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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Pearl River, 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

45 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Pearl River, New York since 1851, 7 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 37 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
7

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
38

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
37

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
0

11 deaths in all

What the records show for Pearl River

The strongest storm to pass near Pearl River was an unnamed storm in 1938, a Category 3 hurricane with 117 mph winds when its centre passed 58 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 13 miles. The record near Pearl River begins with an unnamed storm in 1861; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 52 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 5 systems, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 45 systems, 7 have come since 2000. Pearl River has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 70% of the 809 New York cities on this site. The highest rating among the 37 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 4 times; the most recent, on July 12, 2006, came within 8 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on November 16, 1989, killed 9 people. Of the 37, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 12 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on July 29, 2021. Pearl River has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 77% of the 809 New York cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 75 times since 1985, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Pearl River has more hail reports within 10 miles than 84% of the 809 New York cities.

Compare Pearl River's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Pearl River

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Pearl River, New York, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021IdaSep 252 miTropical storm (44 mph)Category 4
2021ElsaJul 971 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
2020IsaiasAug 446 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 1
2020FayJul 1161 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
2013AndreaJun 871 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2011IreneAug 2812 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 3
2008HannaSep 738 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1999FloydSep 1740 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1996BerthaJul 1325 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1985GloriaSep 2745 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 4
1985HenriSep 2474 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1976BelleAug 1043 miTropical storm (70 mph)Category 3
1972AgnesJun 2214 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 1
1971DoriaAug 2811 miTropical storm (59 mph)Tropical storm
1968Unnamed 1968 stormSep 1144 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1961Unnamed 1961 stormSep 1549 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1960DonnaSep 1263 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 4
1960BrendaJul 3031 miTropical storm (56 mph)Tropical storm
1955DianeAug 1934 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1952AbleSep 120 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 2
1938Unnamed 1938 stormSep 2158 miCategory 3 (117 mph)Category 5
1934Unnamed 1934 stormSep 953 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 2
1934Unnamed 1934 stormJun 1944 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 3011 miTropical storm (67 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1766 miTropical storm (56 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4overheadTropical storm (56 mph)Category 1
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1573 miCategory 1 (79 mph)Category 1
1903Unnamed 1903 stormSep 1669 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 2
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1668 miTropical storm (43 mph)Tropical storm
1900Unnamed 1900 stormOct 1442 miTropical storm (39 mph)Tropical storm
1899Unnamed 1899 stormNov 139 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 2
1897Unnamed 1897 stormSep 2468 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 1063 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2933 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2413 miCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 3
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1149 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 2215 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 2463 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 2370 miCategory 1 (77 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 567 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 2924 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2632 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1866Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30overheadTropical storm (59 mph)Tropical storm
1863Unnamed 1863 stormSep 192 miTropical storm (49 mph)Tropical storm
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 2828 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 1

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Pearl River: 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 Pearl River

By decade

  • 2020s1
  • 2010s8
  • 2000s3
  • 1990s6
  • 1980s7
  • 1970s10
  • 1960s1
  • 1950s1
Strongest tornadoes near Pearl River, New York
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Jul 12, 2006F28 mi10.1 mi0 / 6
Jul 15, 1970F211 mi2 mi0 / 0
Aug 7, 1962F210 mi2.5 mi0 / 0
Sep 6, 1956F24 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Nov 16, 1989F120 mi9.1 mi9 / 18
Sep 16, 2010EF123 mi4 mi1 / 1
Oct 2, 2018EF114 mi4.28 mi0 / 0
Oct 2, 2018EF111 mi2.12 mi0 / 0
Oct 7, 2013EF19 mi1.25 mi0 / 0
Jul 29, 2011EF124 mi4.67 mi0 / 0
Jul 25, 2010EF112 mi0.87 mi0 / 7
Aug 12, 2005F124 mi0.2 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 37, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Pearl River

The Storm Prediction Center has 75 hail reports within 10 miles of Pearl River since 1985, made on 42 separate days. Of these, 44 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on July 8, 2021. The most recent report is from August 3, 2024. July has the most reports, 26.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.

Radar-estimated hail days in Pearl River since 2019 →

Weather by month in Pearl River

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Dobbs Ferry-Ardsley, NY, 10 miles east of Pearl River at 200 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 40°F and 23°F. December is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 51.3 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 51% of the year's precipitation (26.4 of 51.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 45 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (20); a normal September there has highs of 77°F and 4.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 19 days a year, almost all from May to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 109 nights a year. Snowfall averages 32.7 inches a year, most of it in February. That 51.3 inches is more than at 127 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (93%). Upper Saddle River, NJ, 4 miles west, has its own station (Wanaque Raymond Dam, NJ): 48.5 inches a year, 2.8 less than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 86°F.

Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Kings Point, NY, 22 miles southeast, averaged 74°F in August and 38°F in February over 2021–2025. No month averaged 80°F. Sea level at the Kings Point tide gauge, 22 miles from Pearl River, has risen 1.08 ± 0.04 inches per decade from 1931 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 10.8 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 62 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Dobbs Ferry-Ardsley, NY
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"Snow inWater °F
Jan40233.979.440
Feb43253.3510.938
Mar51314.475.842
Apr63404.380.748
May73504.370.057
Jun81594.670.065
Jul86644.570.071
Aug84634.460.074
Sep77564.660.072
Oct65454.460.063
Nov54363.960.354
Dec45294.775.644
Year634351.38032.756

Averages for 1991–2020 at Dobbs Ferry-Ardsley, NY (200 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Kings Point, 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.

New York weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Pearl River

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 582 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Pearl River: 292 thunderstorm wind reports, 172 flash floods, 85 floods and 33 lightning strikes. They killed 5 people and injured 20, and the NWS estimated $50.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on August 6, 2008. July has had the most flash floods, 48 of 172. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 717 have had fewer than Pearl River.

  • June 10, 2008: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Pearl River — 1 killed, 1 injured, $500 damage.

  • May 15, 2018: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Pearl River — 1 killed, $5,000 damage.

    NWS: “Tree fell on car on Red Schoolhouse Road killing an 80 year old woman inside.”

  • July 18, 1997: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Pearl River — 1 killed.

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 Pearl River's ZIP code 10965 have filed 108 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $1.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Not a named storm in 1979: 21 claims (19% of all) and $21,000. 44% 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, 387 have fewer than Pearl River.

Flood insurance claims in Pearl River by named event
EventClaimsPaid
Not a named storm197921$21,000

Rockland County, which includes Pearl River, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 hurricanes, 5 floods, 5 severe storms, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Flooding, on July 22, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Rockland County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding, coastal flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $60.5 million a year, the 16th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $38.0 million (63%), 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 Pearl River