Warren County
Population 65,020 (2025) 867 sq mi
Property owners in Warren County have filed 116 federal flood insurance claims since 1978, 52nd most of 62 counties in New York.
Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- Tornado damage paths since 19507
- Tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles since 1851, wider where stronger13
- Major flood years since 19781
At a glance
The record for Warren County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.
Tropical cyclones within 50 mi
4
31st of 62 in New York
None at hurricane strength since 1851
DetailsStrongest tornado
EF1
May 29, 2020, 8.6 mile path
Strongest tropical cyclone
TS
Tropical storm (unnamed), 1893, 36.7 miles away
Tornadoes
About one every 11 years since 1950, none rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
May 29, 2020
EF1, 8.6 mile path
433 yards wide.
Most recent
Tuesday, July 16, 2024
EF0, 9.6 mile path
2 years ago.
Every recorded tornado
| Jul 16, 2024 | EF0 | 9.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | EF1 | 4.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 29, 2020 | EF0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 29, 2020 | EF1 | 8.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 8, 2014 | EF0 | 1.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 18, 1985 | F0 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 9, 1978 | F1 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Warren County: 0.
- Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.
Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
4 passed within 50 miles since 1851; none at hurricane strength.
Strongest within 50 miles
August 24, 1893
Unnamed storm, Tropical storm
36.7 miles at closest approach, winds near 69 mph.
Most recent
August 4, 2020
Isaias, Tropical storm
9.7 miles at closest approach.
Every storm within 100 miles
| Isaias | 2020 | 9.7 | Tropical storm |
| Irene | 2011 | 44.9 | Tropical storm |
| Gloria | 1985 | 84.7 | Category 1 |
| David | 1979 | 0.0 | Post-tropical |
| Belle | 1976 | 77.6 | Tropical storm |
| Agnes | 1972 | 97.9 | Post-tropical |
| Doria | 1971 | 64.0 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1968 | 53.1 | Tropical storm |
| Brenda | 1960 | 99.9 | Tropical storm |
| Able | 1952 | 82.0 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1949 | 20.7 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1938 | 9.5 | Post-tropical |
| Unnamed | 1934 | 96.3 | Post-tropical |
| Unnamed | 1929 | 0.0 | Post-tropical |
| Unnamed | 1924 | 62.8 | Post-tropical |
| Unnamed | 1923 | 91.5 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1899 | 44.6 | Post-tropical |
| Unnamed | 1893 | 58.6 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1893 | 36.7 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1878 | 37.1 | Post-tropical |
| Unnamed | 1866 | 15.8 | Post-tropical |
| Unnamed | 1863 | 85.5 | Tropical storm |
- Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.
National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.
Wildfire and smoke
No large wildfire has been mapped here since satellite mapping began in 1984.
Smoke overhead
Smokiest year
2023: 52 days
Heavy smoke on 9 days in 2023, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
15.8 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
21 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 16 so far in 2026.
- A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.
NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Floods and flood insurance
116 federal flood insurance claims since 1978, with $1.8 million paid.
Most claims in one year
2011: 31 claims
$982,000 paid.
2nd most
1981: 10 claims
$93,000 paid.
3rd most
2019: 8 claims
$210,000 paid.
Claims by ZIP code
| 12846 | 31 | $810,000 |
| 12845 | 19 | $560,000 |
| 12804 | 12 | $45,000 |
| 12885 | 10 | $5,504 |
| 12860 | 7 | $61,000 |
| 5 | $31,000 |
Flood events since 1996
- Flood74
- Flash Flood34
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.
River crests
Most severe crest
March 21, 1936
Schroon River at Riverbank, 12.18 ft
5.18 feet above the 7.0 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.
Most recent moderate or major crest
December 20, 2023
Schroon River at Riverbank, 8.91 ft
Moderate flooding.
River gauges
| Hudson River at North Creek | 10.0 | 13.65 ft | 1 |
| Schroon River at Riverbank | 7.0 | 12.18 ft | 6 |
- Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.
NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 63 of 1,581 months since 1895 (4%); the longest spell lasted 17 months.
63
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
17
Months in extreme drought
4%
Share of all months, severe or worse
2
Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996
Lowest reading
July 1965
−5.29, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
17 months
September 1964 to January 1966.
Latest month
September 2026
−1.73, mild drought
Last severe month: January 2002.
- The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.
NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.
Earthquakes and landslides
5 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 5.1 in 1983.
1
Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973
17
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
5
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
1
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
October 7, 1983
The 1983 Blue Mountain Lake, New York Earthquake; 14.6 miles away, 7.8 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
March 11, 2020
Magnitude 3.1
0 km SSW of South Glens Falls, New York; 1.7 miles away.
Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles
| Oct 7, 1983 | 5.1 | 14.6 |
| Nov 3, 1975 | 4.0 | 23.9 |
| Apr 10, 1962 | 4.2 | 31.5 |
| Apr 20, 1931 | 4.7 | Inside |
| Feb 2, 1916 | 4.1 | 19.2 |
- Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
- Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Mapped landslides
2
Landslides mapped, probable or better
2
With a recorded date
1
Source inventory
Mapped by NASA (2).
- Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.
USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.
Severe weather and other events
1,184 events in the National Weather Service record, 1,100 of them since 1996.
35
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
4
Hail, 2 inches or larger
209
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
363
Winter weather events since 1996
60
Heat events since 1996
148
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
June 9, 1968
3.50 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
September 27, 2007
100 mph
More event types since 1996
| Lightning | 10 | 1 |
Costliest events since 1996
- May 28, 2011Flash Flood$12.6 million
National Weather Service narrative
Numerous roads were closed due to flash flooding and damage from heavy rainfall from training thunderstorms in Thurman, Stony Creek, Warrensburg and Chestertown including the following: Mountain Road, High Street, River Road, Harrisburg Road, South Garnet Road, Combs Road (severe damage), Dippikill Road, Green Mansions Road, Stock Farm Road, and Route 9 between Warrensburg and Chestertown.||In Stony Creek, an elderly woman was rescued from her trailer alongside a creek off Murray Road; her home and another trailer were destroyed by the flood waters. Also, a man was rescued from the roof of his home on Warrensburg Road. Some residents of South Garnet Road were stranded in their…
- Jun 13, 2005Flash Flood$6.5 million
National Weather Service narrative
Flash flooding occurred in Warren County during the evening hours of June13 through the early morning hours of June 14. The flash flooding was focusedfrom central Lake George westward. At 630 PM EST, it was reported that waterwas flowing down Dowen Mountain, and that road culverts were running like rivers.At 730 PM EST, it was reported that Interstate I-87, the Northway, was closed dueto a mud slide between exists 23 and 25. At 812 PM, it was reported that numerousroads were closed in the Bolton and Chestertown due to flooding. At 1205 AM onJune 14, it was reported that Interstate 87, the Northway, was washed out at milepost67, and that vast amounts of water were flowing over the highway.
- Jan 19, 1996Flood, Northern Warren$3.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
An intense area of low pressure which was located over the Mid-Atlantic region on Friday morning January 19th produced unseasonably warm temperatures, high dewpoints and strong winds. This resulted in rapid melting of one to three feet of snow. In addition to the rapid snowmelt one to three inches of rain fell as the system moved northeast along the coast. This resulted in the flooding of many small streams and rivers within the county. Federal Disaster Assistance was made available by presidential declaration. In Lake George Village widespread flooding occurred and seven families had to be evacuated. Many roads were closed throughout the county due to flooding including 16 county…
- Oct 31, 2019Flash Flood$1.8 million
National Weather Service narrative
Two bridges were washed out on Padanarum Road, and one mile of gravel road needs to be fully replaced.
- Jan 13, 2018Flood$1.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Flooding occurred along the Hudson River between Warrensburg and The Glen due to an ice jam. People were stranded in houses on Glen Creek Road and one family was evacuated. The water eroded a portion of River Road in the town of Thurman and flooded the Glen Hudson campsite, prompting an evacuation of the owners. The water and ice also spread onto Cronin's Golf Course. To the south, water and ice flowed over the Route 418 bridge, resulting in an extended closure for the better part of 12 days. Stony Creek Road was also flooded near Cameron Road.
- Apr 28, 2011Flood$676,000
National Weather Service narrative
Flooding occurred along the Hudson River in Warren County from North River southward to the Saratoga County line. Numerous towns reported flooding of roadways, houses and riverside camps. Some properties had several feet of water in them. The following major thoroughfares were closed due to flooding Thursday, April 28th, well into Friday, April 29th: East River Drive in Lake Luzerne, Route 28 and 28N in the Town of Johnsburg and Route 418 in Thurman. The river gauge at North Creek on the Hudson River reached a record crest of 13.65 feet early Friday morning (flood stage is 10 feet). ||The North Creek Trailer Park on Route 28 in the Town of Johnsburg was evacuated Thursday…
- Oct 31, 2019Flash Flood$600,000
National Weather Service narrative
Eleven roads in the town of Thurman were damaged due to flooding.
- Apr 16, 2001Flood, Warren$500,000
National Weather Service narrative
The runoff from rapid snowmelt, caused the Schroon River in Warren County to rise out of its banks around midday, on April 16th. The gage at Riverbank reached the flood stage of 7.0 feet at that time. The river continued to swell, and did not crest until the gauge reached 10.1 feet, early on April 24. This was the highest level recorded in 50 years. Portions of Route 413 became inundated, as did many homes in the towns of Chester, Pottersville, Horicon and Warrensburg. A number of residents had to be evacuated and a few bridges were closed. After the 24th, the river slowly receded, but remained above flood stage for the remainder of the month.
- Sep 16, 1999High Wind, Warren$350,000
National Weather Service narrative
The remnants of Hurricane Floyd moved up the eastern seaboard on September 16 and during the early hours on September 17. The storm brought both high winds and exceptionally heavy rainfall to eastern New York, which included a large swath of 3 to 6 inch amounts. A frontal zone helped concentrate the heaviest rain just to the west of the Hudson Valley in the eastern Catskills and Helderbergs . Locally higher amounts of rainfall, exceeding a foot, fell in these areas. Specific rainfall amounts included 6.12 inches at Albany International Airport, the highest ever officially recorded from any given storm! Even higher amounts of rainfall included 8.15 inches in Delmar and 9 inches at…
- Oct 31, 2019Flood$212,000
National Weather Service narrative
There were six roads in the town of Horicon that were damaged or washed out by flooding.
- Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.
Weather records
From Glens Falls Airport, 6.3 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1944.
- All-time high
- 100°FJul 10, 1988
- All-time low
- −35°FJan 27, 1994
- Warmest night
- 76°FJul 5, 1999
- Coldest day
- −7°FJan 15, 1957
- Wettest day
- 3.67 inAug 28, 2011
- Snowiest day
- 28.0 inFeb 16, 1958
- Hottest year
- 1998mean 48.9°F
- Coldest year
- 1976mean 43.1°F
- Wettest year
- 198354.40 in
- Driest year
- 196421.76 in
Station Glens Falls Airport (USW00014750), 321 ft elevation, 6.3 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1944 to October 26, 2026; 99.8% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.
NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.
Federal disaster declarations
19 since 1953. The most recent: Covid-19 Pandemic, March 20, 2020.
| Mar 20, 2020 | Biological | DR-4480-NY |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3434-NY |
| Dec 19, 2019 | Severe Storm | DR-4472-NY |
| Jul 12, 2013 | Flood | DR-4129-NY |
| Oct 28, 2012 | Hurricane | EM-3351-NY |
| Aug 31, 2011 | Hurricane | DR-4020-NY |
| Jun 10, 2011 | Flood | DR-1993-NY |
| Apr 16, 2010 | Severe Storm | DR-1899-NY |
| Sep 30, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3262-NY |
| Oct 1, 2004 | Severe Storm | DR-1564-NY |
| Aug 3, 2004 | Severe Storm | DR-1534-NY |
| Aug 23, 2003 | Other | EM-3186-NY |
| May 16, 2002 | Earthquake | DR-1415-NY |
| Sep 11, 2001 | Fire | DR-1391-NY |
| Oct 11, 2000 | Other | EM-3155-NY |
| Sep 19, 1999 | Hurricane | DR-1296-NY |
| Jan 24, 1996 | Flood | DR-1095-NY |
| Mar 17, 1993 | Snowstorm | EM-3107-NY |
| Jul 21, 1976 | Flood | DR-515-NY |
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.
How this compares
Where Warren County stands among 62 counties in New York and 3,143 in the United States.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 7 | 33 / 62 |
| Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger | 0 | — |
| Tropical cyclones within 50 mi | 4 | 31 / 62 |
| Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Wildfire acres since 1984 | 0 | — |
| Flood insurance claims | 116 | 52 / 62 |
| Flood insurance paid | $1.8 million | 47 / 62 |
| Disaster declarations | 19 | 50 / 62 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 108 | 29 / 62 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 409 | 29 / 62 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 363 | 13 / 62 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $30.6 million | 34 / 62 |
| River crests at major flood stage | 7 | 24 / 62 |
| High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years | 0.0 | — |
| Months in severe drought since 1895 | 63 | 48 / 62 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 15.8 | 39 / 62 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 5 | 7 / 62 |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 1 | 15 / 62 |
Neighbouring counties
| Essex County | 3 | 3 |
| Hamilton County | 7 | 3 |
| Saratoga County | 15 | 5 |
| Washington County | 6 | 7 |
Sources and vintage
Every number on this page comes from these public records.
- Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
- Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
- Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
- Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
- Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
- Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00014750.
- River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
- Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
- Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.
Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.