Putnam County, New York severe weather history spans 239 recorded events between 1968 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 61.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,185 nationally and #52 in New York.
239
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
13
Direct injuries
$28.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Putnam County, New York severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Putnam County, New York severe weather history averages 4.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 68 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 12 events fall before 1990 and 227 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $25.7M 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 Putnam County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 148 | 0 | $290K | 70 | 1968–2024 |
| Hail | 33 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1970–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 24 | 0 | $1.9M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 16 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 1996–2011 |
| Tornado | 6 | 0 | $25.7M | F2 | 1968–2018 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $575K | 0 | 1998–2008 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2007 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–1996 |
Decade by decade
Putnam 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
6 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-05-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-07-10 | EF2 | 0 | 5 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-07-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-05-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1968-08-09 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-06-29 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Putnam County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7, 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | CARMEL | 0 | 7 | $0 |
| Jul 10, 1989 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $25.0M | |
| Jun 23, 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | LAKE MAHOPAC | 0 | 1 | $20K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Based on a National Weather Service storm survey, done in|conjunction with the Putnam County Bureau of Emergency |Services, is been determined that an EF2 tornado with estimated |peak winds of 115 mph moved through Kent, New York. The tornado|originated near apartments at 1213 New York Route 52. It continued|down NY State Route 52, damaging some roofs in the strip mall at |the intersection of Route 52 and Farmers Mill Road, where it also|knocked down portions of the parapet above the Dunkin Donuts, and|snapped and uprooted some trees. The tornado lifted near 52 Bowen|Road in Kent. The most extensive damage was along Schuykill |Court, where dozens of large trees were uprooted and snapped, with|a convergent pattern to most of the fallen trees. Based on this |damage, the tornado was classified as an EF2, with estimated |maximum winds of around 115 mph.
Based on a National Weather Service storm survey, done in|conjunction with the Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services,|is been determined that an EF1 tornado with estimated peak winds |of 100 mph moved along a discontinuous path through Patterson, New|York. The tornado originated along NY State Route 22, north of |the intersection with Haviland Hollow Road, near the Watchtower |Educational Center. The tornado then tracked along East Branch|Road, turned left toward Putnam Lake, then lifted near the |intersection of East Branch Road and Fairfield Drive. The storm |snapped multiple trees along its path, not all of it continuous. |The most extensive damage occurred in the general vicinity of 706|East Branch Road, where multiple trees were uprooted and snapped,|lying in a convergent pattern, and where leaves were splattered on|three sides of the house. Based on this information, the tornado|was classified as an EF1 with estimated maximum winds of 100 mph.
A short-lived thunderstorm produced torrential rain and poor visibility in the town of Southeast. A motorcyclist, travelling too fast for the existing conditions on I-84 near the I-684 interchange, did not see the vehicle in front of him stopping and crashed into the rear of the slower moving vehicle. The motorcyclist sustained fatal injuries.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
98,107
Population (ACS)
$471K
Median home value
29
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 22, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 5, 2021 | Hurricane | REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IDA | DR |
| Sep 2, 2021 | Hurricane | REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IDA | EM |
| Aug 22, 2021 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HENRI | EM |
| Oct 2, 2020 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORM ISAIAS | DR |
| Mar 20, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Putnam County, New York?
239 events are on record between 1968 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $28.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Putnam County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 148 recorded events — 61.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Putnam County?
6 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 6 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Putnam County?
29 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Putnam County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Putnam County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Putnam County as very low risk, placing it in the 40 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Putnam 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
- Otsego County 664
- Queens County 385
- Oswego County 571
- Rensselaer County 804
- Orleans County 174
- Richmond County 204
Cite this page
“Putnam County, New York.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-york/putnam-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.