NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Albany, 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
19 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Albany, New York since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 33 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 17
- Tornadoes
- 33
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Albany
The strongest storm to pass near Albany was an unnamed storm in 1938, a Category 1 hurricane with 84 mph winds when its centre passed 39 miles away. The record near Albany begins with an unnamed storm in 1863; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 7 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1970s, with 4 systems. Of the 19 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Albany has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 51% of the 809 New York cities on this site. The strongest of the 33 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on July 10, 1989; its path came within 22 miles. Of the 33, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 15 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on August 29, 2020. Albany has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 63% of the 809 New York cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 217 times since 1958, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Albany has more hail reports within 10 miles than 99% of the 809 New York cities.
Compare Albany's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Albany
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 70 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | BelleAug 10 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 21 | 39 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Albany: 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 Albany
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s5(1 EF3+)
- 2000s8
- 1990s9(1 EF3+)
- 1980s3(1 EF3+)
- 1970s5(1 EF3+)
- 1960s1(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 10, 1989 | F4 | 22 mi | 42 mi | 0 / 20 |
| May 22, 2014 | EF3 | 18 mi | 6.79 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1998 | F3 | 17 mi | 30.5 mi | 0 / 68 |
| Jun 16, 1974 | F3 | 3 mi | 49.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 24, 1960 | F3 | 10 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 9 |
| May 29, 2013 | EF2 | 12 mi | 12.8 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 21, 2003 | F2 | 20 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 31, 1998 | F2 | 10 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 3, 1997 | F2 | 24 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 28, 1973 | F2 | 20 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 29, 2020 | EF1 | 19 mi | 2.17 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 29, 2020 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.26 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 33, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Albany
The Storm Prediction Center has 217 hail reports within 10 miles of Albany since 1958, made on 91 separate days. Of these, 122 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 30, 1991. The most recent report is from August 15, 2024. July has the most reports, 73.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Albany
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Albany Airport, NY, 5 miles north of Albany at 312 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 33°F and 16°F. July is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.3 inches; the year adds up to 40.9 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 56% of the year's precipitation (23.1 of 40.9 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 10 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 136 nights a year. Snowfall averages 59.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 40.9 inches is more than at 49 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (36%). Rensselaer, 4 miles southeast, has its own station (Troy L&D, NY): 42.0 inches a year, 1.1 more than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 16 | 2.6 | 6 | 15.6 |
| Feb | 36 | 18 | 2.3 | 5 | 13.7 |
| Mar | 45 | 26 | 3.1 | 7 | 12.0 |
| Apr | 59 | 37 | 3.1 | 7 | 1.6 |
| May | 71 | 48 | 3.4 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Jun | 79 | 57 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 62 | 4.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 61 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 74 | 53 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 62 | 41 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Nov | 49 | 32 | 3.0 | 6 | 2.6 |
| Dec | 38 | 23 | 3.3 | 7 | 13.3 |
| Year | 59 | 39 | 40.9 | 81 | 59.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Albany Airport, NY (312 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 Albany
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 714 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Albany: 508 thunderstorm wind reports, 105 flash floods, 80 floods, 13 lightning strikes and 8 heavy rain events. They killed 0 people and injured 21, and the NWS estimated $8.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on July 26, 2011. August has had the most flash floods, 59 of 105. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 657 have had fewer than Albany.
August 14, 2002: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Albany — 9 injured, $10,000 damage.
April 22, 1996: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Albany — 3 injured, $20,000 damage.
July 9, 2007: lightning strike 2 miles from the centre of Albany — 2 injured, $200,000 damage.
NWS: “A house fire on Cuyler Avenue in Albany was initiated by a lightning strike, which is believed to have hit an electrical panel on the outside of the house. Once hit, an electrical surge and subsequent fire spread from the basement through the rest of the house.”
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 Albany's 9 ZIP codes have filed 109 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $1.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Irene in 2011: 19 claims (17% of all) and $332,000. 35% 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, 390 have fewer than Albany.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irene2011 | 19 | $332,000 |
Albany County, which includes Albany, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1987, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 severe storms, 6 snowstorms, 5 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 20, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Albany County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $64.3 million a year, the 15th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $43.4 million (67%), 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.