New York County, New York Hurricane History

No active tropical cyclones are within 500 miles of New York County, New York as of Thursday, 10 September 2026. Official forecasts at nhc.noaa.gov.

Since 1861, 22 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of New York County, New York — about one every 7.5 years. Of those, 4 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Fay (2020), which passed 15 miles away on 11 July 2020.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

7.5

Avg. years between

Years since the last

Storm tracks within 50 miles

TS / TDCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5

Each line is one storm track, coloured by the strongest category it reached while within 50 miles. The dashed ring marks that 50-mile radius; hairlines are one-degree graticule. Source: NOAA NHC HURDAT2.

How strong they get

Cat 1 · 4TS / TD · 18

The 22 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 4 of them reached Cat 1.

Key facts

Most recentFay (2020) — 15 mi away, 11 July 2020
Strongest stormGloria (1985) — 75 kt (86 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordDoria (1971) — 1.9 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles13 of 22
Peak monthSeptember — 11 storms (50% of all)
Most active year1861 — 1 storms
Most active decade1960s and 1970s — 3 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1861–2020

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In New York County, New York, September is the most active month, with 11 of the 22 recorded storms (50%). The primary season runs July to September, accounting for 91% of all activity. The 1960s and 1970s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 3 storms. 0 of the 22 storms were major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger) while within 50 miles.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	0	0	0	1	3	6	11	1	0	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1860s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 9 storms in 1950–1987 against 5 in 1988–2025.

1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
2	2	2	1	0	0	0	1	0	2	3	3	1	2	1	1	1

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Fay (2020)	11 Jul 2020	15.5 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Irene (2011)	28 Aug 2011	12.3 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Hanna (2008)	7 Sep 2008	23.3 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Floyd (1999)	17 Sep 1999	27.5 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Bertha (1996)	13 Jul 1996	18.1 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Gloria (1985)	27 Sep 1985	37.2 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Belle (1976)	10 Aug 1976	36.5 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Agnes (1972)	22 Jun 1972	11.9 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Doria (1971)	28 Aug 1971	1.9 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Unnamed Storm (1968)	11 Sep 1968	37.2 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1961)	15 Sep 1961	39.6 mi	TS / TD	54 kt
Brenda (1960)	30 Jul 1960	21.1 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Diane (1955)	19 Aug 1955	14.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Able (1952)	1 Sep 1952	38.0 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	9 Sep 1934	49.5 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	24 Aug 1893	6.5 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	22 Aug 1888	34.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	24 Sep 1882	48.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1874)	29 Sep 1874	14.8 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	26 Oct 1872	15.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1863)	19 Sep 1863	12.6 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	28 Sep 1861	20.1 mi	TS / TD	55 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 11 systems passed within 50 miles after losing tropical characteristics. These are excluded from the counts above because they were no longer tropical cyclones at their closest approach — but several were highly damaging, so they are listed here. Showing the 8 most recent.

Storm	Status	Closest approach	Distance	Wind
Ida (2021)	Post-tropical	2 Sep 2021	33.1 mi	38 kt
Gordon (2000)	Post-tropical	20 Sep 2000	38.5 mi	25 kt
Chris (1988)	Post-tropical	29 Aug 1988	16.7 mi	20 kt
Candy (1968)	Post-tropical	26 Jun 1968	48.6 mi	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	Post-tropical	19 Sep 1945	15.7 mi	28 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	Post-tropical	19 Jun 1934	26.3 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	17.0 mi	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	Post-tropical	4 Aug 1915	17.9 mi	49 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1861–2025. Tracks are recorded every six hours and are interpolated to one-hour steps before distances are measured, so closest-approach figures are not distorted by the sampling interval. Distances are measured to the county's Census internal point, not to its nearest boundary, so a storm listed at 55 miles may still have crossed the coastline — see Methodology. Records before about 1900 are sparser and less precise than modern ones, and storms that stayed at sea were less likely to be recorded at all.

How New York County, New York compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, New York County, New York ranks #725 — more exposed than 67.2% of them. Within New York it ranks #7 of 61, against a state average of 8.0 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 1 Gloria (1985) passed 37 miles away on 27 September 1985 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1893) passed 6 miles away on 24 August 1893 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Belle (1976) passed 36 miles away on 10 August 1976 as a hurricane, reaching 66 kt (76 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1934) passed 49 miles away on 9 September 1934 as a hurricane, reaching 65 kt (75 mph) while within 50 miles.

19 of the 22 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 7.5 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 22 storms spread over the 165 years from 1861 to 2025. 0 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 41 years, between 1893 and 1934. It has been 5 years since the last one; 10 of the 21 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit New York County, New York?

4 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of New York County, New York at hurricane strength since 1861. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 22.

When was the last hurricane in New York County, New York?

Gloria (1985), on 27 September 1985, passing 37 miles away — 41 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Fay (2020) in 2020.

What was the strongest storm to affect New York County, New York?

Gloria (1985), which reached 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 37 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit New York County, New York?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 7.5 years — 22 storms over the 165 years from 1861 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

New York County, New York borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Queens County, New York has 27 on record.

Queens County, New York27 storms within 50 mi Bronx County, New York23 storms within 50 mi Bergen County, New Jersey23 storms within 50 mi Kings County, New York23 storms within 50 mi Hudson County, New Jersey22 storms within 50 mi