Fairfield County, Connecticut
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 09001
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,234 records for Fairfield County, Connecticut from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 616 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (465 records). NOAA records 220 flood or flash floods there since 1996, with 3 deaths; its 12,667 flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA) rank 40th of 2,942 U.S. counties; the deadliest named storm on its flood record is Hurricane Ida (2021). The deadliest single record is the October 1, 2010 heavy rain: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 33 declarations naming the county since 1978, 31 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides” on September 20, 2024.
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
- 1,234on 616 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 26123 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $65Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 17strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 33latest 2024
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 Fairfield County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 465 since 1956. 49% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1956 fell in June and July. Census land area gives no figure for Fairfield County under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 465 | 225 | 1956-2026 | 6 | 45 | $7.6M | – |
| Winter storms | 237 | 145 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 47 | – | – |
| Floods | 220 | 124 | 1996-2025 | 3 | 0 | $27M | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 111 | 83 | 1996-2026 | 8 | 8 | $9.6M | – |
| Hail | 79 | 52 | 1961-2026 | 0 | 0 | $7K | – |
| Lightning | 37 | 35 | 1996-2020 | 1 | 9 | $328K | – |
| Heavy rain | 27 | 27 | 1996-2010 | 4 | 1 | $9K | – |
| Heat | 18 | 10 | 1999-2019 | 1 | 0 | – | – |
| Tornadoes | 17 | 17 | 1950-2020 | 0 | 13 | $11M | – |
| Drought | 6 | 3 | 2002-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 3 | 2000-2004 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 3 | 2008-2020 | 0 | 0 | $10M | – |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 4 | 1997-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 1 | 2024-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
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 Fairfield County had?
NOAA records 17 tornadoes in Fairfield County from 1950 to 2020, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 13 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 17 tornadoes whose track touched Fairfield County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 17, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Connecticut.
Every tornado record filed for Fairfield County (17)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-08-04 | East Norwalk, Fairfield County | EF0 0.03 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $17K |
| 2018-10-02 | New Canaan, Fairfield County | EF1 3.76 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $59K |
| 2013-07-01 | Stanwich, Fairfield County | EF0 3.7 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-06-24 | Bridgeport, Fairfield County | EF1 0.16 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | $4.3M |
| 2009-07-31 | Pine Rock Park, Fairfield County | EF1 0.86 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2007-05-16 | Newtown, Fairfield County | EF1 4.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-07-12 | North Greenwich, Fairfield County | F1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.9M |
| 2002-05-31 | Brook Field, Fairfield County | F1 0.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-07-09 | Monroe, Fairfield County | F1 0.4 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-08-04 | Fairfield County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1992-07-05 | Fairfield County | F0 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-06-29 | Fairfield County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 7 | $3K step |
| 1973-09-18 | Fairfield County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-07-19 | Fairfield County | F2 1.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1968-08-09 | Fairfield County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1958-08-15 | Fairfield County | F1 0.2 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1950-07-14 | Fairfield County | F2 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
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 Fairfield County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 11, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindBlack Rock, Fairfield County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindBethel, Fairfield County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindKnollcrest, Fairfield County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-11 | HailSherman, Fairfield County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindSherman, Fairfield County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindStamford, Fairfield County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindCandle Wood Orchards, Fairfield County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-02-23 | High WindFairfield County · forecast zone Northern Fairfield | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-23 | BlizzardFairfield County · forecast zone Southern Fairfield | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-23 | BlizzardFairfield County · forecast zone Northern Fairfield | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormFairfield County · forecast zone Southern Fairfield | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormFairfield County · forecast zone Northern Fairfield | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-10-01 | Heavy RainCannondale, Fairfield County In Wilton, a man and a woman drowned shortly after launching their 2-person kayak into the swollen Norwalk River in the early evening hours after the heavy rain had ceased. Neither of them were wearing a life preserver, and the river was moving quickly at the time of the accident. Rainfall totals ranged from 1.59 ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-03-13 | High WindFairfield County · forecast zone Southern Fairfield A wind gust to 58 mph was reported in Westport at 320 pm. At Bridgeport Sikorsky Airport, a wind gust of 60 mph was reported at 430 pm. The public reported a wind gust to 65 mph in Norwalk at 515 pm. There was widespread trees downed by the storm. Some towns that reported many trees down were Darien and Norwalk. There ... | 50 kt wind | 2 | 0 | $1.4M |
| 1997-08-20 | Heavy RainCountywide, Fairfield County A low pressure system developed over the lower Midwest on Wednesday, August 20th. As it moved slowly east-northeast, it intensified. The low passed over Pennsylvania and moved south of Long Island during Thursday morning.The low produced heavy rain and strong gusty winds. Two men died when their car hit a puddle and ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2018-03-02 | High WindFairfield County · forecast zone Southern Fairfield The ASOS at Bridgeport Sikorsky Airport measure a 62 mph wind gust at 1028 am. The Broadcast media reported one fatality due to a downed tree onto a car near the Stamford, Greenwich line at 335 pm. At 4 pm in the town of New Canaan, one person was injured from a downed tree onto a vehicle. At 530 pm, a portion of a ... | 54 kt wind | 1 | 2 | $235K |
| 2011-06-23 | Thunderstorm WindHunting Ridge, Fairfield County A combination of strong winds and heavy rainfall caused a tree to fall down on car at the intersection of Merritt Parkway and County Route 104, killing one person, and injuring two others. | 26 kt wind | 1 | 2 | $10K |
| 2010-05-08 | LightningBlack Rock, Fairfield County Lighning struck 3 men fishing on a jetty at Seaside Park in Bridgeport. A 29 year old man was filled and 2 other men were injured. | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2018-05-15 | Thunderstorm WindDanbury, Fairfield County Tree fell on truck in Candlewood Lake area killing a man. | 61 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $6K |
| 2009-01-06 | Winter WeatherFairfield County · forecast zone Southern Fairfield Ice accumulation appears to have been the cause of a tree falling on a car traveling on the Merritt Parkway near the North Street Ramp, exit 31, around 9 a.m in Greenwich. A 30-year-old female suffered minor injuries. | 1 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-08-11 | Flash FloodBridgeport, Fairfield County | 0 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2020-08-04 | Tropical StormFairfield County · forecast zone Northern Fairfield | 0 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2021-09-01 | Flash FloodNorth Greenwich, Fairfield County | 0 | 0 | $5.6M | |
| 2010-06-24 | TornadoBridgeport, Fairfield County | EF1 0.16 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | $4.3M |
| 2010-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindBridgeport, Fairfield County | 87 kt wind | 0 | 25 | $4.3M |
| 1996-10-19 | High WindFairfield County · forecast zone Southern Fairfield | 1 | 1 | $3.8M | |
| 2006-07-12 | TornadoNorth Greenwich, Fairfield County | F1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.9M |
| 2007-10-11 | Flash FloodShippan Pt, Fairfield County | 0 | 0 | $2.8M |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 14, 1950 (tornado, Fairfield County).
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 Fairfield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 2 | 9 | 21 | 76 | 91 | 177 | 87 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 18 | 67 | 104 | 48 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 27 | 58 | 67 | 68 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 19 | 23 | 43 | 26 |
| Hail | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 36 | 24 | 3 |
| Lightning | – | – | – | – | 10 | 11 | 14 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
49% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1956 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 107 · Feb 91 · Mar 80 · Apr 37 · May 91 · Jun 156 · Jul 209 · Aug 200 · Sep 104 · Oct 64 · Nov 33 · Dec 62 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Fairfield County
FEMA's register lists 33 declarations that include Fairfield County: 18 major disasters, 15 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (11) and severe storm (8).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-20 | DR-4820 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2024-08-21 | EM-3612 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2021-10-30 | DR-4629 | Hurricane | Remnants of Hurricane Ida |
| 2021-08-22 | EM-3564 | Hurricane | Hurricane Henri |
| 2021-01-12 | DR-4580 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Isaias |
| 2020-08-06 | EM-3535 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Isaias |
| 2020-03-28 | DR-4500 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3439 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-08-20 | DR-4385 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2013-03-21 | DR-4106 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2013-02-10 | EM-3361 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2012-10-30 | DR-4087 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-10-28 | EM-3353 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2011-11-17 | DR-4046 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm |
| 2011-10-31 | EM-3342 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm |
| 2011-09-02 | DR-4023 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Irene |
| 2011-08-27 | EM-3331 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2011-03-03 | DR-1958 | Snowstorm | Snowstorm |
| 2010-04-23 | DR-1904 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2007-05-11 | DR-1700 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2006-05-02 | EM-3266 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3246 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-02-17 | EM-3200 | Snowstorm | Record Snow |
| 2004-01-15 | EM-3192 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2003-03-11 | EM-3176 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 1999-09-23 | DR-1302 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd |
| 1996-01-24 | DR-1092 | Snowstorm | Blizzard 0f 96 |
| 1993-03-16 | EM-3098 | Snowstorm | Severe Winds & Blizzard, Record Snowfall |
| 1992-12-17 | DR-972 | Flood | Winter Storm & Coastal Flooding |
| 1985-10-11 | DR-747 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gloria |
| 1984-06-18 | DR-711 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1982-06-14 | DR-661 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1978-02-07 | EM-3060 | Snowstorm | Blizzard & Snowstorms |
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 Fairfield County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 220 flood or flash flood records for Fairfield County from 1996 to 2025, on 124 days, with 3 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Fairfield County ranks 40th of 2,942 U.S. counties. The 100 counties with the most claims
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ida | 2021-09-01 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Isaias | 2020-08-04 | 2 | 0 |
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-16 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $284 million on 12,667 claims filed in Fairfield County; the most in one year was 3,225 in 2012. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 365 · 1979: 264 · 1980: 755 · 1981: 13 · 1982: 254 · 1983: 76 · 1984: 220 · 1985: 138 · 1986: 17 · 1987: 39 · 1988: 13 · 1989: 104 · 1990: 15 · 1991: 210 · 1992: 1,581 · 1993: 29 · 1994: 45 · 1995: 28 · 1996: 455 · 1997: 18 · 1998: 15 · 1999: 128 · 2000: 120 · 2001: 46 · 2002: 18 · 2003: 24 · 2004: 53 · 2005: 105 · 2006: 283 · 2007: 902 · 2008: 54 · 2009: 16 · 2010: 317 · 2011: 1,380 · 2012: 3,225 · 2013: 16 · 2014: 37 · 2015: 8 · 2016: 11 · 2017: 26 · 2018: 298 · 2019: 20 · 2020: 18 · 2021: 656 · 2022: 20 · 2023: 50 · 2024: 127 · 2025: 6 · 2026: 49.
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 Fairfield County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Connecticut by its nine planning regions, which replaced the eight counties as the state's county-equivalent areas in 2022, so it carries no rating for Fairfield County itself. The storm record and the declarations above still use the county.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Next
- Tornadoes in ConnecticutEvery Connecticut tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in ConnecticutThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Connecticut recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- Download Fairfield County's FEMA declarations (CSV)33 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis