NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Marathon, 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
9 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Marathon, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was David in 1979. Since 1950, 25 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 25
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Marathon
The strongest storm to pass near Marathon was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 78 mph winds when its centre passed 72 miles away. The record near Marathon begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was David in 1979, a tropical storm 40 miles away. The 1870s and the 1970s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. None of the 9 systems has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Marathon. The highest rating among the 25 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 28, 2011, came within 17 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on October 14, 1989, killed 2 people. Of the 25, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 13 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 5. The most recent tornado was on July 15, 2024. Of the 809 New York cities, 60% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Marathon. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 29 times since 1988, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 809 New York cities, 68% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Marathon.
Compare Marathon's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Marathon
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 14 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 72 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 35 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 Marathon: 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 Marathon
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s4
- 2000s3
- 1990s8
- 1980s1
- 1970s1
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 14, 1989 | F2 | 16 mi | 2 mi | 2 / 3 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF2 | 17 mi | 7.37 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 15, 2024 | EF1 | 18 mi | 8.69 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF1 | 6 mi | 9.71 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 21, 2021 | EF1 | 11 mi | 2.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 2019 | EF1 | 24 mi | 2.15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF1 | 17 mi | 3.39 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 22 mi | 2.06 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 2002 | F1 | 23 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Jun 2, 1998 | F1 | 14 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1998 | F1 | 11 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 15, 1993 | F1 | 24 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 25, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Marathon
The Storm Prediction Center has 29 hail reports within 10 miles of Marathon since 1988, made on 23 separate days. Of these, 11 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on July 17, 2021, the most recent report. May and July have the most reports, 9 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Marathon
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Ithaca 13 E, NY, 9 miles west of Marathon at 1,228 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 79°F and low of 56°F; January is the coolest, at 30°F and 13°F. June is the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and January and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 41.6 inches over 92 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 2 days a year, almost all from July. Lows fall below freezing on about 155 nights a year. That 41.6 inches is more than at 54 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (39%). Lisle, 9 miles south, has its own station (Binghamton, NY): 42.1 inches a year, 0.5 more than here, and a July average high of 78°F against 79°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 13 | 2.7 | 7 |
| Feb | 33 | 14 | 2.7 | 7 |
| Mar | 41 | 22 | 3.3 | 7 |
| Apr | 54 | 33 | 3.8 | 8 |
| May | 67 | 43 | 3.6 | 8 |
| Jun | 75 | 52 | 4.2 | 8 |
| Jul | 79 | 56 | 3.7 | 8 |
| Aug | 77 | 54 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Sep | 70 | 48 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Oct | 58 | 38 | 3.6 | 9 |
| Nov | 46 | 29 | 3.3 | 7 |
| Dec | 35 | 21 | 3.2 | 9 |
| Year | 55 | 35 | 41.6 | 92 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Ithaca 13 E, NY (1,228 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 Marathon
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 137 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Marathon: 116 thunderstorm wind reports and 21 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 25, 2017. October has had the most flash floods, 7 of 21. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 333 have had fewer than Marathon.
July 14, 2017: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Marathon — $450,000 damage.
October 4, 2021: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Marathon — $100,000 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 Marathon's ZIP code 13803 have filed 39 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $193,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1996: 11 claims (28% of all) and $54,000. 46% 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, 241 have fewer than Marathon.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1996 | 11 | $54,000 |
Cortland County, which includes Marathon, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 4 floods, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storm, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on August 29, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cortland County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding, 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 $17.1 million a year, the 52nd highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $14.5 million (85%), 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 Marathon
- Lisle, NY9 mi
- Mc Graw, NY10 mi
- Cincinnatus, NY10 mi
- Whitney Point, NY11 mi
- Dryden, NY11 mi
- Cortland, NY11 mi
- Freeville, NY15 mi
- Brooktondale, NY16 mi
- Homer, NY17 mi
- Newark Valley, NY17 mi
- Chenango Forks, NY18 mi
- Greene, NY18 mi
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