NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Silver Creek, 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 Silver Creek, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frances in 2004. Since 1950, 25 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 25
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Silver Creek
The strongest storm to pass near Silver Creek was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 76 mph winds when its centre passed 55 miles away. The record near Silver Creek begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Frances in 2004, a tropical storm 49 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1950s, with 2 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. 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 Silver Creek. The highest rating among the 25 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 2, 1983, came within 16 miles. Of the 25, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 8 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 9. The most recent tornado was on July 10, 2024. Of the 809 New York cities, 60% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Silver Creek. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 17 times since 1958, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 809 New York cities, 85% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Silver Creek.
Compare Silver Creek's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Silver Creek
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | FrancesSep 9 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 23 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 14 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 55 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Silver Creek: 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 Silver Creek
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s4
- 1990s9
- 1980s2(1 EF3+)
- 1970s3(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 16 mi | 28 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Aug 19, 1970 | F3 | 17 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jul 10, 2024 | EF2 | 16 mi | 3.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 20, 2017 | EF2 | 21 mi | 6.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 14, 2011 | EF2 | 25 mi | 2.92 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 14, 2011 | EF2 | 11 mi | 4.13 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 24, 2010 | EF2 | 25 mi | 7.61 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 1994 | F2 | 22 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F2 | 7 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 17, 1969 | F2 | 19 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 6, 1968 | F2 | 10 mi | 31.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jul 10, 2024 | EF1 | 6 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 25, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Silver Creek
The Storm Prediction Center has 17 hail reports within 10 miles of Silver Creek since 1958, made on 15 separate days. Of these, 11 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on May 28, 2017. The most recent report is from April 14, 2019. May has the most reports, 6.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Silver Creek
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Dunkirk Chautauqua Airport, NY, 6 miles southwest of Silver Creek at 666 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 80°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 34°F and 19°F. October is the wettest at 3.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.2 inches; the year adds up to 33.2 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 3 days a year, almost all from July. Lows fall below freezing on about 122 nights a year. That 33.2 inches is more than at 7 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (5%). Irving, 5 miles northeast, has its own station (Perrysburg, NY): 53.9 inches a year, 20.7 more than here, and a July average high of 79°F against 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 19 | 1.7 | 5 |
| Feb | 35 | 19 | 1.2 | 4 |
| Mar | 43 | 25 | 1.7 | 5 |
| Apr | 55 | 35 | 2.8 | 7 |
| May | 67 | 46 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Jun | 76 | 56 | 2.7 | 7 |
| Jul | 80 | 61 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Aug | 79 | 60 | 3.3 | 7 |
| Sep | 72 | 53 | 3.6 | 7 |
| Oct | 61 | 44 | 3.9 | 9 |
| Nov | 49 | 34 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Dec | 39 | 27 | 2.4 | 7 |
| Year | 58 | 40 | 33.2 | 78 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Dunkirk Chautauqua Airport, NY (666 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 Silver Creek
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 97 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Silver Creek: 75 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods, 4 floods, 3 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $33.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 77 mph, on May 3, 2008. July has had the most flash floods, 6 of 14. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 212 have had fewer than Silver Creek.
August 9, 2009: flash flood in Silver Creek — $30.0 million damage.
July 14, 2015: flash flood in Silver Creek — $750,000 damage.
July 14, 2015: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Silver Creek — $750,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Silver Creek's ZIP code 14136 have filed 166 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $2.0 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1985: 14 claims (8% of all) and $32,000. The year with the most claims was 1979, with 40. 13% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 549 New York cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 431 have fewer than Silver Creek.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1985 | 14 | $32,000 |
Chautauqua County, which includes Silver Creek, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 snowstorms, 6 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 Chautauqua County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and inland flooding; Relatively Low for hurricanes; Very Low for hail, coastal flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $43.6 million a year, the 22nd highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $36.0 million (83%), 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.