NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Plattsburgh, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Plattsburgh, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 12 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 12
- 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 Plattsburgh
The strongest storm to pass near Plattsburgh was an unnamed storm in 1900, a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds when its centre passed 48 miles away. The record near Plattsburgh begins with an unnamed storm in 1866; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 33 miles away. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Plattsburgh. The highest rating among the 12 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 4 times; the most recent, on August 8, 1983, came within 19 miles. Of the 12, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 2 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 5. The most recent tornado was on June 10, 2025. Of the 809 New York cities, 90% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Plattsburgh. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 48 times since 1962, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Plattsburgh has more hail reports within 10 miles than 59% of the 809 New York cities.
Compare Plattsburgh's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Plattsburgh
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 5 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 22 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 12 | 48 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Plattsburgh: 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 Plattsburgh
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2000s1
- 1980s2
- 1970s3
- 1960s3
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 8, 1983 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 3, 1970 | F2 | 15 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Jul 4, 1963 | F2 | 19 mi | 5.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 1961 | F2 | 24 mi | 7.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 1973 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 11, 1973 | F1 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 18, 1961 | F1 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 16, 1958 | F1 | 23 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 21, 1953 | F1 | 19 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 10, 2025 | EF0 | 5 mi | 0.52 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 8, 2004 | F0 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 1986 | F0 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 12, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Plattsburgh
The Storm Prediction Center has 48 hail reports within 10 miles of Plattsburgh since 1962, made on 31 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently August 16, 2007. The most recent report is from August 4, 2024. August has the most reports, 16.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Plattsburgh
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Plattsburgh International Airport, NY, 3 miles south of Plattsburgh at 234 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 28°F and 10°F. June is the wettest at 4.1 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.2 inches; the year adds up to 30.9 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 7 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 154 nights a year. That 30.9 inches is more than at 2 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (1%). Morrisonville, 6 miles west, has its own station (Dannemora, NY): 43.4 inches a year, 12.5 more than here, and a July average high of 79°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 10 | 1.4 | 3 |
| Feb | 31 | 11 | 1.2 | 4 |
| Mar | 40 | 21 | 1.3 | 4 |
| Apr | 54 | 33 | 2.6 | 7 |
| May | 68 | 44 | 2.9 | 8 |
| Jun | 75 | 53 | 4.1 | 9 |
| Jul | 81 | 59 | 3.6 | 8 |
| Aug | 79 | 57 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Sep | 71 | 49 | 3.1 | 6 |
| Oct | 58 | 38 | 3.0 | 7 |
| Nov | 46 | 29 | 2.3 | 4 |
| Dec | 34 | 19 | 1.8 | 5 |
| Year | 55 | 35 | 30.9 | 71 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Plattsburgh International Airport, NY (234 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 Plattsburgh
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 91 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Plattsburgh: 82 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 floods, 3 lightning strikes, 2 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $5.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on August 16, 2007.
June 28, 2016: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Plattsburgh — $1.7 million damage.
July 12, 2010: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Plattsburgh — $1.5 million damage.
August 16, 2007: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Plattsburgh — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees downed by thunderstorm winds across Cumberland Head and local state park as well as damaged docks and boats at the Treadwell marina. Several trees and large branches fell on camp sites within state park with only a few minor injuries reported.”
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 Plattsburgh's ZIP code 12901 have filed 76 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $2.0 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2011, with 37. Of the 549 New York cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 344 have fewer than Plattsburgh.
Clinton County, which includes Plattsburgh, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1993, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 severe storms, 3 floods, 3 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Flooding, on July 22, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Clinton County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $28.0 million a year, the 31st highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $21.9 million (78%), 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.