NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Phelps, 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 Phelps, 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, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 16
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Phelps
The strongest storm to pass near Phelps was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 76 mph winds when its centre passed 57 miles away. The record near Phelps begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Frances in 2004, a tropical storm 17 miles away. 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 Phelps. The highest rating among the 16 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 2, 1983, came within 25 miles. Of the 16, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 7 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 6. The most recent tornado was on July 7, 2025. Of the 809 New York cities, 82% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Phelps. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 46 times since 1973, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Phelps has more hail reports within 10 miles than 57% of the 809 New York cities.
Compare Phelps's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Phelps
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | FrancesSep 9 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 23 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 57 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 14 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 18 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 Phelps: 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 Phelps
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s3
- 2000s2
- 1990s4
- 1980s2(1 EF3+)
- 1970s1
- 1960s1(1 EF3+)
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 25 mi | 20 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1969 | F3 | 17 mi | 17.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 7, 2025 | EF2 | 3 mi | 1.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 21, 2011 | EF2 | 14 mi | 7.88 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 3, 2018 | EF1 | 18 mi | 1.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 11, 2003 | F1 | 22 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 15, 1996 | F1 | 19 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 1996 | F1 | 22 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 20, 1994 | F1 | 7 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 1980 | F1 | 14 mi | 9.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 27, 1978 | F1 | 20 mi | 1.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 14, 1954 | F1 | 23 mi | 2 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 Phelps
The Storm Prediction Center has 46 hail reports within 10 miles of Phelps since 1973, made on 27 separate days. Of these, 24 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on May 21, 2013. The most recent report is from April 29, 2025. May has the most reports, 17.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Phelps
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Geneva Rsch Farm, NY, 6 miles south of Phelps at 718 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 79°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 30°F and 16°F. October is the wettest at 3.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.6 inches; the year adds up to 34.7 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 59% of the year's precipitation (20.5 of 34.7 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 5 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 136 nights a year. Snowfall averages 56.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 34.7 inches is more than at 11 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (8%). Lyons, 8 miles north, has its own station (Sodus 1W, NY): 40.0 inches a year, 5.3 more than here, and the same July average high, 79°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 16 | 1.8 | 5 | 13.5 |
| Feb | 32 | 17 | 1.6 | 4 | 13.3 |
| Mar | 40 | 24 | 2.4 | 6 | 12.8 |
| Apr | 54 | 35 | 2.8 | 7 | 1.8 |
| May | 67 | 46 | 3.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 75 | 56 | 3.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 79 | 61 | 3.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 78 | 59 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 71 | 52 | 3.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 59 | 41 | 3.8 | 9 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 46 | 32 | 2.6 | 6 | 4.7 |
| Dec | 36 | 23 | 2.3 | 6 | 10.4 |
| Year | 56 | 38 | 34.7 | 80 | 56.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Geneva Rsch Farm, NY (718 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 Phelps
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 217 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Phelps: 194 thunderstorm wind reports, 15 flash floods, 7 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 2 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $7.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on April 29, 2025. August has had the most flash floods, 8 of 15. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 228 have had fewer than Phelps.
June 24, 2014: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Phelps — 2 killed, $35,000 damage.
NWS: “Officials reported two people were killed when a tree fell on their car.”
January 23, 2018: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Phelps — 2 injured, $40,000 damage.
September 7, 1998: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Phelps — $5.5 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
Ontario County, which includes Phelps, 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 Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, on September 24, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Ontario County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $26.6 million a year, the 34th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $21.1 million (79%), 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.