NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Union Springs, 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
8 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Union Springs, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frances in 2004. Since 1950, 13 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 13
- 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 Union Springs
The strongest storm to pass near Union Springs was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 76 mph winds when its centre passed 73 miles away. The record near Union Springs begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Frances in 2004, a tropical storm 36 miles away. Of the 8 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Union Springs. The highest rating among the 13 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 2, 1983, came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on August 28, 1988, killed 1 person. Of the 13, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 7 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on July 7, 2025. Of the 809 New York cities, 89% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Union Springs. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 38 times since 1980, 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 Union Springs.
Compare Union Springs's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Union Springs
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | FrancesSep 9 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 73 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 14 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 2 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 Union Springs: 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 Union Springs
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s2
- 2000s4
- 1990s2
- 1980s2(1 EF3+)
- 1970s1
- 1960s1(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 23 mi | 20 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1969 | F3 | 12 mi | 17.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 7, 2025 | EF2 | 20 mi | 1.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 21, 2011 | EF2 | 17 mi | 7.88 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 28, 1988 | F1 | 22 mi | 13 mi | 1 / 1 |
| May 3, 2018 | EF1 | 25 mi | 1.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 21, 2007 | EF1 | 11 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 28, 2002 | F1 | 15 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 20, 1994 | F1 | 16 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 30, 1991 | F1 | 14 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 27, 1978 | F1 | 15 mi | 1.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2006 | F0 | 20 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 13, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Union Springs
The Storm Prediction Center has 38 hail reports within 10 miles of Union Springs since 1980, made on 25 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently July 3, 2025. The most recent report is from July 3, 2025. July has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Union Springs
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Aurora Rsch Farm, NY, 7 miles south of Union Springs at 830 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 80°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 31°F and 17°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 7 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 131 nights a year. Snowfall averages 56.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 37.1 inches is more than at 20 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (15%). Cayuga, 6 miles north, has its own station (Auburn, NY): 44.4 inches a year, 7.3 more than here, and a July average high of 81°F against 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 17 | 2.1 | 6 | 15.0 |
| Feb | 33 | 17 | 1.9 | 5 | 12.7 |
| Mar | 41 | 24 | 2.6 | 7 | 11.8 |
| Apr | 54 | 35 | 3.3 | 8 | 2.1 |
| May | 67 | 47 | 3.1 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Jun | 76 | 57 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 80 | 61 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 79 | 59 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 72 | 52 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 59 | 42 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.2 |
| Nov | 47 | 33 | 2.9 | 6 | 3.8 |
| Dec | 37 | 24 | 2.6 | 6 | 10.5 |
| Year | 56 | 39 | 37.1 | 82 | 56.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Aurora Rsch Farm, NY (830 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 Union Springs
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 135 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Union Springs: 120 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods, 2 floods and 2 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on April 18, 2004. August has had the most flash floods, 4 of 11. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 164 have had fewer than Union Springs.
April 18, 2004: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Union Springs — $500,000 damage.
April 18, 2004: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Union Springs — $200,000 damage.
October 26, 2021: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Union Springs — $150,000 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 Union Springs's ZIP code 13160 have filed 20 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $126,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 20% 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, 116 have fewer than Union Springs.
Cayuga County, which includes Union Springs, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 floods, 3 hurricanes, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Tropical Storm Fred, on October 8, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cayuga 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; Very Low for coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $23.8 million a year, the 40th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $19.1 million (80%), 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.