Cortland, NY Tornado History — 23 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Cortland, NY had?
Cortland has had 23 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Cortland?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Cortland was an EF0 on July 15, 2024.
When is tornado season in Cortland?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Cortland, with 5 on record. April through June account for 11 of the 23 tornadoes on record near Cortland.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Cortland
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 9 total, averaging 0.5 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Cortland since December 29, 2025
This is a preliminary report, not confirmed tornadoes. It has not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and is not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
NWS Storm Survey Confirms An EF0 tornado briefly touched down with convergent tree uproots and snaps about 3 miles WSW of Cortland around 1132 AM. After almost 2 miles. (BGM)
Within 25 miles of Cortland. Quoted text is the report narrative exactly as filed. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Cortland
3 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Cortland since 1950, across 2 events. 7 injuries have been reported across all events. 1989 was the deadliest year on record near Cortland.
The deadliest single event was an F2 on October 14, 1989, which caused 2 fatalities along a 2.0-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Cortland
What the record shows near Cortland
The 1990s were the busiest decade near Cortland, with 6 of the 23 confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles; the 2020s have produced 5 so far. The Cortland record runs from the 1960s to today.
Of the tornadoes rated near Cortland, 20 reached EF0 or EF1 and 3 reached EF2 or stronger. The most intense on record near Cortland is rated EF2, of which 3 are logged.
Across the last 20 years Cortland has averaged 0.5 confirmed tornadoes a year within 25 miles, 9 in total. 2009 was the busiest of them with 2, and 15 of those years passed with none at all.