NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lima, 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 Lima, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frances in 2004. Since 1950, 13 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 10
- Tornadoes
- 13
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Lima
The strongest storm to pass near Lima was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 76 mph winds when its centre passed 28 miles away. The record near Lima begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Frances in 2004, a tropical storm directly overhead. The busiest decade was the 1870s, with 2 systems. 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 Lima. The highest rating among the 13 tornadoes within 25 miles is F1 or EF1, reached 6 times; the most recent, on September 19, 2022, came within 21 miles. Of the 13, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 7 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 4. The most recent tornado was on July 15, 2024. Of the 809 New York cities, 89% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Lima. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 31 times since 1972, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 809 New York cities, 66% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Lima.
Compare Lima's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lima
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | FrancesSep 9 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 23 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 28 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 14 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 26 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 Lima: 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 Lima
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s1
- 2000s1
- 1990s3
- 1980s1
- 1970s1
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 2022 | EF1 | 21 mi | 1.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 12, 2021 | EF1 | 15 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 15, 1996 | F1 | 12 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 1996 | F1 | 15 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 9, 1991 | F1 | 17 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 8, 1981 | F1 | 9 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 15, 2024 | EF0 | 17 mi | 0.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 15, 2024 | EF0 | 21 mi | 0.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2020 | EF0 | 11 mi | 4.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 10, 2015 | EF0 | 17 mi | 0.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 29, 2009 | EF0 | 10 mi | 10.63 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 6, 1979 | F0 | 24 mi | 14 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 13, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lima
The Storm Prediction Center has 31 hail reports within 10 miles of Lima since 1972, made on 22 separate days. Of these, 15 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on August 27, 2020. The most recent report is from July 3, 2025. August has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lima
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hemlock, NY, 7 miles south of Lima at 902 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 33°F and 17°F. July is the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.8 inches; the year adds up to 37.3 inches over 86 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 58% of the year's precipitation (21.8 of 37.3 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 73°F and 3.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 4 days a year, almost all from July to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 138 nights a year. That 37.3 inches is more than at 22 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (16%). Honeoye Falls, 6 miles north, has its own station (Avon, NY): 33.7 inches a year, 3.6 less than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 17 | 2.2 | 6 |
| Feb | 35 | 17 | 1.8 | 5 |
| Mar | 43 | 24 | 2.6 | 7 |
| Apr | 57 | 35 | 3.0 | 8 |
| May | 69 | 46 | 3.3 | 8 |
| Jun | 77 | 56 | 3.9 | 8 |
| Jul | 81 | 60 | 4.2 | 8 |
| Aug | 79 | 59 | 3.8 | 8 |
| Sep | 73 | 53 | 3.4 | 7 |
| Oct | 60 | 42 | 3.7 | 8 |
| Nov | 49 | 32 | 2.8 | 6 |
| Dec | 38 | 24 | 2.6 | 6 |
| Year | 58 | 39 | 37.3 | 86 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hemlock, NY (902 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 Lima
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 153 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lima: 115 thunderstorm wind reports, 20 flash floods, 10 floods and 8 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 16, 2022. June has had the most flash floods, 13 of 20. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 318 have had fewer than Lima.
June 16, 2022: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Lima — $200,000 damage.
May 10, 2015: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Lima — $180,000 damage.
May 16, 2014: flood 9 miles from the centre of Lima — $150,000 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
Livingston County, which includes Lima, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 3 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 20, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Livingston County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $18.5 million a year, the 50th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $14.8 million (80%), 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.