Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, May 27, 2001

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, May 27, 2001
Start: 2001-05-27T11:27
End: 2001-05-27T16:45
Location: New York

May 27, 2001 · NWS BUF · 8 events in 6 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 2
Property damage: $150,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 8

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS BUF wrote it up.

Thunderstorms crossed the area during the afternoon hours producing hail up to 3/4 inch in North Tonawanda and Gates Center and damaging winds estimated to 68 mph. Trees and power lines were downed by the strong winds in Highland Park, Scriba, West Monroe and Watertown. In Watertown, one house sustained structural damage from a falling tree. In Clarence, Erie county, a husband and wife were also struck by lightning which hit a nearby tree. Both were hospitalized with burns to their feet and arms. Two nearby automobiles had damaged electrical systems and a third had a window blown out.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Buffalo, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 27, 8:33 AM EST, 2 hours 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 27, 8:33 AM EST, 2 hours 54 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
933 AM EDT SUN MAY 27 2001

THE WELL DEFINED VORT MAX THAT IS PUSHING THROUGH EASTERN OHIO THIS
MORNING WILL APPROACH WESTERN NEW YORK THIS AFTERNOON. THE SHOWERS
THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FEATURE ARE ALREADY  MOVING INTO
CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY...BUT THE CIRCULATION AROUND THE CLOSED UPPER LOW
IS DIRECTING THE SHOWERS TOWARD THE NORTH NORTHWEST...SO THERE WILL
BE A SLOW EASTWARD PROGRESSION TO THE PCPN.

THE DYNAMICS WILL CERTAINLY BE MORE FAVORABLE THIS AFTERNOON WITH THE
APPROACH OF THE SHORT WAVE...BUT THE CLOUDS WILL PUT A CAP ON THE
HEATING...ESPECIALLY IN THE WEST. HOWEVER...THE PRESENCE OF THE
UNSEASONABLY COLD AIR ALOFT WILL STILL SET OFF A FEW THUNDERSTORMS.

THE INSTABILITY WILL BE MORE FAVORABLE ACROSS THE GENESEE VALLEY AND
THE FINGER LAKES WHERE THE COMBINATION OF MORNING SUNSHINE AND
SLIGHTLY HIGHER DEWPOINTS WILL RESULT IN HIGHER CAPES AND LOWER LI/S
DURING THE AFTERNOON.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL TAPER OFF AFTER SUNSET...BUT THE SHOWERS WILL
PROBABLY LINGER THROUGH A GOOD PART OF THE NIGHT AS THE SHORT WAVE
MOVES EAST ACROSS THE STATE.

.BUF...NONE

TJP

The radar

The Buffalo radar (KBUF), 15 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:26 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Niagara

When: May 27, 11:27 AM EST
Where: Niagara County, North Tonawanda
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates: 43.033, -78.883

Lightning, Erie

When: May 27, 12:42 PM EST
Where: Erie County, Clarence
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 42.758, -78.780 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Monroe

When: May 27, 2:05 PM EST
Where: Monroe County, Gates Center
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 43.150, -77.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Monroe

When: May 27, 2:20 PM EST
Where: Monroe County, Rochester
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 43.183, -77.633

Thunderstorm Wind, Cayuga

When: May 27, 3:50 PM EST
Where: Cayuga County, Fair Haven
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates: 43.317, -76.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Oswego

When: May 27, 4:10 PM EST
Where: Oswego County, Scriba
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 43.467, -76.433

Thunderstorm Wind, Oswego

When: May 27, 4:27 PM EST
Where: Oswego County, West Monroe
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph)
Property damage: $35,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.283, -76.067

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When: May 27, 4:45 PM EST
Where: Jefferson County, Watertown
Measured: 59 kt (68 mph)
Property damage: $40,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 43.983, -75.917

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in New York in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in New York, May 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5246496, 5246497, 5246498, 5246499, 5246500, 5246501, 5246502, 5246503.