444
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
19
Direct injuries
$2.4M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Otsego County, New York: 444 recorded events between 1961 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 90. That places the county #161 nationally and #14 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Otsego County, New York: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Otsego County is the 2020s, when 103 of the county's 444 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Otsego County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 66.9% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #161 for this hazard and #14 within New York, putting it in the 94.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Otsego County with 147 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1998 | COOPERSTOWN | 0 | 1 | 5 | $100K |
| Jun 17, 1986 | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| May 31, 1998 | COOPERSTOWN | 0 | 0 | 10 | $125K |
| Jul 3, 2023 | SCHENEVUS | 50 | 0 | 1 | $3K |
| Jul 17, 2010 | LAURENS | 50 | 0 | 1 | $2K |
| Aug 4, 2007 | EDMESTON | 50 | 0 | 1 | $3K |
| Jul 20, 1990 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 6, 2025 | WELLS BRIDGE | 50 | $1K |
| Jun 6, 2025 | GILBERTSVILLE | 50 | $1K |
| Jun 6, 2025 | UNADILLA | 50 | $1K |
| Apr 30, 2025 | MARYLAND | 56 | $0 |
| Apr 30, 2025 | MILFORD | 50 | $2K |
| Apr 30, 2025 | MORRIS | 50 | $3K |
| Jul 24, 2024 | GILBERTSVILLE | 50 | $8K |
| Jul 24, 2024 | GILBERTSVILLE | 50 | $3K |
| Jul 16, 2024 | WELLS BRIDGE | 50 | $1K |
| Jul 15, 2024 | WEST EXETER | 50 | $2K |
Other hazards here
More from Otsego County
- Hail 134
- Flash Flood 67
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Severe thunderstorms moved across the county during the afternoon. Trees and wires were blown down in Cooperstown and Laurens between 4:30 and 4:35 pm EDT. Numerous trees and wires were also downed by the wind in Schenevus at 4:45 pm and Oneonta at 4:50 pm EDT. Transmission towers and large signs were also toppled in Oneonta. Numerous roads were blocked due to the downed trees and many of them were closed for several hours. In Oneonta, a 32 year old man was struck and killed by a large tree limb. Several additonal injuries were sustained from flying debris.
Severe thunderstorms produced widespread damage across the county. Trees and wires were blown down in Cooperstown and northern Burlington Flats between 3:30 and 3:40 pm EDT. Several roads were blocked due to the downed trees and wires. People were trapped in their vehicles by falling trees and some sustained injury from flying debris, broken glass, or falling wires.
A National Weather Service storm survey found straight-line wind damage across southern Otsego and northern Delaware counties. Tree damage occurred along an 8 mile long and 6 mile wide stretch from Otego and Unadilla through Wells Bridge in Otsego county, into Sidney and Franklin in Delaware county. Two homes were damaged along the path. Estimated wind speeds were between 85 and 95 mph, rating an EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Otsego County, New York?
444 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Otsego County between 1961 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Otsego County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Otsego County measured 90.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Otsego County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Otsego County, New York.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-york/otsego-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.