NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Sidney, 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 Sidney, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 24 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 24
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Sidney
The strongest storm to pass near Sidney was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 77 mph winds when its centre passed 41 miles away. The record near Sidney begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 55 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 Sidney. The highest rating among the 24 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 31, 1998, came within 16 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on October 14, 1989, killed 2 people. Of the 24, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 12 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 6. The most recent tornado was on August 7, 2023. Of the 809 New York cities, 64% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Sidney. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 25 times since 1990, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 809 New York cities, 74% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Sidney.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Sidney
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 41 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Sidney: 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 Sidney
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s6
- 2000s3
- 1990s8(2 EF3+)
- 1980s2
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1998 | F3 | 22 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 3 |
| May 31, 1998 | F3 | 16 mi | 62 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Oct 14, 1989 | F2 | 23 mi | 2 mi | 2 / 3 |
| May 31, 1998 | F2 | 24 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF1 | 20 mi | 1.96 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF1 | 22 mi | 1.41 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 25, 2022 | EF1 | 15 mi | 2.29 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 2019 | EF1 | 17 mi | 2.15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 2, 2014 | EF1 | 12 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF1 | 19 mi | 3.39 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 26, 2011 | EF1 | 9 mi | 4.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 2004 | F1 | 14 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 24, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Sidney
The Storm Prediction Center has 25 hail reports within 10 miles of Sidney since 1990, made on 14 separate days. Of these, 13 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently September 11, 2013. The most recent report is from June 5, 2025. June has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Sidney
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Walton 2, NY, 15 miles southeast of Sidney at 1,480 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 79°F and low of 55°F; January is the coolest, at 32°F and 11°F. August is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 49.3 inches over 104 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 56% of the year's precipitation (27.7 of 49.3 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 173 nights a year. That 49.3 inches is more than at 119 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (87%). Bainbridge, 4 miles west, has its own station (Norwich, NY): 45.3 inches a year, 4.0 less than here, and a July average high of 81°F against 79°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 11 | 3.5 | 8 |
| Feb | 34 | 12 | 2.6 | 7 |
| Mar | 43 | 19 | 3.5 | 8 |
| Apr | 56 | 31 | 4.2 | 9 |
| May | 67 | 41 | 4.2 | 11 |
| Jun | 75 | 50 | 5.0 | 10 |
| Jul | 79 | 55 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Aug | 78 | 54 | 5.2 | 9 |
| Sep | 71 | 47 | 4.6 | 8 |
| Oct | 60 | 36 | 4.7 | 9 |
| Nov | 47 | 27 | 3.7 | 8 |
| Dec | 36 | 19 | 3.6 | 9 |
| Year | 56 | 33 | 49.3 | 104 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Walton 2, NY (1,480 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 Sidney
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 154 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Sidney: 130 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods and 8 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $60.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 104 mph, on August 16, 2007. June has had the most flash floods, 6 of 16. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 247 have had fewer than Sidney.
September 2, 2014: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Sidney — 1 injured, $30,000 damage.
September 7, 2011: flood 4 miles from the centre of Sidney — $58.0 million damage.
September 7, 2011: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Sidney — $300,000 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 Sidney's ZIP code 13838 have filed 366 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $16.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Tropical Storm Lee in 2011: 189 claims (52% of all) and $9.1 million, then Flooding in 1996 with 12. 57% 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, 476 have fewer than Sidney.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Lee2011 | 189 | $9.1 million |
| Flooding1996 | 12 | $19,000 |
Delaware County, which includes Sidney, has been named in 39 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 27 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 severe storms, 7 floods, 5 hurricanes, 5 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, on September 24, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Delaware County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $35.5 million a year, the 24th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $30.9 million (87%), 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 Sidney
- Bainbridge, NY4 mi
- Unadilla, NY5 mi
- Afton, NY9 mi
- Otego, NY13 mi
- Oxford, NY15 mi
- Harpursville, NY15 mi
- Walton, NY15 mi
- South New Berlin, NY16 mi
- Deposit, NY16 mi
- Norwich, NY18 mi
- Greene, NY19 mi
- Windsor, NY20 mi
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