NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ontario, 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
10 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ontario, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frances in 2004. Since 1950, 11 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 11
- 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 Ontario
The strongest storm to pass near Ontario was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds when its centre passed 48 miles away. The record near Ontario begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Frances in 2004, a tropical storm 6 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1870s, with 2 systems. Of the 10 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Ontario. The strongest of the 11 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF2 on July 7, 2025; its path came within 24 miles. Of the 11, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 7 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 5. Of the 809 New York cities, 91% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Ontario. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 16 times since 1974, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 809 New York cities, 87% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Ontario.
Compare Ontario's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ontario
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | FrancesSep 9 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 23 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 48 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 41 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 Ontario: 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 Ontario
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s2
- 2000s3
- 1990s1
- 1980s2
- 1970s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7, 2025 | EF2 | 24 mi | 1.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 11, 2003 | F1 | 1 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 15, 1996 | F1 | 18 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 8, 1981 | F1 | 24 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 1980 | F1 | 6 mi | 9.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 15, 2024 | EF0 | 24 mi | 0.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 10, 2015 | EF0 | 19 mi | 0.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 19, 2013 | EF0 | 22 mi | 0.28 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 29, 2009 | EF0 | 25 mi | 10.63 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 25, 2009 | EF0 | 24 mi | 1.49 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 6, 1979 | F0 | 19 mi | 14 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 11 of 11, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ontario
The Storm Prediction Center has 16 hail reports within 10 miles of Ontario since 1974, made on 12 separate days. Of these, 8 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), fell on June 10, 1974. The most recent report is from May 19, 2019. May has the most reports, 6.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ontario
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Sodus 1W, NY, 11 miles east of Ontario at 444 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 79°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 31°F and 16°F. October is the wettest at 4.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 40.0 inches over 93 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (22.0 of 40.0 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 10 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal September there has highs of 72°F and 3.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 8 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 132 nights a year. Snowfall averages 104.9 inches a year, most of it in January. That 40.0 inches is more than at 43 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (31%). Webster, 8 miles west, has its own station (Rochester Gtr International Airport, NY): 35.3 inches a year, 4.7 less than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 79°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 16 | 3.0 | 9 | 34.8 |
| Feb | 33 | 17 | 2.5 | 7 | 21.5 |
| Mar | 41 | 24 | 2.7 | 7 | 13.6 |
| Apr | 54 | 34 | 3.2 | 8 | 2.1 |
| May | 67 | 45 | 3.4 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Jun | 75 | 54 | 3.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 79 | 59 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 78 | 58 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 72 | 51 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 59 | 41 | 4.3 | 9 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 47 | 31 | 3.4 | 9 | 7.3 |
| Dec | 36 | 23 | 3.2 | 9 | 25.4 |
| Year | 56 | 38 | 40.0 | 93 | 104.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Sodus 1W, NY (444 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 Ontario
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 83 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ontario: 72 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 flash floods, 4 floods, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $6.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 77 mph, on May 31, 1998. September has had the most flash floods, 3 of 5. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 58 have had fewer than Ontario.
July 20, 2008: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Ontario — 2 injured, $75,000 damage.
May 17, 2019: flood 7 miles from the centre of Ontario — $3.0 million damage.
June 1, 2019: flood 9 miles from the centre of Ontario — $1.5 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
Wayne County, which includes Ontario, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 floods, 3 severe storms, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 20, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Wayne County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hail and strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $19.0 million a year, the 49th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $14.5 million (76%), 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.