NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Waterford, 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
19 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Waterford, 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, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 17
- Tornadoes
- 29
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Waterford
The strongest storm to pass near Waterford was Gloria in 1985, a Category 1 hurricane with 83 mph winds when its centre passed 70 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1938, whose centre came within 33 miles. The record near Waterford begins with an unnamed storm in 1863; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 8 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1970s, with 4 systems. Of the 19 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Waterford has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 51% of the 809 New York cities on this site. The highest rating among the 29 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on May 22, 2014, came within 24 miles. Of the 29, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 11 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 10. The most recent tornado was on August 29, 2020. Waterford has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 50% of the 809 New York cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 148 times since 1958, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Waterford has more hail reports within 10 miles than 97% of the 809 New York cities.
Compare Waterford's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Waterford
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 70 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | BelleAug 10 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 21 | 33 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormOct 1 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 24 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Waterford: 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 Waterford
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s6(1 EF3+)
- 2000s3
- 1990s9(1 EF3+)
- 1980s3
- 1970s4(1 EF3+)
- 1960s2(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2014 | EF3 | 24 mi | 6.79 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1998 | F3 | 8 mi | 30.5 mi | 0 / 68 |
| Jun 16, 1974 | F3 | 9 mi | 49.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 24, 1960 | F3 | 7 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 9 |
| May 29, 2013 | EF2 | 14 mi | 12.8 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 31, 1998 | F2 | 16 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 28, 1973 | F2 | 10 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 29, 2020 | EF1 | 9 mi | 2.17 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 29, 2020 | EF1 | 9 mi | 0.26 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 21, 2019 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 29, 2013 | EF1 | 6 mi | 0.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 4, 2011 | EF1 | 21 mi | 6.97 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 Waterford
The Storm Prediction Center has 148 hail reports within 10 miles of Waterford since 1958, made on 85 separate days. Of these, 86 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on July 25, 1972. The most recent report is from September 7, 2023. June has the most reports, 45.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Waterford
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Troy L&D, NY, 4 miles south of Waterford at 15 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 34°F and 17°F. June and July are the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 42.0 inches over 83 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 57% of the year's precipitation (23.9 of 42.0 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 19 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal August there has highs of 84°F and 3.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 13 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 131 nights a year. That 42.0 inches is more than at 57 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (42%). Latham, 6 miles southwest, has its own station (Albany Airport, NY): 40.9 inches a year, 1.1 less than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 17 | 2.7 | 6 |
| Feb | 37 | 18 | 2.4 | 5 |
| Mar | 46 | 26 | 2.9 | 6 |
| Apr | 60 | 38 | 3.1 | 7 |
| May | 73 | 49 | 3.8 | 8 |
| Jun | 81 | 59 | 4.6 | 8 |
| Jul | 86 | 64 | 4.6 | 8 |
| Aug | 84 | 62 | 3.9 | 7 |
| Sep | 77 | 54 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Oct | 64 | 43 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Nov | 51 | 33 | 2.8 | 6 |
| Dec | 40 | 25 | 3.2 | 7 |
| Year | 61 | 41 | 42.0 | 83 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Troy L&D, NY (15 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 Waterford
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 522 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Waterford: 386 thunderstorm wind reports, 60 flash floods, 58 floods, 10 lightning strikes and 8 heavy rain events. They killed 2 people and injured 8, and the NWS estimated $4.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 115 mph, on July 6, 1999. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 569 have had fewer than Waterford.
June 27, 2007: lightning strike 1 mile from the centre of Waterford — 1 killed.
NWS: “Lightning struck a steel pylon at Alcathys Marina, adjacent to where a 17 year old male was standing. The male was knocked unconscious, and was transported to a nearby hospital.”
October 7, 2020: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Waterford — 1 killed.
April 22, 1996: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Waterford — 3 injured, $20,000 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 Waterford's ZIP code 12188 have filed 335 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $6.0 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Irene in 2011: 126 claims (38% of all) and $3.8 million, then Flooding in 1996 with 80 and Torrential rain in 2005 with 13. 68% 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, 469 have fewer than Waterford.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irene2011 | 126 | $3.8 million |
| Flooding1996 | 80 | $1.4 million |
| Torrential rain2005 | 13 | $84,000 |
Saratoga County, which includes Waterford, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1987, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 5 snowstorms, 4 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 20, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Saratoga 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 $53.0 million a year, the 19th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $38.3 million (72%), 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.