Schenectady County, New York
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 36093 · population 158,055 · 205 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,174 records for Schenectady County, New York from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 610 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (384 records). 749 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the December 11, 2008 ice storm, filed for the forecast zone Eastern Schenectady, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 25 declarations naming the county since 1987, 21 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Henri” on August 22, 2021.
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
- 1,174on 610 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 323 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $272Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 6strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 25latest 2021
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 Schenectady County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 384 since 1996. 51% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 384 | 207 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 0 | $1.6M | 1 of 58 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 251 | 133 | 1981-2026 | 0 | 2 | $2.2M | 2 of 58 |
| High wind and dust storms | 145 | 83 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $8.4M | 2 of 58 |
| Extreme cold | 108 | 68 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 58 |
| Floods | 94 | 57 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $10M | 5 of 58 |
| Heat | 83 | 55 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 58 |
| Hail | 73 | 40 | 1973-2025 | 0 | 0 | $54K | 1 of 58 |
| Heavy rain | 10 | 7 | 2007-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 58 |
| Lightning | 10 | 10 | 1998-2021 | 0 | 10 | $120K | 4 of 58 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 6 | 1960-2015 | 0 | 10 | $249M | 3 of 58 |
| Drought | 4 | 2 | 1999-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 58 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 2 | 2001-2002 | 0 | 0 | $8K | 1 of 58 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 58 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 1 | 2025-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 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 Schenectady County had?
NOAA records 6 tornadoes in Schenectady County from 1960 to 2015, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 10 injuries recorded in the county. That is 3rd 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 6 tornadoes whose track touched Schenectady County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 6, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-05-22 13:33, as SPC files it | Delanson | EF3 | 6.79 mi | 0 |
| 1960-06-24 17:30, as SPC files it | Schenectady | F3 | 16 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in New York.
Every tornado record filed for Schenectady County (6)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-06-09 | Scotia, Schenectady County | EF0 0.17 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-05-22 | Braman Corners, Schenectady County | EF3 6.28 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-05-29 | Mariaville, Schenectady County | EF2 12.22 mi x 1,760 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2011-09-04 | Glenville, Schenectady County | EF1 4.77 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-08-21 | Schenectady County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1960-06-24 | Schenectady County | F3 10.9 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 9 | $25M 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 Schenectady County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 18, 2026 strong wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindMariaville, Schenectady County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Strong WindSchenectady County · forecast zone Eastern Schenectady | 40 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindScotia, Schenectady County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | Strong WindSchenectady County · forecast zone Eastern Schenectady | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | Strong WindSchenectady County · forecast zone Western Schenectady | 37 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-14 | Strong WindSchenectady County · forecast zone Eastern Schenectady | 36 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-14 | Strong WindSchenectady County · forecast zone Western Schenectady | 36 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-09 | FloodScotia, Schenectady County | 0 | 0 | $4K | |
| 2026-03-09 | FloodNiskayuna, Schenectady County | 0 | 0 | $4K | |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter WeatherSchenectady County · forecast zone Western Schenectady | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter WeatherSchenectady County · forecast zone Eastern Schenectady | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-20 | Winter WeatherSchenectady County · forecast zone Eastern Schenectady | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-12-11 | Ice StormSchenectady County · forecast zone Eastern Schenectady Significant ice accretion from freezing rain of 0.50 to 1.0 inch led to widespread downed trees, tree limbs and power lines. Hardest hit areas included Niskayuna and Schenectady. In addition, a couple died in their home in Glenville as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator being used in their attached ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-01-19 | FloodSchenectady County · forecast zone Eastern Schenectady An intense area of low pressure which was located over the Mid-Atlantic region on Friday morning January 19th produced unseasonably warm temperatures, high dewpoints and strong winds. This resulted in rapid melting of one to three feet of snow. In addition to the rapid snowmelt one to three inches of rain fell as the ... | 1 | 0 | $5.6M | |
| 1960-06-24 | TornadoSchenectady County | F3 10.9 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 9 | $25M step |
| 2014-07-02 | LightningCarman, Schenectady County Three Rotterdam Highway Department employees were struck by lightning on Curry Road in Rotterdam. The employees were outdoors loading empty boxes onto a truck during the thunderstorm when they were struck and knocked over. All three only received minor injuries and escape serious injury. The employees were sent to a ... | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 1998-06-26 | LightningDuanesburg, Schenectady County Low pressure touched off a cluster of locally severe thunderstorms on the evening of the 26th. One thunderstorm in Ulster County spawned an F1 tornado in the vicinity of Mongaup Mountain. This tornado had a non-continuous damage path that only included massive tree damage. Other severe thunderstorms in Fulton and ... | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2007-06-05 | LightningSchenectady County Two females, ages 18 and 16, were standing under a tree in Schenectady when lightning struck the tree, injuring both females. The 18 year old female was airlifted to Albany Medical Center for burns to her feet, ankles, legs, stomach, and chest, and may have also had internal injuries, while the 16 year old female ... | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2019-07-29 | Thunderstorm WindSchenectady County A large tree was downed on Interstate 890 just west of Exit 7, hitting a moving SUV, trapping and injuring the driver who was taken to a hospital for treatment. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2019-07-28 | Thunderstorm WindScotia, Schenectady County Trees were downed on Elliott Street in Scotia. A man sustained skull and facial fractures due to a falling tree. | 50 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-03-06 | High WindSchenectady County · forecast zone Eastern Schenectady | 0 | 1 | $7.4M | |
| 2008-07-23 | Flash FloodSchenectady County | 0 | 0 | $2.7M | |
| 1999-09-16 | Flash FloodCountywide, Schenectady County | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | |
| 1999-09-16 | High WindSchenectady County · forecast zone Eastern Schenectady | 0 | 0 | $533K | |
| 1997-03-31 | Winter StormSchenectady County · forecast zone Eastern Schenectady | 0 | 0 | $460K | |
| 1999-07-06 | Thunderstorm WindSchenectady County | 0 | 0 | $310K | |
| 2016-07-01 | Thunderstorm WindSchenectady County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $250K |
| 2000-06-02 | Thunderstorm WindSchenectady County | 100 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $189K |
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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 24, 1960 (tornado, Schenectady 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 Schenectady 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 39 | 121 | 118 | 106 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 47 | 41 | 104 | 41 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 17 | 21 | 45 | 62 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 2 | 28 | 54 | 24 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 17 | 24 | 35 | 18 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 8 | 4 | 29 | 42 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
51% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 183 · Feb 136 · Mar 91 · Apr 62 · May 90 · Jun 85 · Jul 165 · Aug 104 · Sep 27 · Oct 48 · Nov 44 · Dec 139 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Schenectady County
FEMA's register lists 25 declarations that include Schenectady County: 14 major disasters, 11 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (8) and hurricane (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-08-22 | EM-3565 | Hurricane | Hurricane Henri |
| 2020-03-20 | DR-4480 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3434 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017-07-12 | DR-4322 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 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 |
| 2009-03-04 | DR-1827 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008-12-18 | EM-3299 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2006-07-01 | DR-1650 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-30 | EM-3262 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-04-19 | DR-1589 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2004-08-03 | DR-1534 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2003-08-23 | EM-3186 | Other | Power Outage |
| 2003-05-12 | DR-1467 | Severe Ice Storm | Ice Storm |
| 2003-03-27 | EM-3184 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 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 |
| 1999-09-19 | DR-1296 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations |
| 1996-01-24 | DR-1095 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1993-03-17 | EM-3107 | Snowstorm | Severe Blizzard |
| 1987-11-10 | DR-801 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm |
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 Schenectady County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 94 flood or flash flood records for Schenectady County from 1996 to 2026, on 57 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Schenectady County ranks 661st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-16 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $8.3 million on 357 claims filed in Schenectady County; the most in one year was 127 in 2011. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 5 · 1979: 18 · 1980: 19 · 1981: 2 · 1983: 1 · 1984: 4 · 1986: 6 · 1987: 5 · 1993: 1 · 1996: 38 · 1998: 2 · 1999: 3 · 2000: 1 · 2003: 6 · 2004: 3 · 2005: 40 · 2006: 16 · 2007: 22 · 2008: 12 · 2010: 4 · 2011: 127 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2018: 8 · 2019: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2026: 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 Schenectady County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Schenectady County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $32.4 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 | $24M | 2 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $345K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $612K | 26 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.8M | once in about 24 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $1.2M | once in about 24 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $729K | once in about 733 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $558K | 3.3 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $263K | 2.5 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Schenectady 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
- Winter storms in New YorkThe state's winter storm records, 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 Schenectady CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Schenectady County's FEMA declarations (CSV)25 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis