Schoharie County, New York
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 36095 · population 29,687 · 622 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 757 records for Schoharie County, New York from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 552 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (236 records). 403 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 January 19, 1996 flood, filed for the forecast zone Schoharie, which covers the county: 2 deaths and $22.6 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 29 declarations naming the county since 1987, 25 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
- 757on 552 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 225 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $92Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 29latest 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 Schoharie County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 236 since 1962. 50% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1962 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 | 236 | 132 | 1962-2025 | 0 | 5 | $2.4M | 35 of 58 |
| Winter storms | 203 | 200 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | 11 of 58 |
| Floods | 102 | 52 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 0 | $28M | 23 of 58 |
| High wind and dust storms | 74 | 72 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $200K | 18 of 58 |
| Extreme cold | 70 | 70 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 58 |
| Hail | 42 | 32 | 1987-2023 | 0 | 0 | $733K | 42 of 58 |
| Heat | 21 | 21 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 of 58 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 1989-2013 | 0 | 20 | $60M | 49 of 58 |
| Drought | 1 | 1 | 1999-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 52 of 58 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2018-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 47 of 58 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 of 58 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | $5K | 3 of 58 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2022-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 29 of 58 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2002-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 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 Schoharie County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Schoharie County from 1989 to 2013, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 20 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 3 tornadoes whose track touched Schoharie County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-07-10 11:27, as SPC files it | Schoharie | F4 | 42 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in New York.
Every tornado record filed for Schoharie County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-05-29 | Jefferson, Schoharie County | EF1 1.57 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-05-02 | Schoharie County | F1 6 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1989-07-10 | Schoharie County | F4 18 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 20 | $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 Schoharie County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 7, 2025 flood ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-22 | Winter WeatherSchoharie County · forecast zone Schoharie | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-20 | Winter WeatherSchoharie County · forecast zone Schoharie | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-08 | Cold/Wind ChillSchoharie County · forecast zone Schoharie | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillSchoharie County · forecast zone Schoharie | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillSchoharie County · forecast zone Schoharie | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | Cold/Wind ChillSchoharie County · forecast zone Schoharie | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-29 | Cold/Wind ChillSchoharie County · forecast zone Schoharie | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-28 | Cold/Wind ChillSchoharie County · forecast zone Schoharie | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormSchoharie County · forecast zone Schoharie | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Cold/Wind ChillSchoharie County · forecast zone Schoharie | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-29 | Strong WindSchoharie County · forecast zone Schoharie | 38 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-29 | Winter WeatherSchoharie County · forecast zone Schoharie | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-01-19 | FloodSchoharie County · forecast zone Schoharie 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 ... | 2 | 0 | $23M | |
| 1989-07-10 | TornadoSchoharie County | F4 18 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 20 | $25M step |
| 1997-07-03 | Thunderstorm WindCharlotteville, Schoharie County On July 3, a fast moving cold front crossed eastern New York during the afternoon and evening hours. The front initiated many severe thunderstorms and three tornadoes in Columbia County. In Columbia County near Copake Lake, an F1 tornado produced minor damage to two houses, scattered parts of a barn across county ... | 0 | 5 | $184K |
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 | FloodSchoharie County · forecast zone Schoharie | 2 | 0 | $23M | |
| 1999-09-16 | Flash FloodCountywide, Schoharie County | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 2013-06-14 | Flash FloodMiddleburg, Schoharie County | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2008-06-16 | HailSloansville, Schoharie County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $702K |
| 2004-09-18 | FloodSchoharie County · forecast zone Schoharie | 0 | 0 | $625K | |
| 1996-11-09 | Flash FloodCobleskill, Schoharie County | 0 | 0 | $282K | |
| 1997-07-03 | Thunderstorm WindCharlotteville, Schoharie County | 0 | 5 | $184K |
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: July 10, 1989 (tornado, Schoharie 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 Schoharie 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 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 45 | 40 | 83 | 48 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 18 | 65 | 64 | 56 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 17 | 41 | 31 | 13 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 17 | 25 | 25 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 1 | 17 | 33 | 19 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 18 | 9 | 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
50% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1962 fell in July and August. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 108 · Feb 71 · Mar 49 · Apr 45 · May 86 · Jun 67 · Jul 102 · Aug 64 · Sep 30 · Oct 27 · Nov 31 · Dec 77 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Schoharie County
FEMA's register lists 29 declarations that include Schoharie County: 17 major disasters, 12 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (12) and hurricane (6).
| 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 |
| 2011-08-26 | EM-3328 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2010-04-16 | DR-1899 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2009-03-04 | DR-1827 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008-12-18 | EM-3299 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2007-04-24 | DR-1692 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2004-10-01 | DR-1565 | Severe Storm | Tropical Depression Ivan |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 1996-12-09 | DR-1148 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms High Winds, Rain and Flooding |
| 1996-01-24 | DR-1095 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1993-03-17 | EM-3107 | Snowstorm | Severe Blizzard |
| 1987-05-15 | DR-792 | Flood | 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 Schoharie County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 102 flood or flash flood records for Schoharie County from 1996 to 2025, on 52 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Schoharie County ranks 431st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Depression Ivan | 2004-09-18 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-16 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $31.4 million on 666 claims filed in Schoharie County; the most in one year was 326 in 2011. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 3 · 1979: 2 · 1980: 62 · 1981: 1 · 1983: 2 · 1984: 9 · 1987: 62 · 1990: 1 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 1 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 118 · 1998: 1 · 1999: 2 · 2000: 3 · 2002: 2 · 2005: 41 · 2006: 2 · 2007: 8 · 2008: 2 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 326 · 2012: 3 · 2013: 7 · 2015: 1 · 2021: 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 Schoharie County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Schoharie County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $13.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $8K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $11M | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $345K | once in about 29 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $62K | 20 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $44K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $616K | once in about 7 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $104K | 27 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $379K | 3.9 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 Schoharie 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 Schoharie CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Schoharie County's FEMA declarations (CSV)29 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis