NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Watkins Glen, 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
9 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Watkins Glen, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frances in 2004. Since 1950, 23 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 23
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Watkins Glen
The strongest storm to pass near Watkins Glen was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 77 mph winds when its centre passed 53 miles away. The record near Watkins Glen begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Frances in 2004, a tropical storm 49 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1970s, with 2 systems. Of the 9 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Watkins Glen. The strongest of the 23 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on August 30, 1955; its path came within 3 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on August 28, 1988, killed 1 person. Of the 23, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 11 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 7. The most recent tornado was on September 2, 2014. Of the 809 New York cities, 67% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Watkins Glen. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 34 times since 1960, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 809 New York cities, 60% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Watkins Glen.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Watkins Glen
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | FrancesSep 9 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 16 | 53 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 17 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 14 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Watkins Glen: 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 Watkins Glen
By decade
- 2010s9
- 2000s2
- 1990s3
- 1980s1
- 1970s2
- 1960s3
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30, 1955 | F3 | 3 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 17 mi | 0.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 28, 1990 | F2 | 9 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 28, 1988 | F1 | 9 mi | 13 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Aug 7, 1972 | F1 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Sep 2, 2014 | EF1 | 21 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 13, 2014 | EF1 | 4 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 2012 | EF1 | 22 mi | 13.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 2012 | EF1 | 19 mi | 8.81 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 2012 | EF1 | 18 mi | 2.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 2012 | EF1 | 24 mi | 0.26 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 20 mi | 2.06 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 23, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Watkins Glen
The Storm Prediction Center has 34 hail reports within 10 miles of Watkins Glen since 1960, made on 27 separate days. Of these, 24 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 7 days, most recently May 22, 2014. The most recent report is from July 3, 2025. May has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Watkins Glen
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Mecklenburg 4SW, NY, 9 miles northeast of Watkins Glen at 1,510 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 79°F and low of 56°F; January is the coolest, at 30°F and 14°F. June is the wettest at 4.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.0 inches; the year adds up to 39.0 inches over 88 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 3 days a year, almost all from July. Lows fall below freezing on about 156 nights a year. That 39.0 inches is more than at 36 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (26%). Beaver Dams, 7 miles southwest, has its own station (Elmira Corning Regional Airport, NY): 32.4 inches a year, 6.6 less than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 79°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 14 | 2.3 | 6 |
| Feb | 33 | 15 | 2.0 | 6 |
| Mar | 40 | 21 | 2.7 | 6 |
| Apr | 53 | 32 | 3.3 | 8 |
| May | 67 | 43 | 3.2 | 8 |
| Jun | 74 | 52 | 4.3 | 8 |
| Jul | 79 | 56 | 3.9 | 9 |
| Aug | 77 | 55 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Sep | 71 | 48 | 4.1 | 7 |
| Oct | 58 | 39 | 4.1 | 10 |
| Nov | 46 | 30 | 2.8 | 6 |
| Dec | 35 | 21 | 2.6 | 7 |
| Year | 55 | 36 | 39.0 | 88 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Mecklenburg 4SW, NY (1,510 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 Watkins Glen
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 125 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Watkins Glen: 107 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods, 1 flood and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $6.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on July 15, 2024. June has had the most flash floods, 7 of 16. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 247 have had fewer than Watkins Glen.
July 5, 2019: lightning strike 2 miles from the centre of Watkins Glen — 2 injured.
May 2, 2025: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Watkins Glen — 1 injured, $126,000 damage.
June 14, 2015: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Watkins Glen — $2.6 million damage.
NWS: “Numerous roads were flooded in the region.”
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 Watkins Glen's ZIP code 14891 have filed 10 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $46,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. Of the 549 New York cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 0 have fewer than Watkins Glen.
Schuyler County, which includes Watkins Glen, has been named in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1970, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 floods, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 20, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Schuyler County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.0 million a year, the 61st highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.5 million (75%), 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 Watkins Glen
- Montour Falls, NY4 mi
- Beaver Dams, NY7 mi
- Dundee, NY10 mi
- Horseheads, NY14 mi
- Savona, NY14 mi
- Hammondsport, NY15 mi
- Big Flats, NY16 mi
- Trumansburg, NY16 mi
- Newfield, NY16 mi
- Painted Post, NY17 mi
- Corning, NY18 mi
- Campbell, NY18 mi
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