List of New York tornadoes

The storm system that produced a large tornado in New York City on September 16, 2010

Tornadoes in the U.S. state of New York are relatively rare, with roughly 10 tornadoes occurring every year since 1900, the year with the first ever recorded event in the state. ^[1]

Climatology

Main article: Climate of New York (state)

New York is located on the East Coast. New York experiences respectable seasonality despite being situated in the immediate vicinity of a large body of water The Atlantic Ocean. The resulting 'clashing of warm and cold air' that occurs during seasonal transition does not translate to a high annual tornado count (despite the all too popular misconception). The vast majority of tornadoes are produced in organized thunderstorms (Supercells and Squall lines). Organized convection, requires a combination of atmospheric conditions including moisture, conditional instability, vertical wind shear and some forcing for ascent. These ingredients coincide most frequently in the central United States, largely due to the influence the unique geography has on these variables. In New York, it is less common for these ingredients to coincide. Appreciable moisture and instability are rare during the cold season, but are not uncommon during the warm season in New York. As a result, tornadoes are most common in New York in the warm season, specifically between the months of May and September. ^[2] Tornado events are not strictly limited to these months. Several notable events have occurred in 'cool season' months (e.g., 2 October 2018, 13 November 2021). Some work suggests severe weather environments during the cold season may be occurring more often due to Climate change, but this remains one of the more low confidence impacts.

Events

FU	F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5
1	0	0+	0	1	0	0

Pre-1950

• August 7, 1900 – A strong FU tornado struck areas around New Rochelle, snapping trees and destroying multiple well-built structures. The tornado was estimated to have caused $15,000 (1900 USD) in damages, and had an unknown amount of fatalities or injuries. ^[1] This is one of the first recorded tornadoes to hit New York.
• July 16, 1904 – A large F3 tornado tracked through Westchester County, killing 2 people and injuring a further 6. Multiple structures were completely wiped off of their foundations, and the tornado caused $100,000 (1904 USD) in damages in the town of Chappaqua. ^[3]

FU	F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5
0	1+	1+	2+	0	0	0

1950–1959

• May 6, 1952 – A brief F2 tornado touched down near Lake Placid, damaging trees and other smaller structures. ^[4]

FU	F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5
0	1	1+	1	0	0	0

1960–1969

• May 9, 1961 – A strong F2 tornado hit Liberty, ^[4] damaging multiple resorts and destroying various other structures, including a house. The tornado caused an estimated $2.5 million (1961 USD) in damages, and injured 3-4 people. ^[5]
• June 9, 1966 – A brief F0 tornado caused minor damage in Erie County. ^[4]

FU	F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5
1+	2	1+	1	0	0	0

1970–1979

• April 3, 1974 – A brief F1 tornado tracked through Chautauqua County, causing minor damage to structures in Frewsburg. ^[6]

FU	F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5
0+	3	6	2	1	2	0

1980–1989

• May 2, 1983 - A F3 tornado touched down in Boonville, New York, the most intense tornado recorded in Oneida County. ^[7]
• May 31, 1985 – A large F4 tornado touched down in Erie County in Pennsylvania, before crossing the Pennsylvania-New York state line into Chautauqua County. Over 50 buildings were damaged or destroyed, and a dump truck was thrown over a mile away. ^[8] No injuries were reported, and most of the damage was centered in Pennsylvania. ^[8] A brief F3 tornado tracked through areas near Jamestown, damaging and destroying various homes. ^[8] A brief F1 tornado touched down near Norfolk, causing little damage to crops and trees. ^[8]
• July 10, 1989 – A weak F1 tornado touched down outside of Ogdensburg, causing minor damage and injuring one person. ^[9] A violent F4 tornado hit Ames, destroying multiple homes and slabbing a poorly built farmhouse. ^[9] Other smaller structures were also destroyed. ^[9] The tornado caused an estimated $20,000,000 (1989 USD) in damages. ^[10] A brief F2 tornado hit areas near Carmel Hamlet, damaging condominiums and injuring 5 people. ^[9] Another brief but strong F2 tornado hit Moriches, damaging a trailer and injuring a person who was sheltering inside. ^[9]
• November 16, 1989 – A small and brief F0 tornado touched down near Georgetown, causing little damage. ^[11] Another F0 tornado hit areas around Peekskill, causing minor damage to crops. A relatively brief F1 tornado tracked through Sullivan County, damaging trees and other small structures. ^[11] A weak but deadly F1 tornado hit Orange County, killing 9 people and injuring another 18. ^[11] The event has been widely referred to as the "East Coldenham Elementary School disaster", as all 9 fatalities occurred when a wall located in the cafeteria of the East Coldenham Elementary collapsed, killing 9 students who were eating lunch. The tornado has also been studied, and these studies have suggested that the tornado may have been a downburst. ^[12] A brief F0 tornado hit Long Lake, causing little to no damage. ^[11] 2 F1 tornadoes touched down in Saratoga County, causing minor damage to trees. An F0 tornado hit Buskirk, causing minor damage. ^[11]

  FU	F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5
  3+	2+	4	5	3	0	0

1990-1999

• June 2, 1998 – A strong multi-vortex F2 tornado tracked through Wyoming County, destroying several buildings and damaging multiple aircraft, including a helicopter. ^[13] The tornado also uprooted trees and downed power lines. ^[13] A brief F1 tornado hit Pitcher, damaging the roof of a house before lifting. ^[14] Another F1 tornado tracked through areas east of Pitcher, uprooting and snapping hundreds of trees. ^[15]
• May 31, 1998 – A strong F3 tornado tracked through Saratoga and Rensselaer counties, damaging an estimated 350 homes and injuring 68 people. The tornado caused $70 million (1998 USD) before crossing the New York-Vermont state line, producing mainly F2 damage in Bennington County in Vermont.
• September 7, 1998 – A derecho spawned an F2 tornado that hit Lynbrook, injuring 6 people and causing an estimated $1 million (1998 USD) in damages. ^[16] 3 other smaller tornadoes were reported to have touched down, but none were confirmed. ^[17] An F1 tornado tracked through Albany County, causing minor damage to structures and uprooting trees. ^[16] A brief F0 tornado touched down in the Davenport area, causing $150,000 (1998 USD) in damages but injuring nobody. ^[16] An F1 tornado hit Brocton, damaging a house and causing 2 injuries. ^[16] A long-tracked F3 tornado moved through Tioga, Broome and Delaware counties, damaging multiple structures. ^[16] A TV station was heavily damaged, and multiple homes were destroyed. Multiple people were injured, and the tornado caused an estimated $2 million (1998 USD) in damages. 2 tornadoes, an F2 and an F0, moved through Chenango County, uprooting trees and damaging barns. ^[16] An F2 tornado tracked through portions of Otsego County, inflicting minor damage to structures and uprooting trees. ^[16] A large multi-vortex F3 tornado hit Silver Lake, destroying mobile homes and denuding trees. ^[16] 3 people were injured, and the tornado caused $800,000 (1998 USD) in damages. An F2 tornado tracked through Rensselaer County, causing damage to trees and mobile homes before lifting. ^[16]

EFU	EF0	EF1	EF2	EF3	EF4	EF5
0	1+	0+	3	0	0	0

2000–2009

• April 28, 2002 – A brief F0 tornado damaged multiple structures and homes near Springville. ^[18] A strong F2 tornado moved through Allegany County, destroying a house and damaging multiple barns. ^[19]
• July 12, 2006 – A destructive and strong F2 tornado moved through Rockland and Westchester counties, destroying homes and barns. 6 people were injured, and the tornado caused an estimated $12.1 million (2006 USD) in damages.
• August 8, 2007 – A strong EF2 tornado tracked through New York City, damaging thousands of structures from Staten Island to Brooklyn. 9 people were injured and the tornado was estimated to have caused $20 million (2007 USD) in damages.

EFU	EF0	EF1	EF2	EF3	EF4	EF5
0+	1+	8	2	0	0	0

2010–2019

• July 25, 2010 – A rare EF1 tornado hit The Bronx, damaging hundreds of buildings and uprooting trees. ^[20] 1 person was indirectly killed, and 7 were injured. ^[20] The tornado caused $150,000 (2010 USD) in damages, and was the second tornado ever recorded to hit The Bronx area. ^[20]
• September 8, 2010 – A waterspout was observed off the coast of Queens, and it caused an unknown amount of damage. As it moved onshore, it developed into a high-end EF1 tornado, downing power lines and uprooting trees. ^[21]
• September 16, 2010 – Two rare EF0 and EF1 tornadoes hit Brooklyn and Queens, damaging hundreds of buildings and killing 1 person. ^[22] Many trees that were uprooted by the tornadoes landed on vehicles, indirectly injuring multiple people. ^[22]
• April 27, 2011 – An EF1 tornado tracked through Steuben County, damaging multiple homes and uprooting hundreds of trees. ^[23] An EF2 tornado touched down near Erin, damaging multiple homes and destroying several small structures. ^[24] An EF1 tornado moved through Tompkins County, destroying an outbuilding and damaging homes. ^[23] A strong EF2 tornado hit Pharsalia, destroying a mobile home and downing hundreds of trees. ^[23] 2 EF1 tornadoes moved through Chenango County, damaging several houses but injuring nobody. ^[23] An EF1 tornado hit Frankfort, damaging small structures and downing power lines before lifting. ^[23]

  EFU	EF0	EF1	EF2	EF3	EF4	EF5
  1+	2+	1+	2+	0	0	0

2020–present

• July 2021 – EF1 in Westernville ^[7]
• August 2023 – EF3 in Lowville in Lewis County ^[7]
• July 10, 2024 – Part of the Hurricane Beryl tornado outbreak. EF2 reported near Eden in Erie County, with EF1 and EF0s in other locations in western New York. Outside of western New York, an EF0 was reported near Forestport in Oneida County.
• July 16, 2024 – A high-end EF2 tornado passed through Rome, causing widespread property damage. ^{[25] [7]} EF1 tornados struck Lee north of Rome and Canastota west of Rome, killing one. Several other EF1 and EF0 tornados were reported to the east of Rome through the Adirondacks towards Lake George. ^{[26] [27]}
• August 5, 2024 - An EF-1 tornado hit downtown Buffalo. Starting as a waterspout on Lake Erie it entered the City’s Lower West Side and downtown area just before 1 p.m. “The tornado began at the shore of the Niagara River near the south end of LaSalle Park and the I-190/Niagara Street interchange. It continued inland for 1.4 miles, stretching to a width of 300 yards as it moved across Niagara Street and the Theatre District. The final damage was seen at the intersection of Tupper and Oak streets near the Rt. 33 off-ramp, where two cars were overturned and minor roof damage was visible… The Ellicott Center nursing facility on Carolina Street sustained damage in the storm, and staff said 24 of 120 residents were safely relocated within the confines of the facility. City Hall and Hutchinson Central Technical High School also had minor damage from the storm. The roof was blown off of a three-story building on Niagara Street. According to Buffalo Fire Commissioner William Renaldo, the roof landed near 62 and 66 Whitney Place, almost two blocks away.” ^[28]

References

1. "Tornado Strikes the Town Doing Great Damage to Property" (PDF). New York Times. August 8, 1900.
2. "Severe Weather Climatology". Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
3. "Town of New Castle History". New Castle Historical Society. 2009. Archived from the original on 2005-03-08. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
4. "Storm Data Publication | IPS | National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)". www.ncdc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
5. New York Event: F2 Tornado. National Weather Service (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
6. "April 3–4, 1974 Super Outbreak". National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). 2024-04-03. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
7. Mills, Sean I. (2024-06-03). "Worst tornado in 40 years to hit Oneida County; survey team outlines path, destruction". Rome Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
8. US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "May 31, 1985 Tornado Outbreak: 35th Anniversary". www.weather.gov. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
9. "'89 Tornado Damage Photos". Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
10. Data from the Storm Prediction Center archives, which are accessible through SeverePlot Archived February 6, 2006, at the Wayback Machine , free software created and maintained by John Hart, lead forecaster for the SPC.
11. "Storm data" (PDF). ncdc.noaa.gov. November 1989. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
12. "Tornado History Project: 19891116.36.11". 2020-07-04. Archived from the original on 2020-07-04. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
13. "New York Event Report: F2 Tornado". National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service in Buffalo, New York. 1998. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
14. "New York Event Report: F1 Tornado". National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service in Binghamton, New York. 1998. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
15. "New York Event Report: F1 Tornado". National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service in Binghamton, New York. 1998. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
16. "Tornadoes in September, 1998". www.tornadohistoryproject.com. 2018. Archived from the original on May 17, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
17. "Tornadoes in September, 1998". www.tornadohistoryproject.com. 2018. Archived from the original on May 17, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
18. "Storm Events Database - Event Details | National Centers for Environmental Information". www.ncdc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
19. "Storm Events Database - Event Details | National Centers for Environmental Information". www.ncdc.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
20. "New York Event Report: EF1 Tornado". National Climatic Data Center. 2010. Archived from the original on October 26, 2010. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
21. "Tornado confirmed near Canarsie in Kings County NY". NWS Upton, NY. Archived from the original on March 25, 2010. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
22. Tornadoes in New York, 2010, DailyRecord
23. "20110427's Storm Reports (1200 UTC − 1159 UTC)". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. April 27, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
24. April 2011 Storm Data (PDF). National Climatic Data Center (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 19, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
25. "Public Information Statement, Binghamton NY, 736 PM EDT". National Weather Service. 2024-07-18. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
26. National Weather Service Albany, New York (July 17, 2024). NWS Damage Survey for 07/16/24 Tornado Event (Report). National Weather Service. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
27. National Weather Service Albany, New York (July 17, 2024). NWS Damage Survey for 07/16/24 Tornado and Damaging Wind Event (Report). National Weather Service. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
28. Veronica, Nick (5 August 2024). "EF-1 tornado hit downtown Buffalo, NWS confirms" . Retrieved August 8, 2024.