New York, 2002

Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, August 12, 2002

August 12, 2002 · NWS BUF · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Thunderstorms crossed the western southern tier during the afternoon hours. The thunderstorms produced damaging winds that downed trees and limbs and hail up to 3/4" in diameter.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 western southern tier during the afternoon hours. The thunderstorms produced damaging winds that downed trees and limbs and hail up to 3/4" in diameter.

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 Aug 12, 2:21 PM EST, 1 hour 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 12, 2:21 PM EST, 1 hour 19 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
321 PM EDT MON AUG 12 2002

WEAK VORT MAX MOVING UP THE OHIO VALLEY IS TRIGGERING TRW ACROSS NW
OHIO AND WRN PA ATTM. THIS FEATURE WILL CONTINUE TO PROGRESS ACROSS
WESTERN ZONES THIS EVENING. QPF FROM MODELS IS ALL DIFFERENT, SO
DECIDED JUST TO KEEP CHC POPS FROM CURRENT FCST. EAST OF LAKE
ONTARIO...P/C SKIES WITH NO PREIP EXPECTED AS FEATURE WILL MOVE BY
AFTER LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING.

UPPER RIDGE REMAINS NEARBY FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY BUT A SERIES OF
WEAK VORT MAXS WILL CROSS REGION. CHC POPS FOR TUEDAY AND WEDNESDAY
SEEM THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THE SITUATION ATTM.

FRONT WILL CROSS REGION THURSDAY...LIKELY POPS ASSIGNED FOR ALL
ZONES.

.BUF...NONE.

The radar

The Buffalo radar (KBUF), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:41 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Thunderstorm Wind, Chautauqua

When
August 12, 3:40 PM EST
Where
Chautauqua County, Ellington
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$8,000
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
42.217, -79.100

Hail, Wyoming

When
August 12, 4:05 PM EST
Where
Wyoming County, Perry
Measured
0.75 in hail
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
42.717, -78.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Cattaraugus

When
August 12, 4:30 PM EST
Where
Cattaraugus County, Allegany
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
42.083, -78.483

What these are

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.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New York in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, August 2002

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: 5312654, 5312655, 5312656.