NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Watertown, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Watertown, New York since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Hugo in 1989. Since 1950, 8 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 8
- 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 Watertown
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Watertown; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 72 mph winds when its centre passed 64 miles away. The record near Watertown begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm 55 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. None of the 5 systems has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 94% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Watertown. The highest rating among the 8 tornadoes within 25 miles is F1 or EF1, reached 4 times; the most recent, on July 8, 2014, came within 22 miles. Of the 8, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 4 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on September 9, 2024. Of the 809 New York cities, 94% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Watertown. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 9 times since 1968, with stones up to 1 inch (quarter size). Of the 809 New York cities, 94% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Watertown.
Compare Watertown's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Watertown
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | HugoSep 23 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 12 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Watertown: 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 Watertown
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s1
- 2000s2
- 1990s2
- 1980s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 8, 2014 | EF1 | 22 mi | 12.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 1, 2005 | F1 | 21 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 28, 1983 | F1 | 19 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 1, 1959 | F1 | 11 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 5, 2003 | F0 | 10 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 20, 1993 | F0 | 24 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 20, 1993 | F0 | 19 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 9, 2024 | Unrated | 15 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 8 of 8, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Watertown
The Storm Prediction Center has 9 hail reports within 10 miles of Watertown since 1968, made on 8 separate days. Of these, 5 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1 inch (quarter size), was reported on 4 days, most recently May 29, 2012. The most recent report is from July 11, 2019.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Watertown
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Watertown, NY, 2 miles east of Watertown at 497 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 80°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 29°F and 11°F. October is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and March the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 44.5 inches over 102 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 3 days a year, almost all from July to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 144 nights a year. Snowfall averages 116.4 inches a year, most of it in January. That 44.5 inches is more than at 79 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (58%). Dexter, 8 miles west, has its own station (Watertown International Airport, NY): 37.2 inches a year, 7.3 less than here, and a July average high of 79°F against 80°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Alexandria Bay, NY, 25 miles north, averaged 73°F in August and 34°F in February over 2021–2025. No month averaged 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 11 | 3.6 | 10 | 34.0 | 37 |
| Feb | 31 | 12 | 2.9 | 8 | 29.6 | 34 |
| Mar | 40 | 22 | 2.8 | 8 | 13.6 | 35 |
| Apr | 54 | 35 | 3.5 | 8 | 2.7 | 40 |
| May | 67 | 47 | 3.7 | 8 | 0.0 | 50 |
| Jun | 75 | 57 | 3.7 | 8 | 0.0 | 61 |
| Jul | 80 | 62 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 | 71 |
| Aug | 79 | 61 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 | 73 |
| Sep | 72 | 52 | 3.9 | 8 | 0.0 | 70 |
| Oct | 59 | 41 | 5.0 | 10 | 0.5 | 62 |
| Nov | 46 | 31 | 4.2 | 9 | 9.1 | 52 |
| Dec | 35 | 20 | 3.9 | 10 | 26.9 | 42 |
| Year | 55 | 37 | 44.5 | 102 | 116.4 | 52 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Watertown, NY (497 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Alexandria Bay, NY, from NOAA Tides & Currents. 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 Watertown
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 91 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Watertown: 76 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 floods and 1 flash flood. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $3.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on July 16, 2024.
April 28, 2011: flood 7 miles from the centre of Watertown — 1 killed, $250,000 damage.
April 1, 2005: flood 5 miles from the centre of Watertown — $1.0 million damage.
April 2, 2005: flood 5 miles from the centre of Watertown — $1.0 million 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 Watertown's ZIP code 13601 have filed 36 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $93,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 8% 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, 229 have fewer than Watertown.
Jefferson County, which includes Watertown, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 snowstorms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, on September 24, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Jefferson County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, hail, coastal flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $25.7 million a year, the 36th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $19.4 million (76%), 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 Watertown
- Fort Drum, NY6 mi
- Black River, NY7 mi
- Dexter, NY8 mi
- Adams Center, NY9 mi
- Evans Mills, NY9 mi
- Sackets Harbor, NY10 mi
- Copenhagen, NY12 mi
- Chaumont, NY13 mi
- Adams, NY14 mi
- Carthage, NY15 mi
- La Fargeville, NY15 mi
- Theresa, NY18 mi
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