NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Medina, 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 Medina, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frances in 2004. Since 1950, 16 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 16
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Medina
The strongest storm to pass near Medina was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds when its centre passed 5 miles away. The record near Medina begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Frances in 2004, a tropical storm 45 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1870s, 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 Medina. The highest rating among the 16 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 2 times; the most recent, on August 23, 1971, came within 24 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on September 3, 1993, killed 2 people. Of the 16, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 4 have come since 2000. August has had the most tornadoes, 5. The most recent tornado was on September 9, 2024. Of the 809 New York cities, 82% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Medina. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 25 times since 1974, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 809 New York cities, 74% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Medina.
Compare Medina's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Medina
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | FrancesSep 9 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 23 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 5 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 67 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 Medina: 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 Medina
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2000s1
- 1990s6
- 1980s1
- 1970s3
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 23, 1971 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 7, 1961 | F2 | 25 mi | 7.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 3, 1993 | F1 | 18 mi | 4.2 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Jul 25, 2009 | EF1 | 16 mi | 4.12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 31, 1993 | F1 | 19 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F1 | 18 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 29, 1986 | F1 | 9 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 30, 1976 | F1 | 23 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 3, 1963 | F1 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 9, 2024 | EF0 | 13 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 10, 2024 | EF0 | 19 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 25, 2022 | EF0 | 23 mi | 0.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 16, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Medina
The Storm Prediction Center has 25 hail reports within 10 miles of Medina since 1974, made on 20 separate days. Of these, 14 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently July 25, 1994. The most recent report is from June 22, 2020. July has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Medina
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Albion, NY, 9 miles east of Medina at 472 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 33°F and 18°F. October is the wettest at 3.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.3 inches; the year adds up to 35.3 inches over 85 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 9 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 125 nights a year. Snowfall averages 67.0 inches a year, most of it in January. That 35.3 inches is more than at 14 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (10%). Gasport, 9 miles west, has its own station (N Tonawanda, NY): 40.1 inches a year, 4.8 more than here, and the same July average high, 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 18 | 3.0 | 9 | 19.5 |
| Feb | 35 | 18 | 2.3 | 6 | 17.3 |
| Mar | 44 | 25 | 2.7 | 7 | 12.8 |
| Apr | 57 | 36 | 3.3 | 7 | 1.9 |
| May | 70 | 47 | 3.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 79 | 57 | 3.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 62 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 60 | 2.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 75 | 54 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 62 | 43 | 3.4 | 8 | 0.2 |
| Nov | 50 | 33 | 2.7 | 8 | 4.0 |
| Dec | 39 | 24 | 2.7 | 7 | 11.3 |
| Year | 59 | 40 | 35.3 | 85 | 67.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Albion, NY (472 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 Medina
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 83 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Medina: 67 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 heavy rain events, 5 flash floods and 2 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $10.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on January 9, 2008. July has had the most flash floods, 5 of 5. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 58 have had fewer than Medina.
September 6, 1998: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Medina — $10.0 million damage.
August 16, 2019: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Medina — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “A barn was reported to have collapsed on Knowlesville Road.”
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
Orleans County, which includes Medina, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 snowstorms, 5 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 20, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Orleans County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, coastal flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.9 million a year, the 60th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.0 million (71%), 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 Medina
- Middleport, NY5 mi
- Lyndonville, NY8 mi
- Gasport, NY9 mi
- Albion, NY10 mi
- Barker, NY11 mi
- Oakfield, NY11 mi
- Akron, NY15 mi
- Elba, NY15 mi
- Lockport, NY16 mi
- Corfu, NY17 mi
- Holley, NY17 mi
- Newfane, NY17 mi
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