NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Richfield Springs, 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
10 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Richfield Springs, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 33 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 33
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Richfield Springs
The strongest storm to pass near Richfield Springs was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 74 mph winds when its centre passed 55 miles away. The record near Richfield Springs begins with an unnamed storm in 1866; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 53 miles away. The 1870s and the 1970s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 10 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Richfield Springs. The strongest of the 33 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on July 10, 1989; its path came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an EF1 on June 22, 2025, killed 3 people. Of the 33, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 15 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 11. The most recent tornado was on June 22, 2025. Richfield Springs has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 63% of the 809 New York cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 38 times since 1998, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 809 New York cities, 54% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Richfield Springs.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Richfield Springs
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 55 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Richfield Springs: 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 Richfield Springs
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s8
- 2000s3
- 1990s9(1 EF3+)
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 10, 1989 | F4 | 23 mi | 42 mi | 0 / 20 |
| May 31, 1998 | F3 | 19 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 16, 1976 | F2 | 12 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 2025 | EF1 | 24 mi | 2.43 mi | 3 / 0 |
| Jun 18, 1970 | F1 | 22 mi | 2.3 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Jun 22, 2025 | EF1 | 24 mi | 4.74 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 2024 | EF1 | 8 mi | 1.96 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 30, 2017 | EF1 | 16 mi | 0.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 8, 2014 | EF1 | 22 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF1 | 15 mi | 2.88 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF1 | 20 mi | 3.47 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 26, 1998 | F1 | 19 mi | 5.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 33, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Richfield Springs
The Storm Prediction Center has 38 hail reports within 10 miles of Richfield Springs since 1998, made on 22 separate days. Of these, 21 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on July 14, 2023, the most recent report. June has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Richfield Springs
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cooperstown, NY, 10 miles south of Richfield Springs at 1,257 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 73°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 23°F and 14°F. October is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and January and February the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 47.6 inches over 101 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (26.3 of 47.6 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 3 days a year, almost all from July. Lows fall below freezing on about 155 nights a year. Snowfall averages 85.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 47.6 inches is more than at 106 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (77%). Ilion, 10 miles north, has its own station (Utica Oneida Co Airport, NY): 44.2 inches a year, 3.4 less than here, and a July average high of 81°F against 73°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23 | 14 | 3.1 | 8 | 21.7 |
| Feb | 26 | 14 | 3.1 | 7 | 18.8 |
| Mar | 35 | 22 | 3.6 | 8 | 17.6 |
| Apr | 48 | 34 | 4.2 | 9 | 2.8 |
| May | 60 | 45 | 3.7 | 9 | 0.1 |
| Jun | 68 | 54 | 4.7 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 73 | 59 | 4.6 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 71 | 57 | 4.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 64 | 50 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 52 | 39 | 5.0 | 9 | 0.4 |
| Nov | 39 | 30 | 3.2 | 8 | 5.9 |
| Dec | 29 | 21 | 3.6 | 9 | 18.2 |
| Year | 49 | 37 | 47.6 | 101 | 85.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cooperstown, NY (1,257 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 Richfield Springs
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 106 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Richfield Springs: 91 thunderstorm wind reports, 13 flash floods and 2 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $520,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on July 3, 2014. August has had the most flash floods, 7 of 13. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 196 have had fewer than Richfield Springs.
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 Richfield Springs's ZIP code 13439 have filed 34 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $629,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2006, with 16. 24% 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, 222 have fewer than Richfield Springs.
Otsego County, which includes Richfield Springs, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1993, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 4 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 20, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Otsego County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and lightning; Very Low for hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $31.5 million a year, the 30th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $24.3 million (77%), 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 Richfield Springs
- Mohawk, NY8 mi
- West Winfield, NY9 mi
- Ilion, NY10 mi
- Cooperstown, NY11 mi
- Herkimer, NY13 mi
- Cherry Valley, NY14 mi
- Frankfort, NY14 mi
- Little Falls, NY16 mi
- Sauquoit, NY17 mi
- Fort Plain, NY19 mi
- Waterville, NY20 mi
- Utica, NY21 mi
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