Nassau County, New York
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 36059 · population 1,395,584 · 285 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 977 records for Nassau County, New York from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 543 days; the most frequent are floods and flash floods (289 records). NOAA records 289 flood or flash floods there since 1996, with 0 deaths; its 51,523 flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA) rank 8th of 2,942 U.S. counties; the deadliest named storm on its flood record is Tropical Storm Isaias (2020). The deadliest day on its record was October 29, 2012: high wind records filed for Nassau County that day count 10 deaths across 2 records. FEMA has issued 31 declarations naming the county since 1965, 27 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storm and Flooding” on January 30, 2024.
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
- 977on 543 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 50200 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $48Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 9strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 31latest 2024
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 Nassau County most?
The most frequent records are floods and flash floods: 289 since 1996. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 289 | 180 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $31M | 2 of 58 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 250 | 139 | 1962-2026 | 0 | 15 | $5.5M | 4 of 58 |
| Winter storms | 136 | 85 | 1996-2026 | 10 | 130 | – | 12 of 58 |
| High wind and dust storms | 105 | 86 | 1996-2026 | 11 | 8 | $5.9M | 3 of 58 |
| Hail | 81 | 43 | 1979-2023 | 0 | 0 | $151K | 4 of 58 |
| Heavy rain | 23 | 22 | 1996-2006 | 0 | 3 | – | 3 of 58 |
| Lightning | 23 | 19 | 1998-2025 | 1 | 31 | $932K | 2 of 58 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 19 | 19 | 2001-2022 | 21 | 6 | – | 2 of 58 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 15 | 10 | 2003-2021 | 4 | 1 | $10K | 2 of 58 |
| Heat | 13 | 10 | 1999-2016 | 2 | 0 | – | 16 of 58 |
| Tornadoes | 9 | 9 | 1970-2021 | 0 | 6 | $4.3M | 2 of 58 |
| Drought | 8 | 8 | 2002-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 58 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | 1997-2004 | 1 | 0 | – | 48 of 58 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 1997-1997 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 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 Nassau County had?
NOAA records 9 tornadoes in Nassau County from 1970 to 2021, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 6 injuries recorded in the county. That is 2nd of 58 New York counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 9 tornadoes whose track touched Nassau County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 9, 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 Nassau County (9)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-11-13 | Hewlett, Nassau County | EF0 13.14 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $327K |
| 2006-08-25 | Massapequa Park, Nassau County | F0 0.2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-08-12 | Glen Cove, Nassau County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $204K |
| 1998-09-07 | Lynbrook, Nassau County | F2 0.2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 6 | $1.8M |
| 1995-07-23 | Nassau County | F1 0.25 mi x 130 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1978-08-12 | Nassau County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1976-06-01 | Nassau County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1973-09-18 | Nassau County | F2 1.9 mi x 167 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1970-09-27 | Nassau County | F2 0.5 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 0 | $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 Nassau County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 6, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindLaffingtown, Nassau County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindBethpage, Nassau County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindGreenvale, Nassau County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindNorth Bellmore, Nassau County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-02-23 | High WindNassau County · forecast zone Northern Nassau | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-23 | BlizzardNassau County · forecast zone Southern Nassau | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-23 | BlizzardNassau County · forecast zone Northern Nassau | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormNassau County · forecast zone Southern Nassau | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormNassau County · forecast zone Northern Nassau | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter WeatherNassau County · forecast zone Northern Nassau | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-26 | Winter WeatherNassau County · forecast zone Southern Nassau | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-26 | Winter WeatherNassau County · forecast zone Northern Nassau | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-10-29 | High WindNassau County · forecast zone Southern Nassau A wind gust up to 80 mph was reported by the coast guard near Point Lookout at 750 pm. A wind gust of 79 mph was reported near Lido Beach at 615 pm. On November 8th, a male was struck and killed by a car as he crossed the street. The traffic lights were out due to the loss of power. | 70 kt wind | 6 | 1 | $1.3M |
| 2012-10-29 | High WindNassau County · forecast zone Northern Nassau A wind gust up to 82 mph was reported in Syosset at 703 pm. Winds of 77 mph were reported in Bayville, and Glen Cove at 521 pm. Winds of 66 mph were reported in Oyster Bay at 338 pm. An 84 year old male was killed by a fallen tree on Engineers Road in Roslyn. A 78 year old female was killed from carbon monoxide ... | 71 kt wind | 4 | 0 | $1.3M |
| 2002-06-15 | High SurfNassau County · forecast zone Nassau As a low pressure system developed southeast of Long Island, northeast winds increased to 20 to 25 knots and seas built to around 8 feet, which was measured by Buoy 44025 (about 20 miles south of Fire Island Inlet).A 25 foot pleasure boat named "Eleni II" left Jones Inlet at 6:00 am for the Freeport Hudson Anglers ... | 4 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-23 | BlizzardNassau County · forecast zone Northern Nassau Wind gusts of over 50 mph and frequent visibilities of a quarter mile or less were reported. At 5:17 am a 59 mph gust was reported at Bayville mesonet station. Snowfall amounts reported across the zone ranged from 15 to 25 inches via the public, trained spotters, Cocorahs, Amateur radio, and other sources. There were ... | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2022-01-28 | Winter StormNassau County · forecast zone Northern Nassau Near blizzard conditions across Northern Nassau with drifts 2 to 3 feet in spots, with peak wind gusts reported of 48 mph at NYSM in Wantagh, and 40 mph at Muttontown CWOP. Snowfall totals on averaged ranged from 8 to 12 inches across Western Northern Nassau, and 12 to 18 inches across the eastern half of Northern ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2022-01-28 | Winter StormNassau County · forecast zone Northern Nassau Near blizzard conditions across Northern Nassau with drifts 2 to 3 feet in spots, with peak wind gusts reported of 48 mph at NYSM in Wantagh, and 40 mph at Muttontown CWOP. Snowfall totals on averaged ranged from 8 to 12 inches across Western Northern Nassau, and 12 to 18 inches across the eastern half of Northern ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-05-26 | Rip CurrentNassau County · forecast zone Nassau Two people were swept out to sea due to strong rip currents along Nassau County Atlantic Ocean facing beaches. One death occurred at 645 pm EDT at Long Beach and a second at 745 pm EDT at Jones Beach. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-07-25 | Rip CurrentNassau County · forecast zone Nassau A retreating offshore high pressure system and an approaching cold front produced a long south fetch with brisk south winds. Strong rip currents led to the deaths of 4 people. The first male death occurred at Sand Bar Beach in Southampton at 1:27 pm EDT. Two male teenagers playing football in about 5 feet of water ... | 2 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-09-01 | Flash FloodKings Pt, Nassau County | 0 | 0 | $8.7M | |
| 1998-09-07 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Nassau County | 0 | 0 | $4.5M | |
| 1998-09-07 | TornadoLynbrook, Nassau County | F2 0.2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 6 | $1.8M |
| 2017-02-13 | High WindNassau County · forecast zone Northern Nassau | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2002-06-26 | LightningBethpage, Nassau County | 0 | 14 | $820K | |
| 2010-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindKensington, Nassau County | 87 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $271K |
| 2005-08-12 | TornadoGlen Cove, Nassau County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $204K |
| 2011-08-01 | HailEast Williston, Nassau County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $131K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: September 27, 1970 (tornado, Nassau 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 Nassau 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 32 | 68 | 122 | 67 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 36 | 45 | 109 | 42 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 8 | 24 | 68 | 36 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 10 | 12 | 54 z | 29 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 33 | 27 | 6 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 9 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
High wind and dust storms in the 2010s: 54 records against 12 in the decade before, 54 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Nassau County days with a record above.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Nassau County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 93 · Feb 78 · Mar 66 · Apr 35 · May 32 · Jun 99 · Jul 176 · Aug 178 · Sep 80 · Oct 60 · Nov 33 · Dec 47 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Nassau County
FEMA's register lists 31 declarations that include Nassau County: 21 major disasters, 10 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (12) and severe storm (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-30 | DR-4755 | Flood | Severe Storm and Flooding |
| 2021-09-05 | DR-4615 | Hurricane | Remnants of Hurricane Ida |
| 2021-09-02 | EM-3572 | Hurricane | Remnants of Hurricane Ida |
| 2021-08-22 | EM-3565 | Hurricane | Hurricane Henri |
| 2020-10-02 | DR-4567 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Isaias |
| 2020-03-20 | DR-4480 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3434 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2012-10-30 | DR-4085 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-10-28 | EM-3351 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2011-08-31 | DR-4020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2011-08-26 | EM-3328 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2011-02-18 | DR-1957 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2010-04-16 | DR-1899 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2009-12-31 | DR-1869 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding Assoc W Td Ida & Nor'easter |
| 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 |
| 2003-03-27 | EM-3184 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2001-09-11 | DR-1391 | Fire | Fires and Explosions |
| 2000-10-11 | EM-3155 | Other | West Nile Virus |
| 1999-09-19 | DR-1296 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations |
| 1998-09-11 | DR-1244 | Severe Storm | Ny - Severe Wx, Sept 7, 1998 |
| 1996-11-19 | DR-1146 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Heavy Rains, High Winds |
| 1996-01-12 | DR-1083 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) |
| 1993-03-17 | EM-3107 | Snowstorm | Severe Blizzard |
| 1992-12-21 | DR-974 | Flood | Coastal Storm, High Tides, Heavy Rain, & Flooding |
| 1985-10-18 | DR-750 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gloria |
| 1984-04-17 | DR-702 | Flood | Coastal Storms & Flooding |
| 1976-09-03 | DR-520 | Hurricane | Hurricane Belle |
| 1971-09-13 | DR-311 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1965-08-18 | DR-204 | Drought | Water Shortage |
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 Nassau County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 289 flood or flash flood records for Nassau County from 1996 to 2025, on 180 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Nassau County ranks 8th of 2,942 U.S. counties. The 100 counties with the most claims
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Isaias | 2020-08-04 | 2 | 2 |
| Hurricane Irene | 2011-08-28 | 1 | 1 |
| Hurricane Ida | 2021-09-01 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.3 billion on 51,523 claims filed in Nassau County; the most in one year was 27,136 in 2012. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 344 · 1979: 673 · 1980: 565 · 1981: 112 · 1982: 121 · 1983: 217 · 1984: 485 · 1985: 1,205 · 1986: 22 · 1987: 390 · 1988: 16 · 1989: 109 · 1990: 57 · 1991: 1,190 · 1992: 3,671 · 1993: 485 · 1994: 46 · 1995: 46 · 1996: 621 · 1997: 25 · 1998: 147 · 1999: 116 · 2000: 81 · 2001: 39 · 2002: 70 · 2003: 108 · 2004: 47 · 2005: 2,115 · 2006: 40 · 2007: 276 · 2008: 85 · 2009: 64 · 2010: 960 · 2011: 7,257 · 2012: 27,136 · 2013: 98 · 2014: 265 · 2015: 43 · 2016: 59 · 2017: 47 · 2018: 129 · 2019: 52 · 2020: 58 · 2021: 289 · 2022: 603 · 2023: 727 · 2024: 175 · 2025: 23 · 2026: 14.
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 Nassau County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Nassau County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $299 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Very High | $2.0M | 9.8 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Very High | $3.9M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Very High | $24M | 3.8 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very High | $3.0M | 27 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $184M | 3.3 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $4.5M | 4.9 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | $27M | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $9.9M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Nassau 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
- Floods in New YorkThe state's floods and flash floods, 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 Nassau CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Nassau County's FEMA declarations (CSV)31 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis