New York tornadoes
Every recorded tornado since 1950 · 62 counties with a record
New York has recorded 536 tornadoes from 1950 through 2025, about 9.5 a year since 2000, with 24 rated F3/EF3 or stronger (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). The deadliest was the November 16, 1989 South Blooming Grove to Washingtonville tornado (9 deaths in New York). New York ranks 30th of 52 states and territories by count and 34th of 51 per square mile.
Tornadoes in New York, 1950 to 2025
Tornadoes per year (SPC; a tornado that crossed a state line counts in each state it touched).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1996: tornado reports rose with NEXRAD Doppler radar, mid-1990s (SPC)
- Tornadoes
- 5361950 to 2025
- A year since 2000
- 9.5average
- Deaths
- 31318 injuries
- F3/EF3 or stronger
- 244% of tornadoes
- Busiest year
- 202432 tornadoes
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025 (state segments). SPC severe weather database.
Are tornadoes common in New York?
New York averages about 9.5 tornadoes a year since 2000, 30th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2024 (32). Per 10,000 square miles of land, New York records 114 tornadoes since 1950, 34th of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA SPC, tornadoes 1950-2025, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in New York have the most tornadoes?
Per square mile, Queens County leads New York: 5 days with a tornado record since 1950, 46.0 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Oneida County has the most tornado records (32 since 1950); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1950 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is tornado season in New York?
48% of its tornadoes since 1950 fell in July and August. The busiest month is July (152 tornadoes).
The values, month by month
Jan 0 · Feb 2 · Mar 2 · Apr 29 · May 76 · Jun 84 · Jul 152 · Aug 103 · Sep 51 · Oct 17 · Nov 20 · Dec 0 (records).
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments by the month they began, 1950-2025.
What were the deadliest tornadoes in New York?
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Killed | Injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-11-16 | South Blooming Grove to Washingtonville · Orange | F1 | 9.1 mi | 9 | 18 |
| 2014-07-08 | Munnsville · Madison | EF2 | 2.5 mi | 4 | 0 |
| 2025-06-22 | Clinton · Oneida | EF1 | 2.43 mi | 3 | 0 |
| 1989-10-14 | Chenango | F2 | 2 mi | 2 | 3 |
| 1993-09-03 | Batavia · Genesee | F1 | 4.2 mi | 2 | 0 |
| 1983-05-02 | Sherman to Sinclairville · Chautauqua | F3 | 28 mi | 2 | 0 |
| 1986-08-15 | St. Lawrence | F2 | 0.2 mi | 1 | 3 |
| 1972-08-07 | Steuben | F1 | 0.1 mi | 1 | 2 |
| 2010-09-16 | New York · Queens | EF1 | 4 mi | 1 | 1 |
| 1988-08-28 | Trumansburg · Schuyler, Tompkins | F1 | 13 mi | 1 | 1 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (state segments: deaths and path inside New York), 1950-2025; counties are the first four the SPC lists for the segment. SPC severe weather database.
Where have the strongest tornadoes tracked in New York?
- F2/EF2
- F3/EF3
- F4/EF4
- F5/EF5
- no end point filed
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, start and end points of each track; county lines: Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (2017), via us-atlas. SPC severe weather database. Census cartographic boundary files.
The strongest tornadoes in New York
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-07-10 | Schoharie · Montgomery, Schoharie, Albany, Greene | F4 | 42 mi | 1,320 yd | 0 |
| 1985-05-31 | Waterford to Panama · Chautauqua | F4 | 8 mi | 440 yd | 0 |
| 1973-08-28 | Columbia | F4 | 3.4 mi | 313 yd | 0 |
| 1983-05-02 | Sherman to Sinclairville · Chautauqua | F3 | 28 mi | 450 yd | 2 |
| 1983-05-02 | Baldwinsville · Cayuga, Onondaga | F3 | 20 mi | 200 yd | 1 |
| 1969-06-20 | Jamestown to Salamanca · Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany | F3 | 84.1 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
| 1998-05-31 | Binghamton · Tioga, Broome, Delaware | F3 | 62 mi | 200 yd | 0 |
| 1974-06-16 | Albany · Greene, Albany, Saratoga | F3 | 49.1 mi | 67 yd | 0 |
| 1998-05-31 | Stillwater to Hoosick Falls · Saratoga, Rensselaer | F3 | 25 mi | 30 yd | 0 |
| 1969-06-02 | Port Byron to Meridian · Cayuga, Onondaga | F3 | 17.5 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database; F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after.
The longest tornado paths in New York
| Date | Tornado and counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969-06-20 | Jamestown to Salamanca · Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany | F3 | 84.1 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
| 1998-05-31 | Binghamton · Tioga, Broome, Delaware | F3 | 62 mi | 200 yd | 0 |
| 1974-06-16 | Albany · Greene, Albany, Saratoga | F3 | 49.1 mi | 67 yd | 0 |
| 1989-07-10 | Schoharie · Montgomery, Schoharie, Albany, Greene | F4 | 42 mi | 1,320 yd | 0 |
| 1968-08-06 | Cattaraugus to Ellicottville · Chautauqua, Cattaraugus | F2 | 31.8 mi | 250 yd | 0 |
| 1983-05-02 | Sherman to Sinclairville · Chautauqua | F3 | 28 mi | 450 yd | 2 |
| 1998-05-31 | Stillwater to Hoosick Falls · Saratoga, Rensselaer | F3 | 25 mi | 30 yd | 0 |
| 1992-07-31 | Dutchess | F1 | 22.7 mi | 73 yd | 0 |
| 1983-05-02 | Baldwinsville · Cayuga, Onondaga | F3 | 20 mi | 200 yd | 1 |
| 1969-06-02 | Port Byron to Meridian · Cayuga, Onondaga | F3 | 17.5 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments: path length and width inside the state. SPC severe weather database.
Tornadoes in every New York county
All 61 counties: tornadoes whose track touched each, and the strongest
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database: whole tornadoes whose track touched the county (any state segment listing it). SPC severe weather database.
The costliest tornadoes in New York
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-05-31 | TornadoUshers, Saratoga County During the morning hours of May 31, a strong low pressure system over the upper Great Lakes pushed a warm front across eastern New York and western New England. This set the stage for a major severe weather outbreak in eastern New York. In this highly sheared environment several lines of severe thunderstorms formed ... | F3 4.7 mi x 970 yd | 0 | 68 | $109M |
| 2010-09-16 | TornadoFlushing, Queens County A National Weather Service Storm Survey Team confirmed a tornado in Queens. The tornado impacted Flushing and Bayside. In Flushing, on Browne Street between Roosevelt and 38th Avenues, the third floor of a residential brick building was severely damaged structurally. Large tree tops were lying on top of buildings and ... | EF1 4 mi x 100 yd | 2 | 1 | $23M |
| 1995-05-29 | TornadoHudson To, Columbia County | F2 15 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 5 | $19M |
| 1998-05-31 | TornadoReynolds, Rensselaer County During the morning hours of May 31, a strong low pressure system over the upper Great Lakes pushed a warm front across eastern New York and western New England. This set the stage for a major severe weather outbreak in eastern New York. In this highly sheared environment several lines of severe thunderstorms formed ... | F2 20.3 mi x 970 yd | 0 | 0 | $18M |
| 2006-07-12 | TornadoTarrytown, Westchester County A weak F1 tornado touched down in Grandview On Hudson in Rockland County at approximately 3:30 pm EDT. After damaging a dock on the Rockland County shoreline, the tornado moved east to northeast, about 3 miles across the Hudson River. The tornado over turned a boat near the Tappen Zee Bridge then moved across the ... | F2 8 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 6 | $15M |
| 2012-07-26 | TornadoHendy Creek, Chemung County A tornado touched down west of Elmira near Miracle Lane off of Route 352. It traveled through west Elmira and into downtown Elmira along Church Street. It fell hundreds of trees. Some trees smashed cars, homes, and porches. It was amazing no one was injured or killed. The damage path widened while in downtown Elmira ... | EF1 8.81 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | $13M |
| 2010-09-16 | TornadoBrooklyn, Kings County A National Weather Service Storm Survey Team confirmed a tornado near Park Slope in Brooklyn. In the northern portion of Prospect Park, there were signs of tree damage that converged towards a well defined narrow path. Tree tops were twisted and sheared off. The location of the tornado was bounded by Prospect Park on ... | EF0 2.09 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $12M |
| 2010-07-24 | TornadoRandolph Airport, Cattaraugus County A NWS survey confirmed an EF2 tornado touched down. | EF2 7.62 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | $9.5M |
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: November 16, 1989 (tornado, Orange County, 9 killed); July 10, 1989 (tornado, Schoharie County); June 24, 1960 (tornado, Schenectady County); July 10, 1989 (tornado, Putnam County); May 2, 1983 (tornado, Oneida County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are tornadoes becoming more frequent in New York?
New York's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. The Storm Prediction Center notes that tornado reports rose especially around the installation of the NEXRAD Doppler radar network in the mid-1990s, so a rising count is partly better detection; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | New York | United States | New York's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 12 | 4,837 | 0.2% |
| 1960s | 31 | 6,863 | 0.5% |
| 1970s | 54 | 8,633 | 0.6% |
| 1980s | 67 | 8,250 | 0.8% |
| 1990s | 125 | 12,205 | 1.0% |
| 2000s | 76 | 12,892 | 0.6% |
| 2010s | 91 | 12,232 | 0.7% |
| 2020-25 | 80 | 8,234 | 1.0% |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments.
The most recent tornadoes in New York
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | TornadoCardtown, Otsego County | EF1 8.39 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2026-06-30 | TornadoNaumburg, Lewis County | EF1 0.63 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | TornadoGracie, Cortland County | EF0 1.89 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-18 | TornadoHector, Schuyler County | EF1 0.8 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2026-06-18 | TornadoRock Stream, Yates County | EF1 2.68 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2026-05-29 | TornadoNorth Hammond, St. Lawrence County | EF0 0.09 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-04-15 | TornadoFarmersville, Cattaraugus County | EF0 0.23 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-15 | TornadoBird, Cattaraugus County | EF0 0.17 mi x 55 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-31 | TornadoBird, Cattaraugus County | EF1 1.4 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-25 | TornadoCallicoon Center, Sullivan County | EF0 15.96 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2025-09-04 | TornadoAva, Oneida County | EF0 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2025-07-07 | TornadoPhelps, Ontario County | EF2 1.7 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for tornadoes in New York
FEMA has declared 6 disasters in New York for tornadoes, counting its incident type and declarations that name tornado in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 6 were major disasters, the latest on August 29, 2024.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-08-29 | DR-4814 | Severe Storm, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 5 |
| 2011-06-10 | DR-1993 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds | 23 |
| 2010-10-14 | DR-1943 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds | 3 |
| 2007-08-31 | DR-1724 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornado | 2 |
| 2003-08-29 | DR-1486 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes | 17 |
| 1998-06-16 | DR-1222 | Severe Storms and Tornadoes | 6 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Queens County: the county's whole recordThe New York county with the most tornadoes per square mile
- Tornadoes across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in New YorkTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
- Severe thunderstorm wind in New York19,988 records
- Winter storms in New York13,456 records
- Floods in New York6,836 records