NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Hillsdale, 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
28 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Hillsdale, New York since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 43 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 25
- Tornadoes
- 43
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
7 deaths in all
What the records show for Hillsdale
The strongest storm to pass near Hillsdale was an unnamed storm in 1938, a Category 1 hurricane with 94 mph winds when its centre passed 29 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 12 miles. The record near Hillsdale begins with an unnamed storm in 1861; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 33 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1970s, with 4 systems. Of the 28 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Hillsdale has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 57% of the 809 New York cities on this site. The highest rating among the 43 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 29, 1995, came within 6 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on August 28, 1973, killed 4 people. Of the 43, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 20 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 22. The most recent tornado was on April 21, 2021. Hillsdale has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 91% of the 809 New York cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 50 times since 1955, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Hillsdale has more hail reports within 10 miles than 62% of the 809 New York cities.
Compare Hillsdale's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Hillsdale
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1999 | FloydSep 17 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 44 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | BelleAug 10 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 21 | 29 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 9 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 5 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 12 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 49 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 Hillsdale: 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 Hillsdale
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s2
- 2000s14
- 1990s10(1 EF3+)
- 1980s2
- 1970s7(2 EF3+)
- 1960s2
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 1973 | F4 | 10 mi | 9.8 mi | 4 / 36 |
| May 29, 1995 | F4 | 6 mi | 11.5 mi | 3 / 24 |
| Jun 16, 1974 | F3 | 15 mi | 49.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 21, 2003 | F2 | 16 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 21, 2003 | F2 | 17 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Jul 3, 1997 | F2 | 12 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 3, 1997 | F2 | 19 mi | 3.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 3, 1997 | F2 | 17 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 29, 1995 | F2 | in town | 15 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Aug 11, 1966 | F2 | 18 mi | 10.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 1959 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 12, 1955 | F2 | 12 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 43, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Hillsdale
The Storm Prediction Center has 50 hail reports within 10 miles of Hillsdale since 1955, made on 36 separate days. Of these, 31 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 21, 2013. The most recent report is from May 15, 2018. June has the most reports, 19.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Hillsdale
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Copake, NY, 6 miles south of Hillsdale at 550 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 34°F and 14°F. May is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.3 inches; the year adds up to 43.5 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (23.5 of 43.5 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 28 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (12); a normal September there has highs of 73°F and 4.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 13 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 157 nights a year. Snowfall averages 49.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 43.5 inches is more than at 66 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (48%). Ghent, 9 miles northwest, has its own station (Hudson Correctional Facility, NY): 44.2 inches a year, 0.7 more than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 83°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Turkey Point Hudson River NERRS, NY, 24 miles southwest, 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 | 34 | 14 | 3.1 | 7 | 15.5 | 35 |
| Feb | 37 | 15 | 2.3 | 5 | 10.0 | 35 |
| Mar | 45 | 23 | 3.3 | 7 | 10.0 | 40 |
| Apr | 59 | 34 | 3.3 | 7 | 1.8 | 49 |
| May | 70 | 45 | 4.6 | 8 | 0.0 | 62 |
| Jun | 78 | 55 | 4.3 | 8 | 0.0 | 73 |
| Jul | 83 | 60 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 | 79 |
| Aug | 81 | 59 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 | 77 |
| Sep | 73 | 51 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.0 | 73 |
| Oct | 60 | 40 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 | 62 |
| Nov | 50 | 30 | 2.9 | 6 | 1.8 | 49 |
| Dec | 39 | 21 | 3.4 | 6 | 10.5 | 38 |
| Year | 59 | 37 | 43.5 | 79 | 49.6 | 56 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Copake, NY (550 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 Hillsdale
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 231 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Hillsdale: 202 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 9 floods, 5 lightning strikes and 3 heavy rain events. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $405,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 104 mph, on June 7, 1999. June has had the most flash floods, 5 of 12. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 180 have had fewer than Hillsdale.
October 7, 2020: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Hillsdale — 1 killed, $1,000 damage.
June 22, 2008: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Hillsdale — 1 injured, $8,000 damage.
July 13, 2023: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Hillsdale — 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 Hillsdale's ZIP code 12529 have filed 11 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $38,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 27% 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, 15 have fewer than Hillsdale.
Columbia County, which includes Hillsdale, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 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 Columbia County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $24.6 million a year, the 39th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $17.3 million (70%), 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.