NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Athens, 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
24 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Athens, New York since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 31 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 21
- Tornadoes
- 31
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
7 deaths in all
What the records show for Athens
The strongest storm to pass near Athens was an unnamed storm in 1938, a Category 1 hurricane with 93 mph winds when its centre passed 42 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 26 miles. The record near Athens begins with an unnamed storm in 1861; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 18 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1970s, with 4 systems. Of the 24 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Athens has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 57% of the 809 New York cities on this site. The highest rating among the 31 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on May 29, 1995, came within 21 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on August 28, 1973, killed 4 people. Of the 31, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 14 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on May 15, 2018. Athens has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 56% of the 809 New York cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 68 times since 1959, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Athens has more hail reports within 10 miles than 78% of the 809 New York cities.
Compare Athens's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Athens
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 58 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | BelleAug 10 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 21 | 42 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 5 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | overhead | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 26 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Athens: 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 Athens
By decade
- 2010s2
- 2000s12
- 1990s8(1 EF3+)
- 1980s3(1 EF3+)
- 1970s6(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 1973 | F4 | 22 mi | 9.8 mi | 4 / 36 |
| May 29, 1995 | F4 | 21 mi | 11.5 mi | 3 / 24 |
| Jul 10, 1989 | F4 | 13 mi | 42 mi | 0 / 20 |
| Jun 16, 1974 | F3 | in town | 49.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 21, 2003 | F2 | 10 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 21, 2003 | F2 | 5 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 7 |
| May 31, 1998 | F2 | 22 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 3, 1997 | F2 | 15 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 29, 1995 | F2 | 6 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 15, 2018 | EF1 | 15 mi | 4.26 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 17, 2010 | EF1 | 8 mi | 1.87 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 21, 2003 | F1 | 19 mi | 4.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 31, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Athens
The Storm Prediction Center has 68 hail reports within 10 miles of Athens since 1959, made on 40 separate days. Of these, 37 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on June 8, 2011. The most recent report is from July 3, 2025. June has the most reports, 37.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Athens
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hudson Correctional Facility, NY, 3 miles southeast of Athens at 30 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 35°F and 18°F. June is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 44.2 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 56% of the year's precipitation (24.9 of 44.2 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 15 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 127 nights a year. Snowfall averages 31.0 inches a year, most of it in December. That 44.2 inches is more than at 72 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (53%). Stuyvesant, 7 miles northeast, has its own station (Valatie 1 N, NY): 42.1 inches a year, 2.1 less than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 85°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Turkey Point Hudson River NERRS, NY, 19 miles south, averaged 79°F in July and 35°F in February over 2021–2025. No month averaged 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 18 | 2.7 | 6 | 8.2 | 35 |
| Feb | 38 | 19 | 2.6 | 5 | 8.5 | 35 |
| Mar | 48 | 28 | 3.3 | 6 | 4.4 | 40 |
| Apr | 63 | 38 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.3 | 49 |
| May | 74 | 49 | 3.5 | 8 | 0.0 | 62 |
| Jun | 81 | 58 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.0 | 73 |
| Jul | 85 | 63 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 | 79 |
| Aug | 83 | 61 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.0 | 77 |
| Sep | 75 | 55 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 | 73 |
| Oct | 64 | 43 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 | 62 |
| Nov | 51 | 33 | 3.0 | 6 | 0.5 | 49 |
| Dec | 40 | 25 | 3.6 | 7 | 9.1 | 38 |
| Year | 62 | 41 | 44.2 | 78 | 31.0 | 56 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hudson Correctional Facility, NY (30 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Turkey Point Hudson River NERRS, NY, from NOAA Tides & Currents. 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 Athens
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 313 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Athens: 236 thunderstorm wind reports, 38 flash floods, 31 floods, 4 heavy rain events and 4 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $5.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 125 mph, on July 27, 2008. July has had the most flash floods, 9 of 38. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 504 have had fewer than Athens.
December 18, 2023: flood 5 miles from the centre of Athens — 1 killed, $30,000 damage.
June 9, 2004: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Athens — 1 injured, $1,000 damage.
July 13, 2023: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Athens — 1 injured.
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 Athens's ZIP code 12015 have filed 26 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1996, and were paid $832,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 85% 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, 165 have fewer than Athens.
Greene County, which includes Athens, has been named in 29 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1987, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 severe storms, 7 hurricanes, 6 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 20, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Greene County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for coastal flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $25.3 million a year, the 38th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $19.8 million (79%), 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.