NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Norfolk, 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
4 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Norfolk, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 5 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 5
- 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 Norfolk
The strongest storm to pass near Norfolk was an unnamed storm in 1900, a Category 1 hurricane with 74 mph winds when its centre passed 19 miles away. The record near Norfolk begins with an unnamed storm in 1900; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 67 miles away. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Norfolk. The strongest of the 5 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F2 on September 19, 1954; its path came within 16 miles. Of the 5, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and none has come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on June 21, 1993. Of the 809 New York cities, 97% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Norfolk. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 14 times since 1980, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 809 New York cities, 89% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Norfolk.
Compare Norfolk's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Norfolk
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 15 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 23 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 22 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 12 | 19 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Norfolk: 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 Norfolk
By decade
- 1990s1
- 1980s2
- 1970s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 1954 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1985 | F1 | in town | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 1972 | F1 | 23 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 21, 1993 | F0 | 11 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 1988 | F0 | 10 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 5 of 5, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Norfolk
The Storm Prediction Center has 14 hail reports within 10 miles of Norfolk since 1980, made on 11 separate days. Of these, 8 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on October 1, 2019, the most recent report. June and July have the most reports, 5 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Norfolk
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Massena International Airport, NY, 10 miles northeast of Norfolk at 214 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 58°F; January is the coolest, at 25°F and 6°F. June is the wettest at 3.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.6 inches; the year adds up to 33.9 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 6 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 158 nights a year. That 33.9 inches is more than at 9 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (7%). Norwood, 5 miles south, has its own station (Canton 4 SE, NY): 38.2 inches a year, 4.3 more than here, and a July average high of 80°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | 6 | 2.1 | 6 |
| Feb | 28 | 7 | 1.6 | 5 |
| Mar | 38 | 19 | 2.0 | 6 |
| Apr | 54 | 32 | 2.9 | 7 |
| May | 68 | 44 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Jun | 76 | 53 | 3.7 | 8 |
| Jul | 81 | 58 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Aug | 79 | 56 | 3.4 | 7 |
| Sep | 71 | 48 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Oct | 58 | 37 | 3.4 | 7 |
| Nov | 45 | 27 | 2.6 | 7 |
| Dec | 32 | 16 | 2.1 | 6 |
| Year | 55 | 34 | 33.9 | 79 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Massena International Airport, NY (214 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 Norfolk
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 58 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Norfolk: 53 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 floods, 1 flash flood and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on June 8, 2007.
April 28, 2011: flood 3 miles from the centre of Norfolk — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Runoff from heavy rain and snowmelt caused flooding on the Raquette River. 27 feet at 04:45 EST on April 29.”
August 9, 2024: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Norfolk — $500,000 damage.
May 10, 2007: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Norfolk — $250,000 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
St. Lawrence County, which includes Norfolk, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1991, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 snowstorms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, on September 24, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives St. Lawrence County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes and strong wind; Very Low for tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $31.9 million a year, the 29th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $21.7 million (68%), 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.