NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Johnstown, 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
12 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Johnstown, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 31 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 11
- Tornadoes
- 31
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Johnstown
The strongest storm to pass near Johnstown was an unnamed storm in 1938, a Category 1 hurricane with 76 mph winds when its centre passed 67 miles away. The record near Johnstown begins with an unnamed storm in 1866; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 30 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 3 systems. Of the 12 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Johnstown. The strongest of the 31 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on July 10, 1989; its path came within 15 miles. Of the 31, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 18 have come since 2000. August has had the most tornadoes, 9. The most recent tornado was on July 24, 2024. Johnstown has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 56% of the 809 New York cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 66 times since 1970, with stones up to 2.25 inches. Johnstown has more hail reports within 10 miles than 76% of the 809 New York cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Johnstown
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 21 | 67 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Johnstown: 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 Johnstown
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s10(1 EF3+)
- 2000s4
- 1990s8
- 1980s2(1 EF3+)
- 1970s2
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 10, 1989 | F4 | 15 mi | 42 mi | 0 / 20 |
| May 22, 2014 | EF3 | 17 mi | 6.79 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 29, 2013 | EF2 | 15 mi | 12.8 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | EF1 | 23 mi | 8.36 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | EF1 | 24 mi | 1.53 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 30, 2017 | EF1 | 11 mi | 0.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 4, 2011 | EF1 | 14 mi | 6.97 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 3, 2010 | EF1 | 7 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 3, 2010 | EF1 | 7 mi | 0.21 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 2002 | F1 | in town | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 24, 1992 | F1 | 12 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 2, 1992 | F1 | 24 mi | 6 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 Johnstown
The Storm Prediction Center has 66 hail reports within 10 miles of Johnstown since 1970, made on 39 separate days. Of these, 39 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.25 inches, fell on May 22, 2014. The most recent report is from September 15, 2021. June has the most reports, 23.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Johnstown
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cobleskill 2 ESE, NY, 24 miles south of Johnstown at 1,169 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 80°F and low of 58°F; January is the coolest, at 31°F and 12°F. August is the wettest at 4.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.2 inches; the year adds up to 41.0 inches over 82 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 56% of the year's precipitation (23.0 of 41.0 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 12 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal August there has highs of 78°F and 4.3 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 4 days a year, almost all from July. Lows fall below freezing on about 155 nights a year. Snowfall averages 53.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 41.0 inches is more than at 51 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (37%). Fort Johnson, 8 miles southeast, has its own station (Saratoga Springs 4 SW, NY): 46.4 inches a year, 5.4 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 12 | 2.5 | 6 | 13.7 |
| Feb | 33 | 13 | 2.2 | 5 | 10.7 |
| Mar | 41 | 21 | 3.1 | 6 | 12.4 |
| Apr | 55 | 33 | 3.4 | 7 | 1.5 |
| May | 67 | 44 | 3.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 75 | 54 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 80 | 58 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 78 | 57 | 4.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 71 | 49 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 59 | 38 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Nov | 46 | 29 | 2.8 | 5 | 1.7 |
| Dec | 36 | 20 | 3.1 | 7 | 13.1 |
| Year | 56 | 35 | 41.0 | 82 | 53.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cobleskill 2 ESE, NY (1,169 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 Johnstown
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 284 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Johnstown: 226 thunderstorm wind reports, 39 floods, 14 flash floods, 3 lightning strikes and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $4.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on September 7, 1998. August has had the most flash floods, 6 of 14. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 212 have had fewer than Johnstown.
May 29, 1998: thunderstorm wind in Johnstown — 2 injured, $30,000 damage.
September 7, 1998: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Johnstown — $1.0 million damage.
April 2, 2005: flood 8 miles from the centre of Johnstown — $500,000 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 Johnstown's ZIP code 12095 have filed 47 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1980, and were paid $371,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2011, with 13. 28% 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, 268 have fewer than Johnstown.
Fulton County, which includes Johnstown, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1993, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 3 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 20, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Fulton County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $16.5 million a year, the 53rd highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $12.0 million (73%), 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 Johnstown
- Fonda, NY4 mi
- Gloversville, NY4 mi
- Fort Johnson, NY8 mi
- Fultonville, NY8 mi
- Amsterdam, NY12 mi
- Mayfield, NY12 mi
- Broadalbin, NY12 mi
- St Johnsville, NY13 mi
- Canajoharie, NY14 mi
- Fort Plain, NY14 mi
- Galway, NY17 mi
- Pattersonville, NY17 mi
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