NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rock Hill, 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
21 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Rock Hill, New York since 1851, 2 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
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 19
- Tornadoes
- 29
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
9 deaths in all
What the records show for Rock Hill
The strongest storm to pass near Rock Hill was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 1 hurricane with 81 mph winds when its centre passed 52 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1878, whose centre came within 22 miles. The record near Rock Hill begins with an unnamed storm in 1861; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 2 miles away. Of the 21 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Rock Hill has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 51% of the 809 New York cities on this site. The strongest of the 29 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on July 14, 1988; its path came within 20 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on November 16, 1989, killed 9 people. Of the 29, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 11 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 10. The most recent tornado was on September 25, 2025. Rock Hill has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 50% of the 809 New York cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 29 times since 1985, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 809 New York cities, 68% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Rock Hill.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rock Hill
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 52 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 22 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Rock Hill: 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 Rock Hill
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s3
- 2000s5
- 1990s5
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s4
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 14, 1988 | F3 | 20 mi | 7.2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 22, 2023 | EF2 | 22 mi | 9.95 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 23, 2010 | EF2 | 24 mi | 25.72 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2009 | EF2 | 22 mi | 6.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 1986 | F2 | 6 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 21, 1976 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 16, 1974 | F2 | 9 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 1972 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 9, 1961 | F2 | 15 mi | 6.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Nov 16, 1989 | F1 | 24 mi | 9.1 mi | 9 / 18 |
| Aug 27, 2020 | EF1 | 19 mi | 2.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 13, 2014 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.75 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 Rock Hill
The Storm Prediction Center has 29 hail reports within 10 miles of Rock Hill since 1985, made on 21 separate days. Of these, 14 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on June 20, 1995. The most recent report is from September 7, 2023. June has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rock Hill
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Middletown 2 NW, NY, 13 miles southeast of Rock Hill at 700 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 34°F and 18°F. June and October are the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.1 inches; the year adds up to 44.4 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 57% of the year's precipitation (25.4 of 44.4 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 21 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (8); a normal August there has highs of 81°F and 4.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 10 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 123 nights a year. That 44.4 inches is more than at 77 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (56%). Monticello, 6 miles northwest, has its own station (Liberty 1 NE, NY): 53.1 inches a year, 8.7 more than here, and a July average high of 79°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 18 | 2.6 | 7 |
| Feb | 37 | 18 | 2.1 | 5 |
| Mar | 47 | 26 | 3.0 | 7 |
| Apr | 60 | 38 | 4.0 | 7 |
| May | 70 | 48 | 3.8 | 8 |
| Jun | 78 | 57 | 4.6 | 8 |
| Jul | 82 | 62 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Aug | 81 | 60 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Sep | 73 | 53 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Oct | 62 | 43 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Nov | 50 | 33 | 3.2 | 7 |
| Dec | 39 | 24 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Year | 59 | 40 | 44.4 | 80 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Middletown 2 NW, NY (700 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 Rock Hill
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 117 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rock Hill: 94 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods, 6 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $11.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on March 10, 2002. September has had the most flash floods, 5 of 16. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 247 have had fewer than Rock Hill.
June 16, 2007: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Rock Hill — 4 injured.
April 2, 2005: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Rock Hill — $10.0 million damage.
August 28, 2011: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Rock Hill — $500,000 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
Sullivan County, which includes Rock Hill, has been named in 35 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 22 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 8 hurricanes, 5 snowstorms, 4 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Hurricane Ida, on September 5, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Sullivan County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $36.5 million a year, the 23rd highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $26.7 million (73%), 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 Rock Hill
- Wurtsboro, NY4 mi
- Monticello, NY6 mi
- Woodridge, NY7 mi
- South Fallsburg, NY7 mi
- Bloomingburg, NY9 mi
- Otisville, NY10 mi
- Hurleyville, NY10 mi
- Ellenville, NY12 mi
- Woodbourne, NY12 mi
- Pine Bush, NY13 mi
- Middletown, NY14 mi
- Sparrow Bush, NY15 mi
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