NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Adams Center, NY
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Adams Center, New York since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Hugo in 1989. Since 1950, 10 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 10
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Adams Center
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Adams Center; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 72 mph winds when its centre passed 70 miles away. The record near Adams Center begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm 57 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. None of the 5 systems has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 94% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Adams Center. The highest rating among the 10 tornadoes within 25 miles is F1 or EF1, reached 5 times; the most recent, on July 10, 2024, came within 20 miles. Of the 10, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 6 have come since 2000. August has had the most tornadoes, 5. The most recent tornado was on September 9, 2024. Of the 809 New York cities, 92% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Adams Center. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 12 times since 1992, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 809 New York cities, 91% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Adams Center.
Compare Adams Center's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Adams Center
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | HugoSep 23 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 12 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Adams Center: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Adams Center
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s1
- 2000s2
- 1990s2
- 1980s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 10, 2024 | EF1 | 20 mi | 2.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 8, 2014 | EF1 | 22 mi | 12.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 1, 2005 | F1 | 19 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 28, 1983 | F1 | 10 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 1, 1959 | F1 | 3 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 24, 2024 | EF0 | 21 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 5, 2003 | F0 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 20, 1993 | F0 | 16 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 20, 1993 | F0 | 11 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 9, 2024 | Unrated | 10 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 10 of 10, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Adams Center
The Storm Prediction Center has 12 hail reports within 10 miles of Adams Center since 1992, made on 11 separate days. Of these, 6 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), fell on July 20, 1992. The most recent report is from July 11, 2019. July has the most reports, 6.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Adams Center
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Watertown International Airport, NY, 8 miles north of Adams Center at 318 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 79°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 30°F and 10°F. October is the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.2 inches; the year adds up to 37.2 inches over 87 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 2 days a year, almost all from July. Lows fall below freezing on about 151 nights a year. That 37.2 inches is more than at 21 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (15%). Watertown, 9 miles northeast, has its own station (Watertown, NY): 44.5 inches a year, 7.3 more than here, and a July average high of 80°F against 79°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 10 | 2.9 | 8 |
| Feb | 31 | 11 | 2.2 | 6 |
| Mar | 40 | 21 | 2.4 | 6 |
| Apr | 54 | 33 | 3.1 | 8 |
| May | 66 | 44 | 3.0 | 8 |
| Jun | 75 | 53 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Jul | 79 | 59 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Aug | 78 | 57 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Sep | 71 | 49 | 3.6 | 7 |
| Oct | 58 | 39 | 4.2 | 9 |
| Nov | 47 | 30 | 3.4 | 9 |
| Dec | 36 | 19 | 3.1 | 8 |
| Year | 55 | 35 | 37.2 | 87 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Watertown International Airport, NY (318 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Adams Center
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 124 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Adams Center: 108 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 floods and 2 flash floods. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $4.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on July 16, 2024.
April 28, 2011: flood 8 miles from the centre of Adams Center — 1 killed, $250,000 damage.
July 16, 2024: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Adams Center — 1 injured.
April 1, 2005: flood 4 miles from the centre of Adams Center — $1.0 million damage.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Jefferson County, which includes Adams Center, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 snowstorms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, on September 24, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Jefferson County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, hail, coastal flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $25.7 million a year, the 36th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $19.4 million (76%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Adams Center
- Adams, NY5 mi
- Sackets Harbor, NY6 mi
- Watertown, NY9 mi
- Dexter, NY10 mi
- Mannsville, NY12 mi
- Copenhagen, NY14 mi
- Black River, NY15 mi
- Fort Drum, NY15 mi
- Chaumont, NY16 mi
- Evans Mills, NY18 mi
- Carthage, NY21 mi
- La Fargeville, NY22 mi
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