NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rush, 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 Rush, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frances in 2004. Since 1950, 15 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 15
- 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 Rush
The strongest storm to pass near Rush was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds when its centre passed 26 miles away. The record near Rush begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Frances in 2004, a tropical storm 8 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 Rush. The highest rating among the 15 tornadoes within 25 miles is F1 or EF1, reached 6 times; the most recent, on September 12, 2021, came within 22 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on September 3, 1993, killed 2 people. Of the 15, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 8 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 6. The most recent tornado was on July 15, 2024. Of the 809 New York cities, 84% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Rush. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 38 times since 1959, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 809 New York cities, 54% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Rush.
Compare Rush's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rush
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | FrancesSep 9 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 23 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 26 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 34 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 Rush: 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 Rush
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s2
- 2000s2
- 1990s4
- 1980s1
- 1970s1
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 3, 1993 | F1 | 23 mi | 4.2 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Sep 12, 2021 | EF1 | 22 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 15, 1996 | F1 | 14 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 1996 | F1 | 23 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 9, 1991 | F1 | 25 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 8, 1981 | F1 | 2 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 15, 2024 | EF0 | 22 mi | 0.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 15, 2024 | EF0 | 19 mi | 0.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2020 | EF0 | 4 mi | 4.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 10, 2015 | EF0 | 20 mi | 0.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 19, 2013 | EF0 | 23 mi | 0.28 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 29, 2009 | EF0 | 17 mi | 10.63 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 15, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rush
The Storm Prediction Center has 38 hail reports within 10 miles of Rush since 1959, made on 29 separate days. Of these, 16 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently July 18, 1994. The most recent report is from November 3, 2025. May has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rush
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Avon, NY, 6 miles southwest of Rush at 545 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 32°F and 16°F. July is the wettest at 3.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.7 inches; the year adds up to 33.7 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 7 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 143 nights a year. Snowfall averages 51.7 inches a year, most of it in January. That 33.7 inches is more than at 8 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (6%). West Henrietta, 4 miles north, has its own station (Rochester Gtr International Airport, NY): 35.3 inches a year, 1.6 more than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 16 | 2.0 | 6 | 13.4 |
| Feb | 34 | 17 | 1.7 | 5 | 12.3 |
| Mar | 43 | 24 | 2.5 | 6 | 10.7 |
| Apr | 56 | 34 | 2.8 | 7 | 1.3 |
| May | 69 | 46 | 3.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 77 | 56 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 82 | 60 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 80 | 58 | 3.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 73 | 51 | 3.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 61 | 41 | 3.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 48 | 32 | 2.5 | 6 | 4.7 |
| Dec | 38 | 23 | 2.2 | 5 | 9.3 |
| Year | 58 | 38 | 33.7 | 77 | 51.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Avon, NY (545 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 Rush
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 165 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rush: 115 thunderstorm wind reports, 19 floods, 18 flash floods, 11 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $26.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on September 6, 1998. June has had the most flash floods, 9 of 18. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 287 have had fewer than Rush.
July 31, 1999: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Rush — 4 injured, $150,000 damage.
September 6, 1998: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Rush — 1 injured, $22.0 million damage.
July 11, 2007: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Rush — 1 injured.
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
Monroe County, which includes Rush, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 floods, 4 severe storms, 4 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 20, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Monroe County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for inland flooding; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes; Very Low for hail and coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $141.0 million a year, the 9th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $102.6 million (73%), 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.