Seneca County, New York severe weather history spans 209 recorded events between 1971 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 66.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,388 nationally and #56 in New York.
209
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$3.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Seneca County, New York severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Seneca County, New York severe weather history averages 3.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 63 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 26 events fall before 1990 and 183 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flash flood, with $2.7M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Seneca County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 138 | 0 | $1.1M | 78 | 1971–2025 |
| Hail | 41 | 0 | $25K | 1.75 | 1973–2014 |
| Flash Flood | 23 | 0 | $2.7M | 0 | 1996–2026 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $40K | 0 | 2018–2023 |
| Tornado | 1 | 0 | $10K | EF1 | 2007–2007 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $25K | 0 | 2008–2008 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2001 |
Decade by decade
Seneca 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
1 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 0 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978-06-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.9 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Seneca County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | ROSE HILL | 0 | 1 | $30K |
| Sep 11, 1984 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Severe flash flooding occurred in this area. The entire cliff side was washed away into Seneca Lake. Multiple water rescues and evacuations were in progress. A woman was trapped in the wreckage of her home, and was rescued from the lake by small boat.
A long lived severe convective wind system or derecho moved into northern portions of the county just before 100 am EDT. These same storms had caused considerable damage upstream in the Rochester area. Widespread wind damage occurred in the town of Waterloo and also across Seneca Falls. Most of the damage was in the form of downed trees and power lines. From approximately 1255 am to 110 am EDT, the town of Waterloo experienced strong damaging winds and large hail. Many roads in the center of town had to be closed through the morning hours on Labor Day as crews worked to clear fallen trees, live wires, and damaged traffic signals. Downstream in Seneca Falls, similar damage was reported. Just before 120 am EDT, a swath of trees was blown down on the western shores of Cayuga Lake and inflicted minor damage on several small boats anchored in the vicinity. Several vacation homes in this area incurred minor roof and siding damage from large tree limbs which succumbed to the wind.
Thunderstorm winds blew down trees and wires especially on the east side of Seneca Lake. In Romulus a radio tower was bent over onto a building. Minor property damage occurred. Some utility poles were blown over or damaged.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
32,920
Population (ACS)
$155K
Median home value
12
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Oct 1, 2018 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Oct 28, 2012 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | EM |
| Sep 30, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Aug 3, 2004 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Seneca County, New York?
209 events are on record between 1971 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $3.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Seneca County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 138 recorded events — 66.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Seneca County?
1 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 0 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Seneca County?
12 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Seneca County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Seneca County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Seneca County as very low risk, placing it in the 42 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Seneca 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
- Schuyler County 199
- Steuben County 752
- Schoharie County 354
- Suffolk County 867
- Schenectady County 423
- Sullivan County 547
Cite this page
“Seneca County, New York.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-york/seneca-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.