NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lake George, 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
14 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lake George, New York since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 20 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 14
- Tornadoes
- 20
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Lake George
None of the 14 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Lake George; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1893, a tropical storm with 69 mph winds when its centre passed 45 miles away. The record near Lake George begins with an unnamed storm in 1866; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 11 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 3 systems. Of the 14 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 50% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Lake George. The strongest of the 20 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F2 on June 11, 1976; its path came within 7 miles. Of the 20, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 9 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on July 16, 2024. Of the 809 New York cities, 76% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Lake George. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 28 times since 1968, with stones up to 3.5 inches. Of the 809 New York cities, 70% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Lake George.
Compare Lake George's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lake George
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 22 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormOct 1 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 24 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Lake George: 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 Lake George
By decade
- 2020s7
- 2010s2
- 1990s3
- 1980s3
- 1970s4
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 11, 1976 | F2 | 7 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | EF1 | 14 mi | 8.36 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | EF1 | 22 mi | 4.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 10, 2020 | EF1 | 18 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 29, 2020 | EF1 | 8 mi | 8.58 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 15, 2020 | EF1 | 16 mi | 1.78 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 21, 2019 | EF1 | 23 mi | 0.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 21, 1994 | F1 | 18 mi | 1.2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 4, 1992 | F1 | 16 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 16, 1989 | F1 | 21 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 9, 1978 | F1 | 7 mi | 1.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 1974 | F1 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 20, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lake George
The Storm Prediction Center has 28 hail reports within 10 miles of Lake George since 1968, made on 24 separate days. Of these, 21 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3.5 inches, fell on June 9, 1968. The most recent report is from August 15, 2024. May has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lake George
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Glens Falls Airport, NY, 7 miles southeast of Lake George at 321 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 58°F; January is the coolest, at 30°F and 10°F. July is the wettest at 4.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.0 inches; the year adds up to 38.4 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 56% of the year's precipitation (21.5 of 38.4 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 14 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal August there has highs of 80°F and 3.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 6 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 160 nights a year. That 38.4 inches is more than at 30 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (22%). Queensbury, 6 miles south, has its own station (Glens Falls Farm, NY): 46.6 inches a year, 8.2 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 10 | 2.6 | 5 |
| Feb | 33 | 11 | 2.0 | 5 |
| Mar | 43 | 21 | 2.8 | 6 |
| Apr | 57 | 33 | 3.1 | 7 |
| May | 69 | 44 | 3.4 | 8 |
| Jun | 77 | 53 | 3.7 | 8 |
| Jul | 82 | 58 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Aug | 80 | 56 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Sep | 72 | 48 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Oct | 59 | 37 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Nov | 47 | 28 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Dec | 35 | 18 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Year | 57 | 35 | 38.4 | 77 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Glens Falls Airport, NY (321 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 Lake George
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 226 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lake George: 185 thunderstorm wind reports, 28 floods, 8 flash floods and 5 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 21, and the NWS estimated $7.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on May 18, 2017. July has had the most flash floods, 3 of 8. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 112 have had fewer than Lake George.
July 6, 1999: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Lake George — 1 killed, $7,000 damage.
August 13, 2016: lightning strike in Lake George — 15 injured.
NWS: “Fifteen people were injured at the Lake George Battlefield Park due to a lightning strike and needed to be hospitalized. The people were located under a large tree which was struck by lightning during a thunderstorm.”
June 19, 2006: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Lake George — 3 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 Lake George's ZIP code 12845 have filed 19 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1986, and were paid $560,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 26% 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, 104 have fewer than Lake George.
Warren County, which includes Lake George, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 floods, 4 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 20, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Warren County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $25.4 million a year, the 37th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $15.6 million (61%), 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 Lake George
- Queensbury, NY6 mi
- Glens Falls, NY8 mi
- Lake Luzerne, NY9 mi
- Warrensburg, NY10 mi
- South Glens Falls, NY10 mi
- Hudson Falls, NY10 mi
- Fort Ann, NY10 mi
- Fort Edward, NY13 mi
- Corinth, NY14 mi
- Comstock, NY16 mi
- Chestertown, NY16 mi
- Hadley, NY16 mi
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