Hamilton County, New York severe weather history spans 189 recorded events between 1973 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 65.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,505 nationally and #59 in New York.
189
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$80.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Hamilton County, New York severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Hamilton County, New York severe weather history averages 3.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 59 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 18 events fall before 1990 and 171 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Hamilton County, New York record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $76.5M in reported property damage. In total, 5 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Hamilton County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 124 | 2 | $76.5M | 65 | 1978–2026 |
| Hail | 25 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1978–2017 |
| Flood | 23 | 0 | $3.8M | 0 | 2006–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 10 | 0 | $111K | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Tornado | 7 | 0 | $250K | F2 | 1973–2024 |
Decade by decade
Hamilton 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
7 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 7 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-08-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-07-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-07-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-07-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-09-03 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-11-16 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1979-07-21 | EF0 | 0 | 1 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Hamilton County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 15, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Eighth Lake | 1 | 1 | $100K |
| Jul 15, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Lila | 1 | 1 | $100K |
| Jul 15, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Forked Lake | 0 | 1 | $100K |
| Jul 15, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Lake | 0 | 1 | $100K |
| Jul 22, 1979 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The combination of heavy rainfall and beaver dam failures resulted in the destruction of roads, bridges and sidewalks in the areas of Long Lake and Blue Mountain Lake. This included Route 28N between Blue Mountain Lake and the Essex County line toward Newcomb and Route 30 from Long Lake to the Franklin County line heading toward Tupper Lake. Nearby homes were also flooded.
Extensive flooding occurred along the Sacandaga River from Wells to Benson. Route 30 was impassable in several areas with water over the road. Widespread flooding occurred in Wells with water entering some residences, prompting rescues by airboat. The river reached a record crest of 12.26 feet at Hope, and was over major flood stage between 2330EST 31 October and 1515EST 1 November.
From January 8 to January 10, mild weather along with significant rain and snowmelt resulted in small stream flooding across Hamilton County. There were road closures throughout the county due to ponding of water and small stream flooding. Some specific road closures and washouts included: Big Brook Road at Indian Lake, North Point Road at Long Lake, Bear Creek Road, Hope Falls Road and Cherry Beach at Lake Pleasant.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
5,089
Population (ACS)
$260K
Median home value
18
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2024 | Flood | SEVERE STORM, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 22, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 20, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Dec 19, 2019 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, 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 Hamilton County, New York?
189 events are on record between 1973 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $80.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Hamilton County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 124 recorded events — 65.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Hamilton County?
7 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 7 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Hamilton County?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Hamilton County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Hamilton County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hamilton County as very low risk, placing it in the 15 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Hamilton 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
- Greene County 379
- Herkimer County 908
- Genesee County 224
- Jefferson County 343
- Fulton County 374
- Kings County 213
Cite this page
“Hamilton County, New York.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-york/hamilton-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.