How Likely Is a Tornado in Ulster County, NY?
How likely is a tornado in Ulster County, NY?
Ulster County has recorded 14 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 5.4 years - our Low band. Put another way: Ulster County sees more tornado activity than 39% of US counties. Among 62 New York counties in this dataset, Ulster County ranks 9 for how often a tornado touches down.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
11 weak and 3 significant tornadoes make up Ulster County's 14-track record - none violent. NOAA has never logged an EF4 or EF5 crossing this county.
The dollar figure Ulster County's rating leads to
Cost nationally: $2,890-$13,280, about $7,645 typical. New York has no state rebate program confirmed here; FEMA's underlying 75% cost-share exists nationwide, but applying through a state program is what usually makes it real, and none was found for New York this pass.
What a direct hit isn't required for
The storm that misses Ulster County outright can still take its power out - outbreak-scale outages across New York are common well beyond the tracked path. A battery-backup unit handles that without a generator's setup or fuel.
What this number is, and is not
One caveat before relying on Ulster County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 1,124 square miles, so a single touch counts the same as one in a county a fraction of that size. Weaker pre-1990s tornadoes are also documented as undercounted in NOAA's own record. Ulster County has about 182,977 residents.