Washington County, New York
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 36115 · population 61,263 · 831 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,530 records for Washington County, New York from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 683 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (591 records). The most damaging was the August 24, 2020 flash flood ($18.2 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 16 declarations naming the county since 1976, 12 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Sandy” on October 28, 2012.
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
- 1,530on 683 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 08 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $62Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 5strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 16latest 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 Washington County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 591 since 1957. 51% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 fell in June and July. 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 | 591 | 198 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 5 | $5.9M | 28 of 58 |
| Winter storms | 349 | 204 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $216K | 21 of 58 |
| Floods | 153 | 65 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $50M | 24 of 58 |
| Extreme cold | 131 | 77 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 10 of 58 |
| High wind and dust storms | 112 | 69 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $450K | 26 of 58 |
| Heat | 97 | 54 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 58 |
| Hail | 69 | 49 | 1973-2024 | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | 34 of 58 |
| Lightning | 9 | 8 | 1996-2021 | 0 | 2 | $700K | 27 of 58 |
| Drought | 7 | 5 | 1999-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 30 of 58 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 5 | 1972-2020 | 0 | 1 | $2.5M | 47 of 58 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 of 58 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2011-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 22 of 58 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2001-2002 | 0 | 0 | $158K | 6 of 58 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2021-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 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 Washington County had?
NOAA records 5 tornadoes in Washington County from 1972 to 2020, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 1 injury 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 6 tornadoes whose track touched Washington County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 5: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in New York.
Every tornado record filed for Washington County (5)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-08-10 | Belcher, Washington County | EF1 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $97K |
| 1994-08-21 | Fort Miller, Washington County | F1 1.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $995K |
| 1992-08-04 | Washington County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1976-06-11 | Washington County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1972-07-25 | Washington County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Washington County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 18, 2026 strong wind ($22,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-18 | Strong WindWashington County · forecast zone Southern Washington | 40 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $22K |
| 2026-06-18 | Strong WindWashington County · forecast zone Northern Washington | 40 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindWhite Creek, Washington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindWhite Creek Stn, Washington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindOak Hill, Washington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindChamberlain Mills, Washington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindGoose Is, Washington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindBelcher, Washington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindSouth Argyle, Washington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindGoose Is, Washington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindClemons, Washington County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindWhitehall, Washington County | 50 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-10-18 | Thunderstorm WindWashington County | 0 | 4 | – | |
| 2022-07-12 | Thunderstorm WindFt Miller, Washington County A microburst affected Galusha Island and nearby Fort Miller. Winds moved southeastward from the Hudson River across the island and then across U.S. Route 4 before continuing across Blodgett Road. Estimated maximum wind speed was 85 mph with a path length of 1.0 miles and width of 1.5 miles. Damage was mostly ... | 73 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2003-06-29 | LightningSouth Argyle, Washington County A weak upper level disturbance spawned isolated showers and thunderstorms across eastern New York on the afternoon of June 29. One of the storms briefly pulsed up and became severe as it moved across South Argyle in Washington County, producing a microburst as well as an unusually large number of cloud to ground ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1996-06-12 | LightningKingsbury, Washington County | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1994-08-21 | TornadoFort Miller, Washington County Isolated severe thunderstorms moved across parts of eastern New York ahead of a cold front on the 21st of August. An F1 tornado skipped 3 times along a 1.2 mile path in Fort Miller where it downed a 60 foot high concrete silo, tore sheet metal from two barns, removed part of the slate roof of a house, toppled a camper ... | F1 1.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $995K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-08-24 | Flash FloodEast Whitehall, Washington County | 0 | 0 | $18M | |
| 2020-08-24 | FloodWhitehall, Washington County | 0 | 0 | $18M | |
| 2005-07-02 | Flash FloodWest Fort Ann, Washington County | 0 | 0 | $7.6M | |
| 1996-01-19 | FloodWashington County · forecast zone Northern Washington | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | |
| 2000-12-17 | Flash FloodCountywide, Washington County | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | |
| 2004-05-24 | HailEaston, Washington County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 1993-05-11 | Thunderstorm WindSalem, Washington County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 1994-07-26 | Thunderstorm WindFort Miller, Washington County | 0 | 0 | $995K |
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: June 11, 1976 (tornado, Washington 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 Washington 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 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 36 | 96 | 57 | 132 | 265 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 23 | 109 | 120 | 97 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 19 | 34 | 55 | 45 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 1 | 33 | 73 | 24 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 8 | 19 | 46 | 39 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 4 | 1 | 23 | 69 z |
Heat in the 2020-26: 69 records against 23 in the decade before, 69 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 Washington 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?
51% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 170 · Feb 132 · Mar 69 · Apr 64 · May 172 · Jun 197 · Jul 284 · Aug 172 · Sep 64 · Oct 30 · Nov 42 · Dec 134 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Washington County
FEMA's register lists 16 declarations that include Washington County: 9 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (3) and severe storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-20 | DR-4480 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3434 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2012-10-28 | EM-3351 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2002-05-16 | DR-1415 | Earthquake | Earthquake |
| 2001-09-11 | DR-1391 | Fire | Fires and Explosions |
| 2000-10-11 | EM-3155 | Other | West Nile Virus |
| 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 |
| 1976-07-21 | DR-515 | 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 Washington County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 153 flood or flash flood records for Washington County from 1996 to 2024, on 65 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Washington County ranks 1149th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.4 million on 136 claims filed in Washington County; the most in one year was 35 in 2011. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 3 · 1979: 7 · 1980: 1 · 1981: 6 · 1982: 1 · 1983: 7 · 1984: 20 · 1985: 1 · 1986: 4 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 2 · 1991: 2 · 1993: 5 · 1994: 3 · 1996: 8 · 1998: 5 · 2000: 6 · 2002: 1 · 2003: 1 · 2005: 6 · 2006: 2 · 2008: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 35 · 2013: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 1; 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 Washington County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Washington County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $19.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $730K | 25 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.8M | 2.7 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $25K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $782K | once in about 22 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $14M | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $122K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.0M | once in about 8 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $251K | 3.1 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Washington 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 Washington CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Washington County's FEMA declarations (CSV)16 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis