NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit La Fayette, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of La Fayette, New York since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was David in 1979. Since 1950, 26 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 26
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for La Fayette
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed La Fayette; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1893, a tropical storm with 69 mph winds when its centre passed 69 miles away. The record near La Fayette begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was David in 1979, a tropical storm 63 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1970s, with 2 systems. None of the 7 systems has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 84% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than La Fayette. The strongest of the 26 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on May 2, 1983; its path came within 22 miles, and it killed 1 person. The deadliest, an EF2 on July 8, 2014, killed 4 people. Of the 26, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 12 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 11. The most recent tornado was on July 16, 2024. Of the 809 New York cities, 58% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than La Fayette. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 38 times since 1958, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 809 New York cities, 54% have more hail reports within 10 miles than La Fayette.
Compare La Fayette's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near La Fayette
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 7 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 La Fayette: 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 La Fayette
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s2
- 2000s6
- 1990s8
- 1980s3(1 EF3+)
- 1970s1
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 22 mi | 20 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Jul 8, 2014 | EF2 | 25 mi | 2.5 mi | 4 / 0 |
| May 16, 2009 | EF2 | 20 mi | 5.26 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Sep 18, 1977 | F2 | 21 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | EF1 | 22 mi | 1.42 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Jul 15, 2024 | EF1 | 21 mi | 8.69 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF1 | 23 mi | 9.71 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 22, 2017 | EF1 | 20 mi | 0.15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 28, 2002 | F1 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1998 | F1 | 25 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 24, 1993 | F1 | 13 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 15, 1993 | F1 | 20 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 26, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in La Fayette
The Storm Prediction Center has 38 hail reports within 10 miles of La Fayette since 1958, made on 26 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 7 days, most recently May 29, 2013. The most recent report is from June 12, 2015. May has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in La Fayette
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Tully Heiberg Forest, NY, 9 miles south of La Fayette at 1,899 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 77°F and low of 57°F; January is the coolest, at 29°F and 11°F. June is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and January and February the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 48.7 inches over 104 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 1 days a year. Lows fall below freezing on about 164 nights a year. Snowfall averages 117.3 inches a year, most of it in March. That 48.7 inches is more than at 114 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (83%). Jamesville, 6 miles north, has its own station (Syracuse Hancock International Airport, NY): 40.0 inches a year, 8.7 less than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 77°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 11 | 2.9 | 9 | 25.2 |
| Feb | 31 | 12 | 2.9 | 8 | 24.8 |
| Mar | 39 | 20 | 3.7 | 10 | 25.4 |
| Apr | 52 | 31 | 4.2 | 9 | 7.5 |
| May | 65 | 43 | 3.6 | 9 | 0.5 |
| Jun | 73 | 52 | 5.1 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 77 | 57 | 4.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 76 | 55 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 69 | 48 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 57 | 38 | 4.5 | 8 | 1.6 |
| Nov | 45 | 28 | 3.9 | 9 | 11.2 |
| Dec | 34 | 18 | 3.6 | 8 | 21.1 |
| Year | 54 | 34 | 48.7 | 104 | 117.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Tully Heiberg Forest, NY (1,899 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 La Fayette
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 69 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of La Fayette: 56 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 flash floods, 3 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $19.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on September 12, 2000. July has had the most flash floods, 4 of 9. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 131 have had fewer than La Fayette.
July 3, 1999: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of La Fayette — 1 killed, $50,000 damage.
April 2, 2005: flood 8 miles from the centre of La Fayette — $17.0 million damage.
July 1, 2017: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of La Fayette — $1.2 million 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
Onondaga County, which includes La Fayette, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 floods, 4 severe storms, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Tropical Storm Fred, on October 8, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Onondaga County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for strong wind; Relatively High for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $103.1 million a year, the 10th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $77.5 million (75%), 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.