Herkimer County, New York
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 36043 · population 60,103 · 1,411 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,800 records for Herkimer County, New York from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 832 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (560 records). The deadliest single record is the June 18, 1970 tornado: 1 death and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 25 declarations naming the county since 1974, 21 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding” on December 19, 2019.
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
- 1,800on 832 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 212 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $48Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 11strongest EF1
- FEMA declarations
- 25latest 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 Herkimer County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 560 since 1961. 55% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1961 fell in July and August. 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 | 560 | 197 | 1961-2026 | 0 | 7 | $22M | 50 of 58 |
| Winter storms | 491 | 313 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $861K | 25 of 58 |
| Floods | 260 | 101 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $16M | 28 of 58 |
| High wind and dust storms | 154 | 105 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $692K | 27 of 58 |
| Extreme cold | 146 | 87 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 14 of 58 |
| Hail | 100 | 58 | 1970-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 49 of 58 |
| Heat | 45 | 38 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 58 |
| Lightning | 11 | 11 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $192K | 29 of 58 |
| Tornadoes | 11 | 10 | 1970-2024 | 1 | 5 | $8.2M | 41 of 58 |
| Drought | 9 | 6 | 1999-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 36 of 58 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 5 | 4 | 2014-2023 | 0 | 0 | $9K | 1 of 58 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2001-2008 | 0 | 0 | $168K | 50 of 58 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 21 of 58 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 1 | 2017-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 38 of 58 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 1 | 2002-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 16 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 Herkimer County had?
NOAA records 11 tornadoes in Herkimer County from 1970 to 2024, the strongest rated EF1, with 1 death and 5 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 11 tornadoes whose track touched Herkimer County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 11, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-06-18 15:00, as SPC files it | Newport | F1 | 2.3 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in New York.
Every tornado record filed for Herkimer County (11)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-16 | Old Forge, Herkimer County | EF1 4.1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-07-16 | Ohio, Herkimer County | EF1 0.7 mi x 180 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-06-22 | West Winfield, Herkimer County | EF1 1.96 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $17K |
| 2017-06-30 | Norwich Corners, Herkimer County | EF1 0.6 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-28 | Frankfort Utica Airport, Herkimer County | EF1 2.88 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-06-28 | Herkimer County | EF0 0.97 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-08-04 | Herkimer County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1990-08-28 | Herkimer County | F1 2 mi x 57 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1990-05-17 | Herkimer County | F0 0.5 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1984-07-11 | Herkimer County | F0 15 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1970-06-18 | Herkimer County | 1 | 1 | $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 Herkimer County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 30, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindNewport, Herkimer County | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindNorthwood, Herkimer County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindEagle Bay, Herkimer County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindOld Forge, Herkimer County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindOld Forge, Herkimer County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindMiddleville, Herkimer County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindNorthwood, Herkimer County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-01 | FloodPoland, Herkimer County | 0 | 0 | $250K | |
| 2026-03-31 | FloodPoland, Herkimer County | 0 | 0 | $250K | |
| 2026-03-16 | Strong WindHerkimer County · forecast zone Southern Herkimer | 41 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-14 | Strong WindHerkimer County · forecast zone Southern Herkimer | 37 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-13 | Winter WeatherHerkimer County · forecast zone Southern Herkimer | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-06-18 | TornadoHerkimer County | 1 | 1 | $250K step | |
| 2019-10-31 | Flash FloodNorway, Herkimer County The shoulder of Military Road in Norway collapsed due to flood waters. An 82-year old man's vehicle became stuck with the driver's side wheels on the pavement, and the passenger side wheels in a ravine created by the floodwaters. The man died when he exited the vehicle and was swept away by floodwaters. | 1 | 0 | $29K | |
| 1990-08-28 | TornadoHerkimer County | F1 2 mi x 57 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1986-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindHerkimer County | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 1997-02-22 | Thunderstorm WindLittle Falls, Herkimer County | 0 | 1 | $74K | |
| 1990-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindHerkimer County | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1990-05-17 | TornadoHerkimer County | F0 0.5 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1989-07-27 | Thunderstorm WindHerkimer County | 0 | 1 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-01-19 | FloodHerkimer County · forecast zone Southern Herkimer | 0 | 0 | $5.6M | |
| 1996-01-19 | FloodHerkimer County · forecast zone Northern Herkimer | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 1996-08-08 | Flash FloodFrankfort, Herkimer County | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2017-07-01 | Flash FloodWest Schuyler, Herkimer County | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 2011-04-28 | FloodGravesville, Herkimer County | 0 | 0 | $750K | |
| 2017-07-01 | FloodHerkimer County | 0 | 0 | $602K | |
| 1999-07-04 | Flash FloodIlion, Herkimer County | 0 | 0 | $443K | |
| 2019-11-01 | FloodMiddleville, Herkimer County | 0 | 0 | $439K |
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: August 28, 1990 (tornado, Herkimer 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 Herkimer 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 | 5 | 3 | 21 | 93 | 87 | 210 | 141 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 45 | 146 | 154 | 146 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 22 | 83 | 124 | 31 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 35 | 56 | 52 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 2 | 36 | 70 | 38 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 44 | 29 | 13 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
55% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1961 fell in July and August. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 239 · Feb 171 · Mar 105 · Apr 77 · May 154 · Jun 184 · Jul 259 · Aug 190 · Sep 66 · Oct 98 · Nov 93 · Dec 164 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Herkimer County
FEMA's register lists 25 declarations that include Herkimer County: 17 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (9) and flood (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-20 | DR-4480 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3434 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-12-19 | DR-4472 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2017-07-12 | DR-4322 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2014-07-08 | DR-4180 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2013-07-12 | DR-4129 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2012-10-28 | EM-3351 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2011-09-13 | DR-4031 | Severe Storm | Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee |
| 2011-09-08 | EM-3341 | Severe Storm | Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee |
| 2011-08-31 | DR-4020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2011-06-10 | DR-1993 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2006-12-12 | DR-1670 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2006-07-01 | DR-1650 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-30 | EM-3262 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-08-03 | DR-1534 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2003-08-23 | EM-3186 | Other | Power Outage |
| 2003-02-25 | EM-3173 | Snowstorm | Snowstorms |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 1976-07-21 | DR-515 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1974-07-23 | DR-447 | Flood | Severe Storms & 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 Herkimer County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 260 flood or flash flood records for Herkimer County from 1996 to 2026, on 101 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Herkimer County ranks 579th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $6.1 million on 422 claims filed in Herkimer County; the most in one year was 158 in 2013. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 12 · 1980: 10 · 1981: 4 · 1982: 3 · 1984: 2 · 1986: 24 · 1987: 1 · 1988: 1 · 1990: 1 · 1993: 3 · 1994: 9 · 1996: 4 · 1997: 2 · 1998: 1 · 1999: 3 · 2000: 6 · 2003: 1 · 2006: 54 · 2007: 1 · 2009: 3 · 2010: 7 · 2011: 56 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 158 · 2014: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2019: 35 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 6 · 2023: 1 · 2025: 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 Herkimer County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Herkimer County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $21.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $18M | 3.5 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $154K | 29 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $181K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $12K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $269K | once in about 72 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $250K | 26 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $635K | 5.3 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $808K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Herkimer 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 Herkimer CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Herkimer County's FEMA declarations (CSV)25 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis