NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lancaster, 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 Lancaster, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frances in 2004. Since 1950, 35 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 35
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Lancaster
The strongest storm to pass near Lancaster was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds when its centre passed 23 miles away. The record near Lancaster begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Frances in 2004, a tropical storm 43 miles away. The 1870s and the 1890s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. 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 Lancaster. The strongest of the 35 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on August 19, 1970; its path came within 18 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on September 3, 1993, killed 2 people. Of the 35, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 14 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 11. The most recent tornado was on September 9, 2024. Lancaster has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 70% of the 809 New York cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 51 times since 1970, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Lancaster has more hail reports within 10 miles than 63% of the 809 New York cities.
Compare Lancaster's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lancaster
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | FrancesSep 9 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 23 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 23 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 65 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 Lancaster: 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 Lancaster
By decade
- 2020s7
- 2010s4
- 2000s3
- 1990s10
- 1980s1
- 1970s4(1 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 19, 1970 | F3 | 18 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jul 10, 2024 | EF2 | 19 mi | 3.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 20, 2017 | EF2 | 14 mi | 6.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1998 | F2 | 23 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 30, 1987 | F2 | 6 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 2, 1972 | F2 | 14 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 23, 1971 | F2 | 2 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 7, 1961 | F2 | 9 mi | 7.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 3, 1993 | F1 | 25 mi | 4.2 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Aug 5, 2024 | EF1 | 11 mi | 1.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 10, 2024 | EF1 | 12 mi | 2.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 25, 2009 | EF1 | 12 mi | 4.12 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 35, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lancaster
The Storm Prediction Center has 51 hail reports within 10 miles of Lancaster since 1970, made on 32 separate days. Of these, 28 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently June 16, 2008. The most recent report is from July 22, 2024. June has the most reports, 24.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lancaster
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Buffalo, NY, 5 miles northwest of Lancaster at 693 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 80°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 32°F and 19°F. September is the wettest at 4.1 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 40.8 inches over 94 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 124 nights a year. Snowfall averages 95.4 inches a year, most of it in January. That 40.8 inches is more than at 47 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (34%). Elma, 5 miles south, has its own station (Wales, NY): 44.3 inches a year, 3.5 more than here, and a July average high of 79°F against 80°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Buffalo, NY, 12 miles west, 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 | 32 | 19 | 3.4 | 9 | 26.7 | 36 |
| Feb | 33 | 20 | 2.5 | 7 | 18.1 | 34 |
| Mar | 42 | 26 | 2.9 | 8 | 14.1 | 37 |
| Apr | 55 | 37 | 3.4 | 8 | 2.5 | 46 |
| May | 67 | 48 | 3.4 | 8 | 0.0 | 57 |
| Jun | 76 | 58 | 3.4 | 8 | 0.0 | 68 |
| Jul | 80 | 63 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 | 76 |
| Aug | 79 | 62 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 | 76 |
| Sep | 72 | 55 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 | 72 |
| Oct | 60 | 44 | 4.0 | 9 | 0.9 | 62 |
| Nov | 48 | 34 | 3.5 | 8 | 7.8 | 50 |
| Dec | 37 | 26 | 3.8 | 10 | 25.3 | 40 |
| Year | 57 | 41 | 40.8 | 94 | 95.4 | 55 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Buffalo, NY (693 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 Lancaster
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 210 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lancaster: 141 thunderstorm wind reports, 40 floods, 15 flash floods, 7 heavy rain events and 7 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 13, and the NWS estimated $4.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on April 18, 2004. June has had the most flash floods, 5 of 15. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 228 have had fewer than Lancaster.
July 31, 1999: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Lancaster — 12 injured, $50,000 damage.
July 25, 2011: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Lancaster — 1 injured, $500,000 damage.
January 11, 2014: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Lancaster — $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
Flood insurance policyholders in Lancaster's ZIP code 14086 have filed 37 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $126,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 11% 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, 234 have fewer than Lancaster.
Erie County, which includes Lancaster, 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.