NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Wilson, 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 Wilson, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 10 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 10
- 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 Wilson
The strongest storm to pass near Wilson was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 74 mph winds when its centre passed 25 miles away. The record near Wilson begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 64 miles away. The busiest decade was the 2000s, with 2 systems. Of the 8 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Wilson. The strongest of the 10 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F2 on July 7, 1961; its path came within 21 miles. Of the 10, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and one has come since 2000. September has had the most tornadoes, 4. The most recent tornado was on September 9, 2024. Of the 809 New York cities, 92% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Wilson. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 17 times since 1975, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 809 New York cities, 85% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Wilson.
Compare Wilson's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Wilson
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 15 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2004 | FrancesSep 9 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 23 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 25 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 12 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 10 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 Wilson: 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 Wilson
By decade
- 2020s1
- 1990s4
- 1980s1
- 1970s1
- 1960s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7, 1961 | F2 | 21 mi | 7.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 29, 1986 | F1 | 22 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 30, 1976 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 1969 | F1 | 15 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 3, 1963 | F1 | 12 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 9, 2024 | EF0 | 21 mi | 1.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 28, 1994 | F0 | 20 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 28, 1994 | F0 | 12 mi | 0.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 25, 1994 | F0 | 12 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 23, 1993 | F0 | 19 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 10 of 10, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Wilson
The Storm Prediction Center has 17 hail reports within 10 miles of Wilson since 1975, made on 16 separate days. Of these, 8 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on May 31, 1985. The most recent report is from July 20, 2021. July has the most reports, 6.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Wilson
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Youngstown 2 E, NY, 10 miles southwest of Wilson at 295 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 34°F and 19°F. April is the wettest at 4.1 inches of precipitation on average and February and August the driest at 2.2 inches; the year adds up to 34.4 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 11 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 129 nights a year. Snowfall averages 55.2 inches a year, most of it in February. That 34.4 inches is more than at 10 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (7%). Sanborn, 12 miles south, has its own station (Niagara Falls International Airport, NY): 33.0 inches a year, 1.4 less than here, and a July average high of 81°F against 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 19 | 2.4 | 6 | 12.8 |
| Feb | 36 | 19 | 2.2 | 6 | 20.8 |
| Mar | 43 | 25 | 2.7 | 6 | 8.1 |
| Apr | 55 | 35 | 4.1 | 8 | 1.7 |
| May | 68 | 46 | 2.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 77 | 57 | 3.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 63 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 61 | 2.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 74 | 54 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 62 | 44 | 2.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 50 | 34 | 2.7 | 6 | 2.0 |
| Dec | 39 | 26 | 2.7 | 8 | 9.8 |
| Year | 58 | 40 | 34.4 | 81 | 55.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Youngstown 2 E, NY (295 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 Wilson
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 73 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Wilson: 46 thunderstorm wind reports, 19 floods, 5 flash floods and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $4.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 67 mph, on March 16, 2025. July has had the most flash floods, 5 of 5. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 58 have had fewer than Wilson.
August 8, 2012: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Wilson — 1 injured, $25,000 damage.
September 6, 1998: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Wilson — $2.3 million damage.
June 28, 2013: flood 9 miles from the centre of Wilson — $800,000 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
Niagara County, which includes Wilson, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 snowstorms, 5 severe storms, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm, on March 15, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Niagara County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $52.4 million a year, the 20th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $44.6 million (85%), 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.
Cities near Wilson
- Ransomville, NY6 mi
- Newfane, NY6 mi
- Youngstown, NY11 mi
- Sanborn, NY12 mi
- Lockport, NY13 mi
- Lewiston, NY14 mi
- Gasport, NY15 mi
- Barker, NY15 mi
- Niagara Falls, NY17 mi
- North Tonawanda, NY18 mi
- Middleport, NY19 mi
- Getzville, NY20 mi
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