NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Herkimer, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Herkimer, New York since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 30 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 30
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Herkimer
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Herkimer; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1878, a tropical storm with 72 mph winds when its centre passed 64 miles away. The record near Herkimer begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 58 miles away. The 1870s and the 1970s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 84% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Herkimer. The highest rating among the 30 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 3 times; the most recent, on July 16, 2024, came within 24 miles. The deadliest, an EF1 on June 22, 2025, killed 3 people. Of the 30, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 16 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on June 22, 2025. Herkimer has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 53% of the 809 New York cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 57 times since 1983, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Herkimer has more hail reports within 10 miles than 69% of the 809 New York cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Herkimer
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Herkimer: 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 Herkimer
By decade
- 2020s7
- 2010s7
- 2000s2
- 1990s8
- 1980s4
- 1970s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 16, 2024 | EF2 | 24 mi | 5.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 23, 1990 | F2 | 21 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 16, 1976 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 2025 | EF1 | 20 mi | 2.43 mi | 3 / 0 |
| Jun 18, 1970 | F1 | 9 mi | 2.3 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Jun 22, 2025 | EF1 | 21 mi | 4.74 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 2024 | EF1 | 12 mi | 1.96 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF1 | 24 mi | 1.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 30, 2017 | EF1 | 11 mi | 0.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 8, 2014 | EF1 | 13 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF1 | 8 mi | 2.88 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 30, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Herkimer
The Storm Prediction Center has 57 hail reports within 10 miles of Herkimer since 1983, made on 35 separate days. Of these, 34 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 24, 2004. The most recent report is from August 14, 2024. May has the most reports, 17.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Herkimer
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Utica Oneida Co Airport, NY, 22 miles west of Herkimer at 711 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 30°F and 14°F. August is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.3 inches; the year adds up to 44.2 inches over 95 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 5 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 140 nights a year. That 44.2 inches is more than at 72 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (53%). Mohawk, 5 miles south, has its own station (Cooperstown, NY): 47.6 inches a year, 3.4 more than here, and a July average high of 73°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 14 | 2.7 | 9 |
| Feb | 32 | 15 | 2.3 | 6 |
| Mar | 41 | 23 | 3.0 | 8 |
| Apr | 55 | 35 | 3.9 | 9 |
| May | 68 | 46 | 3.9 | 8 |
| Jun | 76 | 55 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Jul | 81 | 60 | 4.2 | 8 |
| Aug | 79 | 58 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Sep | 72 | 51 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Oct | 59 | 41 | 4.3 | 8 |
| Nov | 46 | 31 | 3.6 | 9 |
| Dec | 35 | 21 | 3.6 | 8 |
| Year | 56 | 37 | 44.2 | 95 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Utica Oneida Co Airport, NY (711 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 Herkimer
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 346 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Herkimer: 226 thunderstorm wind reports, 77 flash floods, 41 floods, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $3.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on July 3, 2014. June has had the most flash floods, 25 of 77. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 606 have had fewer than Herkimer.
February 22, 1997: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Herkimer — 1 injured, $40,000 damage.
July 1, 2017: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Herkimer — $1.0 million damage.
July 1, 2017: flood 1 mile from the centre of Herkimer — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “High water due to flash flooding from earlier in the day continued to cause impassable roadways into the evening hours on Saturday, July 1st throughout the village of Herkimer.”
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 Herkimer's ZIP code 13350 have filed 14 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $163,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 7% 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, 57 have fewer than Herkimer.
Herkimer County, which includes Herkimer, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 severe storms, 5 floods, 3 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 20, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Herkimer 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 $21.4 million a year, the 42nd highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $18.3 million (86%), 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 Herkimer
- Mohawk, NY5 mi
- Ilion, NY5 mi
- Frankfort, NY6 mi
- Little Falls, NY7 mi
- Newport, NY10 mi
- Richfield Springs, NY13 mi
- Utica, NY13 mi
- Dolgeville, NY13 mi
- Sauquoit, NY14 mi
- West Winfield, NY15 mi
- New Hartford, NY15 mi
- New York Mills, NY16 mi
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