NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Shirley, 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
60 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Shirley, New York since 1851, 12 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 26 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 12
- Tropical storms
- 48
- Tornadoes
- 26
- 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 Shirley
The strongest storm to pass near Shirley was an unnamed storm in 1938, a Category 3 hurricane with 120 mph winds when its centre passed 2 miles away. The record near Shirley begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 14 miles away. Of the 60 systems, 8 have come since 2000. Shirley has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 87% of the 809 New York cities on this site. The highest rating among the 26 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 2 times; the most recent, on August 8, 1999, came within 23 miles. Of the 26, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 14 have come since 2000. August has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on September 25, 2022. Of the 809 New York cities, 58% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Shirley. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 19 times since 1989, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 809 New York cities, 83% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Shirley.
Compare Shirley's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Shirley
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 2 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | HenriAug 22 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 8 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 7 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | BarryJun 4 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2001 | AllisonJun 17 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 17 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1991 | BobAug 19 | 49 mi | Category 2 (106 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 18 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | HenriSep 24 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | BelleAug 10 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 22 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 2 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 11 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 19 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | CarolAug 31 | 31 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 21 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 15 | 24 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 3 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 21 | 2 mi | Category 3 (120 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 9 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 21 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 17 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormMay 30 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 30 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 20 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 14 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 24 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 2 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 30 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 50 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 25 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 12 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 12 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 24 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 19 | 45 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 5 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 26 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 8 | 46 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 3 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 16 | 31 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 20 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormOct 19 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Shirley: 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 Shirley
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s5
- 2000s3
- 1990s8
- 1980s3
- 1970s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 8, 1999 | F2 | 23 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 10, 1989 | F2 | 5 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 13, 2021 | EF1 | in town | 5.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 18, 2007 | EF1 | 17 mi | 0.67 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 30, 1998 | F1 | 13 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 30, 1998 | F1 | 13 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 19, 1991 | F1 | 11 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 19, 1991 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 5, 1981 | F1 | 19 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 18, 1973 | F1 | 10 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 25, 2022 | EF0 | 21 mi | 2.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 13, 2021 | EF0 | 18 mi | 8.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 26, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Shirley
The Storm Prediction Center has 19 hail reports within 10 miles of Shirley since 1989, made on 13 separate days. Of these, 6 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on July 10, 1989. The most recent report is from August 26, 2024. August has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Shirley
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Shirley Brookhaven Airport, NY, 2 miles north of Shirley at 82 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 39°F and 24°F. March is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and January and August the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 44.3 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 49% of the year's precipitation (21.5 of 44.3 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 60 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (24); a normal September there has highs of 74°F and 3.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 7 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 104 nights a year. That 44.3 inches is more than at 74 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (54%). Patchogue, 7 miles west, has its own station (Islip Li Macarthur Airport, NY): 46.1 inches a year, 1.8 more than here, and the same July average high, 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 24 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Feb | 41 | 25 | 3.1 | 6 |
| Mar | 47 | 31 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Apr | 58 | 40 | 4.1 | 7 |
| May | 68 | 49 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Jun | 77 | 60 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Jul | 83 | 66 | 3.2 | 5 |
| Aug | 81 | 65 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Sep | 74 | 57 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Oct | 64 | 46 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Nov | 54 | 37 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Dec | 45 | 29 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Year | 61 | 44 | 44.3 | 75 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Shirley Brookhaven Airport, NY (82 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 Shirley
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 71 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Shirley: 54 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 4 lightning strikes and 1 flood. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $156,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 8, 2008. August has had the most flash floods, 7 of 12. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 180 have had fewer than Shirley.
July 13, 2010: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Shirley — 2 injured.
July 26, 2012: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Shirley — 1 injured.
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 Shirley's ZIP code 11967 have filed 390 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $3.5 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Sandy in 2012: 125 claims (32% of all) and $2.6 million, then Torrential rain in 2005 with 55 and March 2010 Nor'easter in 2010 with 33. 70% 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, 482 have fewer than Shirley.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Sandy2012 | 125 | $2.6 million |
| Torrential rain2005 | 55 | $310,000 |
| March 2010 Nor'easter2010 | 33 | $187,000 |
| Blizzard of 19931993 | 11 | $28,000 |
| Hurricane Irene2011 | 11 | $69,000 |
Suffolk County, which includes Shirley, has been named in 36 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 25 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 hurricanes, 9 severe storms, 5 snowstorms, 3 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storm and Flooding, on October 21, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Suffolk County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for coastal flooding and lightning; Relatively High for hurricanes, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $320.5 million a year, the 3rd highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $193.3 million (60%), 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.