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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Chatham, NY

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

27 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Chatham, New York since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 30 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
3

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
24

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
30

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
4

7 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Chatham

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Chatham, New York, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2020IsaiasAug 427 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
2011IreneAug 2820 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 3
1999FloydSep 1772 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1996BerthaJul 1372 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1985GloriaSep 2750 miCategory 1 (85 mph)Category 4
1979DavidSep 652 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 5
1976BelleAug 1050 miTropical storm (49 mph)Category 3
1972AgnesJun 2365 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1971DoriaAug 2832 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1968Unnamed 1968 stormSep 1141 miTropical storm (60 mph)Tropical storm
1960BrendaJul 3062 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1952AbleSep 131 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 2
1949Unnamed 1949 stormAug 2933 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 4
1938Unnamed 1938 stormSep 2129 miCategory 1 (91 mph)Category 5
1934Unnamed 1934 stormSep 970 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 2
1929Unnamed 1929 stormOct 356 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 3023 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 1
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 557 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1899Unnamed 1899 stormNov 14 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 2
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2912 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2416 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 3
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 2261 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 2319 miTropical storm (70 mph)Category 2
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 3063 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1866Unnamed 1866 stormOct 305 miTropical storm (54 mph)Tropical storm
1863Unnamed 1863 stormSep 1924 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 2855 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Chatham: 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 Chatham

By decade

  • 2010s2
  • 2000s12
  • 1990s9(1 EF3+)
  • 1980s1(1 EF3+)
  • 1970s5(2 EF3+)
  • 1950s1
Strongest tornadoes near Chatham, New York
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Aug 28, 1973F49 mi9.8 mi4 / 36
May 29, 1995F413 mi11.5 mi3 / 24
Jul 10, 1989F423 mi42 mi0 / 20
Jun 16, 1974F313 mi49.1 mi0 / 0
Jul 21, 2003F217 mi1.5 mi0 / 7
Jul 21, 2003F27 mi1.3 mi0 / 1
May 31, 1998F217 mi8 mi0 / 0
Jul 3, 1997F224 mi3.7 mi0 / 0
Jul 3, 1997F23 mi1.5 mi0 / 0
Jul 3, 1997F222 mi4.5 mi0 / 0
May 29, 1995F210 mi15 mi0 / 5
Jul 13, 1975F223 mi0.3 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 30, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Chatham while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

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