NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Afton, 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
10 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Afton, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 23 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 23
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Afton
The strongest storm to pass near Afton was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 78 mph winds when its centre passed 42 miles away. The record near Afton begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 60 miles away. The 1870s and the 1970s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 10 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Afton. The strongest of the 23 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on May 31, 1998; its path came within 11 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on October 14, 1989, killed 2 people. Of the 23, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 15 have come since 2000. April and August have had the most tornadoes, 4 each. The most recent tornado was on February 28, 2024. Of the 809 New York cities, 67% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Afton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 28 times since 1997, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 809 New York cities, 70% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Afton.
Compare Afton's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Afton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 42 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Afton: 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 Afton
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s7
- 2000s4
- 1990s5(1 EF3+)
- 1980s1
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1998 | F3 | 11 mi | 62 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Oct 14, 1989 | F2 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 2 / 3 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF1 | 15 mi | 1.96 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF1 | 16 mi | 1.41 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 25, 2022 | EF1 | 19 mi | 2.29 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 2019 | EF1 | 9 mi | 2.15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 2, 2014 | EF1 | 11 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF1 | 17 mi | 3.39 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 26, 2011 | EF1 | 16 mi | 4.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 2004 | F1 | 10 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 26, 1998 | F1 | 24 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 14, 1992 | F1 | 12 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 23, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Afton
The Storm Prediction Center has 28 hail reports within 10 miles of Afton since 1997, made on 17 separate days. Of these, 17 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on May 24, 2004. The most recent report is from September 7, 2023. May has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Afton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Deposit, NY, 13 miles southeast of Afton at 1,000 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 33°F and 16°F. September is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 46.0 inches over 92 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (25.1 of 46.0 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 7 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 151 nights a year. That 46.0 inches is more than at 89 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (65%). Bainbridge, 5 miles northeast, has its own station (Norwich, NY): 45.3 inches a year, 0.7 less than here, and a July average high of 81°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 16 | 3.1 | 8 |
| Feb | 36 | 17 | 2.5 | 6 |
| Mar | 45 | 25 | 3.6 | 8 |
| Apr | 59 | 35 | 4.0 | 8 |
| May | 71 | 45 | 4.4 | 9 |
| Jun | 78 | 55 | 4.2 | 8 |
| Jul | 82 | 59 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Aug | 80 | 58 | 4.2 | 8 |
| Sep | 73 | 51 | 4.7 | 8 |
| Oct | 62 | 40 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Nov | 48 | 31 | 3.2 | 7 |
| Dec | 37 | 23 | 3.3 | 7 |
| Year | 59 | 38 | 46.0 | 92 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Deposit, NY (1,000 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 Afton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 115 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Afton: 89 thunderstorm wind reports, 19 flash floods, 6 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on April 28, 2011. August has had the most flash floods, 5 of 19. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 300 have had fewer than Afton.
September 2, 2014: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Afton — 1 injured, $30,000 damage.
NWS: “5 miles uprooted numerous trees near the Afton area between 830 and 845 pm EDT. The microburst overturned two large farm hay wagons and peeled part of a roof off of a barn.”
September 7, 2011: flash flood in Afton — $300,000 damage.
NWS: “Major flash flooding occurred in and around Afton.”
August 13, 2013: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Afton — $200,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Afton's ZIP code 13730 have filed 53 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $876,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Tropical Storm Lee in 2011: 22 claims (42% of all) and $475,000. 45% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 549 New York cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 290 have fewer than Afton.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Lee2011 | 22 | $475,000 |
Chenango County, which includes Afton, has been named in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 5 floods, 4 snowstorms, 3 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, on September 24, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Chenango County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $27.0 million a year, the 32nd highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $23.6 million (87%), 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.