Suffolk County, New York Hurricane History

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

Since 1858, 28 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Suffolk County, New York — about one every 6.0 years. Of those, 11 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Elsa (2021), which passed 18 miles away on 9 July 2021.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

6.0

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 3 · 3Cat 2 · 3Cat 1 · 5TS / TD · 17

The 28 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 3 of them reached Cat 3.

Key facts

Most recentElsa (2021) — 18 mi away, 9 July 2021
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1938) — 105 kt (121 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1897) — 9.9 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1938) — 20.0 miles
Passes within 25 miles15 of 28
Peak monthSeptember — 16 storms (57% of all)
Most active year1861 — 2 storms
Most active decade1960s — 4 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi3
Record span1858–2021

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Suffolk County, New York, September is the most active month, with 16 of the 28 recorded storms (57%). The primary season runs July to September, accounting for 86% of all activity. The 1960s was the most active decade on record, with 4 storms. 3 of the 28 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	1	0	3	5	16	2	1	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1850s 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.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
1	3	3	1	2	1	0	0	2	1	2	4	1	2	3	1	0	1

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Elsa (2021)	9 Jul 2021	18.1 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Hanna (2008)	7 Sep 2008	21.3 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Floyd (1999)	17 Sep 1999	20.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Bertha (1996)	13 Jul 1996	30.1 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Bob (1991)	19 Aug 1991	44.7 mi	Cat 2	91 kt
Gloria (1985)	27 Sep 1985	28.2 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Henri (1985)	24 Sep 1985	14.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Belle (1976)	10 Aug 1976	26.8 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1968)	11 Sep 1968	25.0 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1961)	15 Sep 1961	24.6 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Donna (1960)	12 Sep 1960	20.0 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Brenda (1960)	30 Jul 1960	32.2 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Diane (1955)	19 Aug 1955	14.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Carol (1954)	31 Aug 1954	25.9 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	15 Sep 1944	25.9 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1938)	21 Sep 1938	20.0 mi	Cat 3	105 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	9 Sep 1934	16.1 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1908)	30 May 1908	25.7 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Unnamed Storm (1897)	24 Sep 1897	9.9 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	10 Oct 1894	14.7 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	24 Sep 1882	10.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	19 Aug 1879	46.1 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1874)	30 Sep 1874	34.8 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	26 Oct 1872	17.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1869)	8 Sep 1869	41.5 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	3 Nov 1861	20.8 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	28 Sep 1861	38.9 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1858)	16 Sep 1858	25.9 mi	Cat 1	80 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 16 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 9 most recent.

Storm	Status	Closest approach	Distance	Wind
Ida (2021)	Post-tropical	2 Sep 2021	24.4 mi	40 kt
Henri (2021)	Remnant low	24 Aug 2021	31.5 mi	20 kt
Andrea (2013)	Post-tropical	8 Jun 2013	16.7 mi	40 kt
Barry (2007)	Post-tropical	4 Jun 2007	35.2 mi	35 kt
Charley (2004)	Post-tropical	15 Aug 2004	44.6 mi	32 kt
Gordon (2000)	Post-tropical	20 Sep 2000	4.1 mi	25 kt
Chris (1988)	Post-tropical	30 Aug 1988	46.7 mi	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	Post-tropical	19 Jun 1934	9.0 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	Post-tropical	15 Sep 1904	27.3 mi	70 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1858–2025. 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 Suffolk 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, Suffolk County, New York ranks #567 — more exposed than 74.3% of them. Within New York it ranks #1 of 61, against a state average of 8.0 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1938) passed 20 miles away on 21 September 1938 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Carol (1954) passed 26 miles away on 31 August 1954 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1869) passed 42 miles away on 8 September 1869 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Bob (1991) passed 45 miles away on 19 August 1991 as a hurricane, reaching 91 kt (105 mph) while within 50 miles.

27 of the 28 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 6.0 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 28 storms spread over the 168 years from 1858 to 2025. 3 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 26 years, between 1908 and 1934. It has been 4 years since the last one; 15 of the 24 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Suffolk County, New York?

11 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Suffolk County, New York at hurricane strength since 1858. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 28.

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

Bob (1991), on 19 August 1991, passing 45 miles away — 35 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Elsa (2021) in 2021.

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

Unnamed Storm (1938), which reached 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 20 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Suffolk County, New York?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 6.0 years — 28 storms over the 168 years from 1858 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Suffolk County, New York borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut has 31 on record.

South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut31 storms within 50 mi Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, Connecticut29 storms within 50 mi Nassau County, New York27 storms within 50 mi Washington County, Rhode Island27 storms within 50 mi