199
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$1.2M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Chemung County, New York: 199 recorded events between 1961 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 75. That places the county #1,047 nationally and #47 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Chemung County, New York: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Chemung County is the 2010s, when 55 of the county's 199 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Chemung County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 61.4% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,047 for this hazard and #47 within New York, putting it in the 66.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Chemung County with 70 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 27, 2002 | BIG FLATS | 55 | 0 | 4 | $50K |
| Jun 2, 2000 | WAVERLY | 52 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7, 2025 | NORTH CHEMUNG | 50 | $3K |
| Jul 7, 2025 | BREESPORT | 50 | $3K |
| Jul 7, 2025 | HORSEHEADS | 50 | $3K |
| Jul 7, 2025 | SLABTOWN | 50 | $3K |
| Jul 7, 2025 | FISHERVILLE | 50 | $1K |
| Jul 7, 2025 | FISHERVILLE | 50 | $1K |
| Jul 7, 2025 | (ELM)ELMIRA ARPT | 50 | $500 |
| Apr 29, 2025 | ELMIRA HGTS | 50 | $5K |
| Apr 29, 2025 | HENDY CREEK | 50 | $75K |
| Mar 16, 2025 | (ELM)ELMIRA ARPT | 50 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Chemung County
- Hail 69
- Flash Flood 42
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The same line of thunderstorms that produced damage across Steuben county continued eastward into Chemung county and maintained its intensity. More wind damage resulted in the greater Elmira area. Many trees were uprooted or blown down in an area from Horseheads south and southeast towards East Elmira. Several traffic lights were also dislodged, forcing the closure of a few roads for a brief time period. One home in East Elmira sustained minor damage as a large tree crashed through a portion of a separated garage.
Strong thunderstorm winds took down a tree on church Street in Elmira. The snapped off 6 feet from the ground. The tree landed on a car parked in a driveway. Four people in the station wagon suffered only minor scrapes from glass when the tree landed on the rear of the car. Musical equipment in the back was smashed. In Big Flats it took down several large trees along Route 352. Some of the trees took down utility lines. A large produce stand was flipped. 2100 customers lost power in Chemung County and adjacent Steuben County.
Severe thunderstorms developed across the area. The thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines. Some structural damage was also reported. In Parish, Oswego County, a lightning strike killed 11 cows and injured three. Numerous power outages were reported — some due to the downed lines, others from lightning strikes. In Syracuse, a tornado touched down and uprooted trees. The tornado caused damage to a fire department building. A large truck bay door was ripped off as were the ceiling tiles from inside the building. Minor structural damage also occurred to nearby buildings.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Chemung County, New York?
199 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Chemung County between 1961 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Chemung County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Chemung County measured 75.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Chemung County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Chemung County, New York.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-york/chemung-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.