 | 20 mi | 2.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 25, 2009 | EF1 | 23 mi | 4.12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 30, 2006 | F1 | 6 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Aug 31, 1993 | F1 | 15 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 28, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Kenmore
The Storm Prediction Center has 56 hail reports within 10 miles of Kenmore since 1962, made on 32 separate days. Of these, 32 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently June 16, 2008. The most recent report is from July 15, 2024. June has the most reports, 28.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Kenmore
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is N Tonawanda, NY, 6 miles north of Kenmore at 578 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 33°F and 17°F. September and October are the wettest at 3.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 40.1 inches over 92 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 9 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 133 nights a year. Snowfall averages 79.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 40.1 inches is more than at 45 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (33%). Buffalo, 4 miles south, has its own station (Buffalo, NY): 40.8 inches a year, 0.7 more than here, and a July average high of 80°F against 83°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Buffalo, NY, 6 miles south, averaged 76°F in July and 34°F in February over 2021–2025. No month averaged 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 17 | 3.2 | 9 | 22.9 | 36 |
| Feb | 36 | 17 | 2.4 | 7 | 16.1 | 34 |
| Mar | 44 | 24 | 2.9 | 8 | 13.1 | 37 |
| Apr | 57 | 34 | 3.6 | 9 | 2.7 | 46 |
| May | 70 | 45 | 3.4 | 8 | 0.0 | 57 |
| Jun | 79 | 55 | 3.3 | 7 | 0.0 | 68 |
| Jul | 83 | 59 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 | 76 |
| Aug | 82 | 58 | 3.1 | 7 | 0.0 | 76 |
| Sep | 74 | 50 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 | 72 |
| Oct | 61 | 40 | 3.9 | 9 | 0.5 | 62 |
| Nov | 49 | 31 | 3.5 | 8 | 6.0 | 50 |
| Dec | 38 | 23 | 3.4 | 9 | 18.5 | 40 |
| Year | 59 | 38 | 40.1 | 92 | 79.8 | 55 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at N Tonawanda, NY (578 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Buffalo, NY, from NOAA Tides & Currents. 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 Kenmore
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 207 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Kenmore: 146 thunderstorm wind reports, 34 flash floods, 18 floods, 7 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 13, and the NWS estimated $5.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on September 9, 2024. August has had the most flash floods, 17 of 34. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 480 have had fewer than Kenmore.
July 31, 1999: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Kenmore — 12 injured, $50,000 damage.
July 25, 2011: lightning strike 4 miles from the centre of Kenmore — 1 injured, $500,000 damage.
January 11, 2014: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Kenmore — $700,000 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
Erie County, which includes Kenmore, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 snowstorms, 6 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm, on March 15, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Erie County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Moderate for strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $286.0 million a year, the 6th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $205.3 million (72%), 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 Kenmore
- Tonawanda, NY2 mi
- Buffalo, NY4 mi
- Amherst, NY4 mi
- Grand Island, NY5 mi
- North Tonawanda, NY6 mi
- Getzville, NY7 mi
- Williamsville, NY7 mi
- Cheektowaga, NY7 mi
- East Amherst, NY9 mi
- Depew, NY10 mi
- Lackawanna, NY11 mi
- West Seneca, NY11 mi
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