NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Selkirk, 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 Selkirk, New York since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 31 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 18
- Tornadoes
- 31
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Selkirk
The strongest storm to pass near Selkirk was an unnamed storm in 1938, a Category 1 hurricane with 87 mph winds when its centre passed 40 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 31 miles. The record near Selkirk begins with an unnamed storm in 1861; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 10 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1970s, with 4 systems. Of the 21 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Selkirk has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 57% of the 809 New York cities on this site. The highest rating among the 31 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on July 10, 1989, came within 15 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on August 28, 1973, killed 4 people. Of the 31, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 15 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on June 9, 2015. Selkirk has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 56% of the 809 New York cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 117 times since 1965, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Selkirk has more hail reports within 10 miles than 95% of the 809 New York cities.
Compare Selkirk's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Selkirk
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 67 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | BelleAug 10 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 21 | 40 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 5 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 31 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | overhead | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Selkirk: 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 Selkirk
By decade
- 2010s5(1 EF3+)
- 2000s10
- 1990s9
- 1980s3(1 EF3+)
- 1970s3(2 EF3+)
- 1960s1(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 1973 | F4 | 22 mi | 9.8 mi | 4 / 36 |
| Jul 10, 1989 | F4 | 15 mi | 42 mi | 0 / 20 |
| May 22, 2014 | EF3 | 21 mi | 6.79 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 16, 1974 | F3 | 2 mi | 49.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 24, 1960 | F3 | 18 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 9 |
| May 29, 2013 | EF2 | 20 mi | 12.8 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 21, 2003 | F2 | 11 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 21, 2003 | F2 | 22 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 7 |
| May 31, 1998 | F2 | 9 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 3, 1997 | F2 | 17 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 29, 1995 | F2 | 24 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 29, 2013 | EF1 | 17 mi | 0.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 31, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Selkirk
The Storm Prediction Center has 117 hail reports within 10 miles of Selkirk since 1965, made on 62 separate days. Of these, 62 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on June 8, 2011. The most recent report is from August 15, 2024. June and July have the most reports, 35 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Selkirk
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Alcove Dam, NY, 8 miles southwest of Selkirk at 607 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 80°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 32°F and 13°F. October is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.2 inches; the year adds up to 42.5 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 56% of the year's precipitation (24.0 of 42.5 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 4 days a year, almost all from July to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 155 nights a year. Snowfall averages 45.7 inches a year, most of it in February. That 42.5 inches is more than at 61 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (45%). Glenmont, 4 miles north, has its own station (Albany Airport, NY): 40.9 inches a year, 1.6 less than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 13 | 2.6 | 6 | 11.4 |
| Feb | 34 | 13 | 2.2 | 5 | 11.6 |
| Mar | 43 | 22 | 3.3 | 6 | 9.8 |
| Apr | 56 | 34 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.8 |
| May | 68 | 45 | 3.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 75 | 54 | 4.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 80 | 59 | 3.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 78 | 58 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 71 | 50 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 59 | 39 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 47 | 29 | 2.9 | 5 | 0.6 |
| Dec | 37 | 21 | 3.5 | 6 | 11.4 |
| Year | 57 | 36 | 42.5 | 81 | 45.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Alcove Dam, NY (607 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 Selkirk
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 460 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Selkirk: 332 thunderstorm wind reports, 68 flash floods, 44 floods, 9 lightning strikes and 7 heavy rain events. They killed 2 people and injured 17, and the NWS estimated $13.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 24, 2013. August has had the most flash floods, 44 of 68. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 583 have had fewer than Selkirk.
April 16, 2007: flood 4 miles from the centre of Selkirk — 1 killed, 1 injured.
August 28, 2011: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Selkirk — 1 killed.
August 14, 2002: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Selkirk — 9 injured, $10,000 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 Selkirk's ZIP code 12158 have filed 19 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1996, and were paid $641,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 84% 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, 104 have fewer than Selkirk.
Albany County, which includes Selkirk, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1987, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 severe storms, 6 snowstorms, 5 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 20, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Albany County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $64.3 million a year, the 15th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $43.4 million (67%), 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.