Ontario County, New York severe weather history spans 499 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 69.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #880 nationally and #28 in New York.
499
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
9
Direct injuries
$16.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Ontario County, New York severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Ontario County, New York severe weather history averages 7.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 212 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 37 events fall before 1990 and 462 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Ontario County, New York record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $10.8M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Ontario County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 346 | 2 | $3.4M | 87 | 1956–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 65 | 0 | $10.8M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Hail | 50 | 0 | $365K | 2.5 | 1956–2025 |
| Flood | 15 | 0 | $321K | 0 | 2010–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 10 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2018–2023 |
| Tornado | 7 | 0 | $1.1M | F1 | 1994–2025 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $125K | 0 | 2001–2016 |
| Heavy Snow | 1 | 0 | $75K | 0 | 1999–1999 |
Decade by decade
Ontario County, New York severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
7 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 7 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-06-22 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-07-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-08-20 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-07-15 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-06-10 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-08-29 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 10.6 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Ontario County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 24, 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | OAKS CORNERS | 2 | 0 | $35K |
| Jul 4, 2001 | Lightning | PHELPS | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Jun 22, 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | CANANDAIGUA | 0 | 3 | $90K |
| Jan 23, 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | PRE EMPTION | 0 | 2 | $40K |
| Jul 22, 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | VICTOR | 0 | 1 | $45K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An isolated thunderstorm spawned a weak tornado in the City of Geneva near Packwood Road and Route 14. The initial touchdown occurred on the west side of Rte. 14 where trees were downed. As the storm crossed Route 14 it destroyed empty grain elevators. Pieces of the buildings were strewn across fields to the northeast. Further east on Packwood Rd. about a dozen trees were downed. On Town Line Rd to the north of Packwood Rd. there was extensive damage to a stand of trees. Approximately 90% of mature trees in a two acre area were totally destroyed.
A National Weather Service survey confirmed a tornado near Farmington in Ontario County. Initial damage was to a stand of trees near 5009 Shortsville Road. The tornado then traveled east southeast to the buildings at 4941 Shortsville Road. There, in addition to tree damage, a garage and barn were destroyed. A silo from this location was lifted and sent flying about 200 yards to the South Farmington Cemetery. The tornado downed several large trees at the cemetery. The silo landed in the cemetery and caused damage to a fence and couple of dozen headstones. This was the final evidence of the tornado touchdown. There was further tree damage downwind of the tornado on Latting road however that was determined to be the result of straight-line winds.
Multiple hardwood trees were reported down at Flatiron Road and U.S. Highway 20. Limbs were also down nearby with shingles blown off the roof of an antique shop. Damage consistent with a microburst continued east-northeast into Canandaigua that included the overturning of a mobile sign and recreational vehicle as well as trees and limbs down along North Pearl Stree and Buffalo Street Extension.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
112,625
Population (ACS)
$223K
Median home value
20
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 24, 2024 | Tropical Storm | REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM DEBBY | DR |
| Jul 22, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 20, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jul 8, 2014 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Oct 28, 2012 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Canandaigua 101
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Ontario County, New York?
499 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $16.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Ontario County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 346 recorded events — 69.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Ontario County?
7 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 7 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Ontario County?
20 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Ontario County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Ontario County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Ontario County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 64 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Ontario County, New York severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Onondaga County 760
- Orange County 746
- Oneida County 1,085
- Orleans County 174
- Niagara County 372
- Oswego County 571
Cite this page
“Ontario County, New York.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-york/ontario-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.