Cayuga County, New York
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 36011 · population 76,185 · 692 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 874 records for Cayuga County, New York from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 550 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (363 records). The deadliest single record is the January 15, 2007 ice storm, filed for the forecast zone Southern Cayuga, which covers the county: 3 deaths. FEMA has issued 19 declarations naming the county since 1972, 15 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Remnants of Tropical Storm Fred” on October 8, 2021.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 874on 550 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 68 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $88Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 5strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 19latest 2021
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Cayuga County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 363 since 1956. 49% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1956 fell in June and July. The rank column places the county among New York's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 363 | 199 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 4 | $52M | 19 of 58 |
| Winter storms | 224 | 191 | 1996-2026 | 4 | 0 | $11M | 16 of 58 |
| Hail | 93 | 61 | 1980-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | 17 of 58 |
| Floods | 69 | 40 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $11M | 39 of 58 |
| High wind and dust storms | 61 | 46 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | 29 of 58 |
| Extreme cold | 32 | 31 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $31K | 20 of 58 |
| Drought | 9 | 7 | 1999-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 16 of 58 |
| Lightning | 8 | 7 | 2001-2025 | 0 | 4 | $90K | 26 of 58 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 5 | 1969-2011 | 1 | 0 | $10M | 40 of 58 |
| Heat | 4 | 4 | 2001-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 58 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 3 | 2003-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 of 58 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2000-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 37 of 58 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Cayuga County had?
NOAA records 5 tornadoes in Cayuga County from 1969 to 2011, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 0 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 5 tornadoes whose track touched Cayuga County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 5, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-05-02 19:15, as SPC files it | Baldwinsville | F3 | 20 mi | 1 |
| 1969-06-02 14:30, as SPC files it | Port Byron to Meridian | F3 | 17.5 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in New York.
Every tornado record filed for Cayuga County (5)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-08-21 | Spring Lake, Cayuga County | EF2 3.77 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $131K |
| 2004-04-18 | Edgewater, Cayuga County | F0 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $156K |
| 1991-04-30 | Cayuga County | F1 0.1 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1983-05-02 | Cayuga County | F3 6 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1969-06-02 | Cayuga County | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Cayuga County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 18, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindFleming, Cayuga County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindWeedsport, Cayuga County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-29 | Thunderstorm WindNew Hope, Cayuga County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindThroopsville, Cayuga County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindAuburn, Cayuga County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-04-01 | FloodSheldrake, Cayuga County | 0 | 0 | $50K | |
| 2026-03-31 | Flash FloodEast Genoa, Cayuga County | 0 | 0 | $5K | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormCayuga County · forecast zone Northern Cayuga | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormCayuga County · forecast zone Southern Cayuga | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | Winter StormCayuga County · forecast zone Northern Cayuga | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-29 | Winter StormCayuga County · forecast zone Northern Cayuga | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-26 | Winter StormCayuga County · forecast zone Northern Cayuga | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-01-15 | Ice StormCayuga County · forecast zone Southern Cayuga Ice coated trees and limbs fell on power lines in spotty areas across the county. A 3 fatality motor vehicle accident was blamed on the icy road conditions. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2003-04-04 | Ice StormCayuga County · forecast zone Northern Cayuga Low pressure over Illinois brought a mix of wintry weather to parts of the Genesee Valley, the Finger Lakes and the North Country. Across the North Country the precipitation mainly fell as snow mixed with sleet at times. Nine to twelve inches accumulated over the higher elevations. Across the Genesee Valley and the ... | 1 | 0 | $3.9M | |
| 1996-01-19 | Flash FloodCountywide, Cayuga County | 1 | 0 | $2.6M | |
| 1983-05-02 | TornadoCayuga County | F3 6 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 2006-07-02 | LightningMeridian, Cayuga County A thunderstorm moved across northern Cayuga county during the mid-afternoon hours. The thunderstorm winds downed trees and wires in Cato, Meridian and Ira. At the Cross Lake Campground three people were struck by lightning. A camper was standing inside a tent holding onto the metal center pole of the tent to keep the ... | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 1998-09-07 | Thunderstorm WindMontezuma, Cayuga County The derecho which inflicted wind damage upstream to the northwest, including Seneca county, ripped across northern and central parts of Cayuga county between 100 and 130 am EDT. Much wind damage resulted. Most of the damage was in the form of downed trees and power lines, but there was a concentrated area of ... | 0 | 3 | $36M | |
| 2025-06-09 | LightningLocke, Cayuga County A man was injured after being struck by lightning while closing windows on an enclosed porch. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2022-06-16 | Thunderstorm WindNorth Fair Haven, Cayuga County Multiple mobile homes were damaged. Two were destroyed. One injury was reported. | 51 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $50K |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-09-07 | Thunderstorm WindMontezuma, Cayuga County | 0 | 3 | $36M | |
| 1998-09-07 | Thunderstorm WindCato, Cayuga County | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2003-04-04 | Ice StormCayuga County · forecast zone Northern Cayuga | 1 | 0 | $3.9M | |
| 1996-01-19 | Flash FloodCountywide, Cayuga County | 1 | 0 | $2.6M | |
| 2017-07-01 | Flash FloodKing Ferry, Cayuga County | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 2017-07-01 | Flash FloodLedyard, Cayuga County | 0 | 0 | $873K | |
| 2004-04-18 | Thunderstorm WindLedyard, Cayuga County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $781K |
| 2008-06-16 | HailMeridian, Cayuga County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $720K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 2, 1983 (tornado, Cayuga County, 1 killed).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Cayuga County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 4 | 4 | 26 | 53 | 69 | 101 | 104 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 37 | 77 | 77 | 33 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 41 | 34 | 10 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 13 | 29 | 20 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 20 | 25 | 9 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 4 | 10 | 11 | 7 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
49% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1956 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 89 · Feb 70 · Mar 52 · Apr 41 · May 113 · Jun 115 · Jul 149 · Aug 87 · Sep 36 · Oct 28 · Nov 39 · Dec 55 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Cayuga County
FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Cayuga County: 12 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (5) and hurricane (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-10-08 | DR-4625 | Hurricane | Remnants of Tropical Storm Fred |
| 2020-03-20 | DR-4480 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3434 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017-11-14 | DR-4348 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2012-10-28 | EM-3351 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2005-09-30 | EM-3262 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-04-19 | DR-1589 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2004-08-03 | DR-1534 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2004-03-03 | EM-3195 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2003-08-23 | EM-3186 | Other | Power Outage |
| 2003-05-12 | DR-1467 | Severe Ice Storm | Ice Storm |
| 2001-09-11 | DR-1391 | Fire | Fires and Explosions |
| 2000-10-11 | EM-3155 | Other | West Nile Virus |
| 1998-09-11 | DR-1244 | Severe Storm | Ny - Severe Wx, Sept 7, 1998 |
| 1996-01-24 | DR-1095 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1993-03-17 | EM-3107 | Snowstorm | Severe Blizzard |
| 1975-10-02 | DR-487 | Flood | Storms, Rains, Landslides & Flooding |
| 1973-03-21 | DR-367 | Flood | High Winds, Wave Action & Flooding |
| 1972-06-23 | DR-338 | Flood | Tropical Storm Agnes |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Cayuga County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 69 flood or flash flood records for Cayuga County from 1996 to 2026, on 40 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Cayuga County ranks 806th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.5 million on 265 claims filed in Cayuga County; the most in one year was 62 in 1993. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 4 · 1979: 15 · 1981: 7 · 1982: 3 · 1983: 10 · 1984: 2 · 1986: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 2 · 1991: 1 · 1992: 2 · 1993: 62 · 1994: 12 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 47 · 1998: 6 · 1999: 1 · 2000: 3 · 2001: 2 · 2002: 2 · 2003: 1 · 2004: 3 · 2005: 7 · 2006: 2 · 2007: 1 · 2008: 1 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 6 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2015: 4 · 2016: 3 · 2017: 23 · 2018: 5 · 2019: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 11 · 2026: 3; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Cayuga County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cayuga County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $23.8 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $726K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $19M | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $152K | 22 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $825K | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $363K | once in about 45 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $394K | 2 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $242K | 1.4 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $229K | 30 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Cayuga County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in New YorkEvery New York tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in New YorkThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The New York recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Cayuga CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Cayuga County's FEMA declarations (CSV)19 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis