Orleans County, New York
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 36073 · population 40,286 · 391 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 364 records for Orleans County, New York from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 298 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (122 records). 183 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The most damaging was the September 6, 1998 thunderstorm wind ($18.1 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1973, 20 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Flooding” on November 14, 2017.
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
- 364on 298 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 00 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $61Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 1strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 2020
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 Orleans County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 122 since 1961. 40% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1961 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 | 122 | 88 | 1961-2026 | 0 | 0 | $20M | 31 of 58 |
| Winter storms | 79 | 78 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $8.6M | 33 of 58 |
| High wind and dust storms | 70 | 70 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $5.7M | 6 of 58 |
| Hail | 30 | 25 | 1980-2024 | 0 | 0 | $23M | 31 of 58 |
| Floods | 28 | 22 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $4.3M | 41 of 58 |
| Extreme cold | 21 | 19 | 2008-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 of 58 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 1 | 2020-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 39 of 58 |
| Drought | 5 | 5 | 2016-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 of 58 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 1986-1986 | 0 | 0 | $67K | 55 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 Orleans County had?
NOAA records 1 tornado in Orleans County from 1986 to 1986, the strongest rated F1, with 0 deaths 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 1 tornado whose track touched Orleans County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 1, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in New York.
Every tornado record filed for Orleans County (1)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-09-29 | Orleans County | F1 0.5 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K 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 Orleans County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the January 27, 2025 high wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindPt Breeze, Orleans County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindMurray, Orleans County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindAlbion, Orleans County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindRidgeway, Orleans County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindShelby, Orleans County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-09 | Thunderstorm WindMedina, Orleans County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-13 | High WindOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-14 | Winter StormOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-09 | High WindOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-29 | High WindOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-17 | Lake-Effect SnowOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-09-06 | Thunderstorm WindShelby, Orleans County | 0 | 0 | $18M | |
| 2008-06-16 | HailWest Shelby, Orleans County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | $11M |
| 1994-07-25 | HailLyndonville, Orleans County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $10.0M |
| 2003-04-04 | Ice StormOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 0 | 0 | $2.0M | |
| 2006-10-12 | Lake-Effect SnowOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 2006-07-12 | Flash FloodAlbion, Orleans County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2002-02-01 | High WindOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $820K |
| 1999-03-04 | Heavy SnowOrleans County · forecast zone Orleans | 0 | 0 | $620K |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: September 29, 1986 (tornado, Orleans County).
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 Orleans 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 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 36 | 17 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 18 | 25 | 27 | 9 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 20 | 26 | 17 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 2 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 8 | 3 | 12 | 5 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 2 | 14 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
40% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1961 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 48 · Feb 25 · Mar 29 · Apr 18 · May 27 · Jun 38 · Jul 46 · Aug 45 · Sep 22 · Oct 20 · Nov 16 · Dec 30 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Orleans County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Orleans County: 14 major disasters, 10 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for snowstorm (9) and severe storm (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-20 | DR-4480 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3434 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017-11-14 | DR-4348 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2017-07-12 | DR-4322 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2014-12-22 | DR-4204 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding |
| 2012-10-28 | EM-3351 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2006-10-24 | DR-1665 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2006-10-15 | EM-3268 | Snowstorm | Lake Effect Snowstorm |
| 2005-09-30 | EM-3262 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-10-01 | DR-1564 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2004-08-03 | DR-1534 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2000-07-21 | DR-1335 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1999-03-10 | EM-3138 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 1999-01-15 | EM-3136 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 1998-09-11 | DR-1244 | Severe Storm | Ny - Severe Wx, Sept 7, 1998 |
| 1993-03-17 | EM-3107 | Snowstorm | Severe Blizzard |
| 1991-03-21 | DR-898 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1977-02-05 | DR-527 | Snowstorm | Snowstorms |
| 1977-01-29 | EM-3027 | Snowstorm | Snowstorms |
| 1973-03-21 | DR-367 | Flood | High Winds, Wave Action & Flooding |
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 Orleans County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 28 flood or flash flood records for Orleans County from 1996 to 2023, on 22 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Orleans County ranks 1784th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $139,000 on 39 claims filed in Orleans County; the most in one year was 8 in 2017. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 6 · 1980: 1 · 1984: 1 · 1986: 1 · 1989: 4 · 1993: 6 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 1 · 2004: 2 · 2006: 1 · 2011: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2017: 8 · 2019: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 1; 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 Orleans County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Orleans County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.9 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 Moderate | $158K | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $257K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $5.0M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $388K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $412K | 3.1 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $103K | 26 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $89K | once in about 35 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $127K | once in about 1,215 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Orleans 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 Orleans CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Orleans County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis