Dukes County, Massachusetts
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 25007 · population 20,495 · 103 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 270 records for Dukes County, Massachusetts from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 222 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (131 records). 219 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The most damaging was the October 29, 2012 coastal flood ($12.9 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1972, 19 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Lee” on September 15, 2023.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 270on 222 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 00 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $16Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 1strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 2023
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Dukes County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 131 since 1996. The rank column places the county among Massachusetts's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 131 | 116 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $353K | 1 of 12 |
| Winter storms | 51 | 51 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | 1 of 12 |
| Floods | 30 | 26 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | $13M | 2 of 12 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 19 | 16 | 1973-2021 | 0 | 0 | $21K | 11 of 12 |
| Heavy rain | 11 | 11 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 12 |
| Hail | 10 | 8 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | $3K | 9 of 12 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 6 | 2005-2021 | 0 | 0 | $523K | 1 of 12 |
| Drought | 4 | 4 | 2012-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 12 |
| Lightning | 2 | 1 | 2017-2017 | 0 | 0 | $19K | 12 of 12 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 1996-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 12 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 1 | 2006-2006 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 12 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 1 | 2016-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 12 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 12 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 1951-1951 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 12 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Dukes County had?
NOAA records 1 tornado in Dukes County from 1951 to 1951, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 2 tornadoes whose track touched Dukes County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 1: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Massachusetts.
Every tornado record filed for Dukes County (1)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951-12-18 | Dukes County | F2 | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Dukes County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 31, 2025 strong wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-22 | BlizzardDukes County · forecast zone Dukes | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Heavy SnowDukes County · forecast zone Dukes | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-31 | Strong WindDukes County · forecast zone Dukes | 49 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-05-22 | Heavy RainMarthas Vinyrd, Dukes County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-22 | Strong WindDukes County · forecast zone Dukes | 49 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2012-10-29 | Coastal FloodDukes County · forecast zone Dukes | 0 | 0 | $13M | |
| 2011-08-28 | Tropical StormDukes County · forecast zone Dukes | 0 | 0 | $350K | |
| 2009-07-02 | HailWest Tisbury, Dukes County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-08-08 | Thunderstorm WindWest Tisbury, Dukes County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-01-07 | Heavy SnowDukes County · forecast zone Dukes | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 1973-07-15 | Thunderstorm WindDukes County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1951-12-18 | TornadoDukes County | F2 | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-10-29 | Coastal FloodDukes County · forecast zone Dukes | 0 | 0 | $13M | |
| 2011-08-28 | Tropical StormDukes County · forecast zone Dukes | 0 | 0 | $350K | |
| 2025-05-22 | Strong WindDukes County · forecast zone Dukes | 49 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Dukes County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 55 | 24 | 38 | 14 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 10 | 14 | 21 | 6 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 5 | 13 | 10 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Dukes County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 39 · Feb 40 · Mar 30 · Apr 15 · May 12 · Jun 6 · Jul 22 · Aug 11 · Sep 9 · Oct 34 · Nov 16 · Dec 36 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Dukes County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Dukes County: 13 major disasters, 9 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (9) and snowstorm (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-09-15 | EM-3599 | Hurricane | Hurricane Lee |
| 2020-03-27 | DR-4496 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3438 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2015-04-13 | DR-4214 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding |
| 2013-04-19 | DR-4110 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding |
| 2012-12-19 | DR-4097 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-10-28 | EM-3350 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2011-09-03 | DR-4028 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Irene |
| 2011-08-26 | EM-3330 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2010-09-02 | EM-3315 | Hurricane | Hurricane Earl |
| 2007-05-16 | DR-1701 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3252 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-02-17 | EM-3201 | Snowstorm | Record and/Or Near Record Snow |
| 2003-03-11 | EM-3175 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 1996-01-24 | DR-1090 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 |
| 1993-03-16 | EM-3103 | Snowstorm | Blizzards, High Winds & Record Snowfall |
| 1992-12-21 | DR-975 | Coastal Storm | Winter Coastal Storm |
| 1991-11-04 | DR-920 | Coastal Storm | Coastal Storm |
| 1991-08-26 | DR-914 | Hurricane | Hurricane Bob |
| 1985-10-28 | DR-751 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gloria |
| 1978-02-10 | DR-546 | Flood | Coastal Storms, Flood, Ice & Snow |
| 1972-09-28 | DR-357 | Fishing Losses | Toxic Algae in Coastal Waters |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Dukes County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 30 flood or flash flood records for Dukes County from 1998 to 2024, on 26 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Dukes County ranks 1054th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Sandy | 2012-10-29 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Irene | 2011-08-28 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.7 million on 160 claims filed in Dukes County; the most in one year was 79 in 1991. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 17 · 1979: 4 · 1980: 2 · 1981: 4 · 1982: 1 · 1984: 2 · 1991: 79 · 1992: 15 · 1996: 4 · 1998: 3 · 2001: 1 · 2010: 2 · 2012: 13 · 2018: 7 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 5; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Dukes County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Dukes County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.3 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $2.4M | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | $348K | 3.7 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $113K | once in about 975 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $4.2M | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $14K | once in about 27,492 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $4K | 2.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Landslide | Very Low | $54 | once in about 60 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very Low | $50K | 16 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Dukes County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in MassachusettsEvery Massachusetts tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- High wind and dust storms in MassachusettsThe state's high wind and dust records, by county, year and month
- The Massachusetts recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Dukes CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Dukes County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis