NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Oxford, 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 Oxford, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 29 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 29
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Oxford
The strongest storm to pass near Oxford was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 77 mph winds when its centre passed 55 miles away. The record near Oxford begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 70 miles away. The 1870s and the 1970s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 9 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Oxford. The strongest of the 29 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on May 31, 1998; its path came within 24 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on October 14, 1989, killed 2 people. Of the 29, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 15 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on July 15, 2024. Oxford has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 50% of the 809 New York cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 37 times since 1989, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 809 New York cities, 57% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Oxford.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Oxford
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 55 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Oxford: 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 Oxford
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s8
- 2000s4
- 1990s10(1 EF3+)
- 1980s2
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1998 | F3 | 24 mi | 62 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Oct 14, 1989 | F2 | 9 mi | 2 mi | 2 / 3 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF2 | 11 mi | 7.37 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 16, 2009 | EF2 | 23 mi | 5.26 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 31, 1998 | F2 | 13 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 15, 2024 | EF1 | 19 mi | 8.69 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 2019 | EF1 | 16 mi | 2.15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 2, 2014 | EF1 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF1 | 22 mi | 3.47 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF1 | 4 mi | 3.39 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 26, 2011 | EF1 | 13 mi | 4.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 2004 | F1 | 24 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 29, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Oxford
The Storm Prediction Center has 37 hail reports within 10 miles of Oxford since 1989, made on 23 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on June 21, 1990. The most recent report is from August 4, 2023. August has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Oxford
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Norwich, NY, 8 miles northeast of Oxford at 989 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 57°F; January is the coolest, at 32°F and 12°F. June is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 45.3 inches over 95 days with at least a tenth of an inch. 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. Snowfall averages 74.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 45.3 inches is more than at 84 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (61%). Greene, 9 miles southwest, has its own station (Binghamton, NY): 42.1 inches a year, 3.2 less than here, and a July average high of 78°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 12 | 3.2 | 8 | 17.8 |
| Feb | 34 | 12 | 2.7 | 6 | 17.4 |
| Mar | 43 | 20 | 3.5 | 8 | 14.7 |
| Apr | 57 | 32 | 3.8 | 9 | 2.3 |
| May | 69 | 43 | 3.6 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 77 | 52 | 5.0 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 81 | 57 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 79 | 55 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 73 | 48 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 60 | 37 | 3.9 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Nov | 47 | 27 | 3.2 | 7 | 5.6 |
| Dec | 37 | 20 | 3.6 | 8 | 16.7 |
| Year | 57 | 35 | 45.3 | 95 | 74.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Norwich, NY (989 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 Oxford
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 132 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Oxford: 105 thunderstorm wind reports, 25 flash floods, 1 flood and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $3.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 12, 2015. June has had the most flash floods, 9 of 25. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 408 have had fewer than Oxford.
April 2, 2005: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Oxford — $1.0 million damage.
November 1, 2019: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Oxford — $750,000 damage.
September 7, 2011: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Oxford — $550,000 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 Oxford's ZIP code 13830 have filed 65 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $747,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Tropical Storm Lee in 2011: 28 claims (43% of all) and $414,000. 62% 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, 327 have fewer than Oxford.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Lee2011 | 28 | $414,000 |
Chenango County, which includes Oxford, has been named in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 5 floods, 4 snowstorms, 3 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, on September 24, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Chenango 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 $27.0 million a year, the 32nd highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $23.6 million (87%), 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 Oxford
- Norwich, NY9 mi
- Greene, NY9 mi
- Bainbridge, NY12 mi
- Afton, NY14 mi
- South New Berlin, NY14 mi
- Sidney, NY15 mi
- Harpursville, NY16 mi
- Chenango Forks, NY16 mi
- Unadilla, NY17 mi
- Whitney Point, NY18 mi
- Cincinnatus, NY18 mi
- Port Crane, NY19 mi
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