Delaware County, New York severe weather history spans 548 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 58.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #735 nationally and #23 in New York.
548
Recorded events
14
Direct deaths
4
Direct injuries
$372.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Delaware County, New York severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Delaware County, New York severe weather history averages 7.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 160 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 34 events fall before 1990 and 514 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Delaware County, New York record is flash flood, responsible for 13 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $331.7M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Delaware County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 318 | 1 | $2.1M | 80 | 1962–2026 |
| Hail | 107 | 0 | $95K | 2.5 | 1956–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 84 | 13 | $331.7M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 22 | 0 | $36.1M | 0 | 2006–2022 |
| Tornado | 11 | 0 | $2.3M | F3 | 1986–2023 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $126K | 0 | 2002–2020 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2010 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2008 |
Decade by decade
Delaware County, New York severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
12 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 9 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-05-31 | EF3 | 0 | 12 | 62.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1986-10-01 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-09-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-09-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-05-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2002-05-31 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-06-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-06-21 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-08-12 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 3.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-04-19 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 3.2 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Delaware County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 19, 1996 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 6 | 0 | $9.3M |
| Jun 19, 2007 | Flash Flood | COLCHESTER | 4 | 0 | $30.0M |
| Jun 27, 2006 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 2 | 0 | $250.0M |
| Jun 30, 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | HORTON | 1 | 1 | $115K |
| Aug 28, 2011 | Flash Flood | FLEISCHMANNS | 1 | 0 | $5.0M |
| Nov 9, 1996 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 2 | $500K |
| May 31, 2002 | Tornado | LORDVILLE | 0 | 1 | $10K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Catastrophic flash flooding occurred through the town of Fleischmanns. Homes were washed off foundations, slamming into other homes. Over 200 people were evacuated before the flash flood hit. Some people who did not evacuate had to be rescued. One woman was killed when the building she was in collapsed due to the flood waters.
Heavy rain with amounts of 4 to 6 inches caused flash flooding. The rain which fell from the 16th to the 18th was due to the remnants of hurricane Ivan. Most streams and creeks went out of their banks. In addition the east and west branches of the Delaware River and the Beaver Kill had major flooding. 7 people were rescued by a New York State Police helicopter that NWS Binghamton recommended to be put into use. 26 homes were destroyed with another 60 with major damage and 60 more with minor damage. 15 businesses were affected. 2 campgrounds were destroyed. This was the worst flooding since hurricane Diane in 1955.
Heavy rain from thunderstorms caused significant flash flooding. All roads in the towns of Andes, Stamford and Middletown were closed, and States of Emergency were declared. The flash flooding caused up to 10 million dollars worth of damage to roads and bridges.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
44,487
Population (ACS)
$183K
Median home value
39
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 24, 2024 | Tropical Storm | REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM DEBBY | DR |
| Aug 22, 2021 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HENRI | EM |
| Mar 20, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Oct 1, 2018 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 12, 2017 | Snowstorm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Delaware County, New York?
548 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 14 direct deaths and $372.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Delaware County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 318 recorded events — 58.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Delaware County?
12 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 9 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Delaware County?
39 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Delaware County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Delaware County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Delaware County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 83 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Delaware County, New York severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Cortland County 433
- Dutchess County 955
- Columbia County 826
- Erie County 790
- Clinton County 359
- Essex County 395
Cite this page
“Delaware County, New York.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-york/delaware-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.