Hartford County, Connecticut
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 09003
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,108 records for Hartford County, Connecticut from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 603 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (436 records). The deadliest single record is the October 3, 1979 tornado: 3 deaths and 500 injuries. FEMA has issued 30 declarations naming the county since 1978, 28 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hawthorne Fire” on October 24, 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
- 1,108on 603 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 7543 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.2Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 18strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 30latest 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 Hartford County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 436 since 1957. 55% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 fell in June and July. Census land area gives no figure for Hartford 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 | 436 | 222 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 13 | $11M | – |
| Floods | 188 | 103 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $20M | – |
| Hail | 166 | 89 | 1956-2024 | 0 | 0 | $166K | – |
| Winter storms | 122 | 119 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $36M | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 83 | 79 | 1996-2025 | 3 | 9 | $3.9M | – |
| Lightning | 31 | 25 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 13 | $497K | – |
| Heat | 25 | 24 | 1997-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Tornadoes | 18 | 17 | 1954-2013 | 3 | 507 | $1.1B | – |
| Heavy rain | 17 | 17 | 1996-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Drought | 9 | 9 | 2012-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 7 | 2000-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 4 | 2011-2021 | 0 | 0 | $36M | – |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 1996-2000 | 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 Hartford County had?
NOAA records 18 tornadoes in Hartford County from 1954 to 2013, the strongest rated F4, with 3 deaths and 507 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 19 tornadoes whose track touched Hartford County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 18: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 4 people, 3 of them in Hartford County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-10-03 13:00, as SPC files it | Windsor Locks | F4 | 11.3 mi | 3 |
| 1962-05-24 15:30, as SPC files it | Waterbury | F3 | 11.6 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Connecticut.
Every tornado record filed for Hartford County (18)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-07-01 | Hazardville, Hartford County | EF0 0.86 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $32K |
| 2013-07-01 | Poquonock, Hartford County | EF1 2.07 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $6.3M |
| 2010-07-21 | Bristol, Hartford County | EF1 1.73 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $765K |
| 2009-06-26 | Wethersfield, Hartford County | EF1 1.7 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 2001-06-23 | East Hartland, Hartford County | F0 0.3 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 1994-06-29 | Avon, Hartford County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-08-04 | Hartford County | F0 1.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-07-05 | Hartford County | F2 3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1979-10-03 | Hartford County | F4 11.3 mi x 1,400 yd | 3 | 500 | $250M step |
| 1973-09-06 | Hartford County | F2 3.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1973-08-31 | Hartford County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-06-28 | Hartford County | F1 0.2 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 1 | $3K step |
| 1970-10-03 | Hartford County | F1 6.4 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1962-05-24 | Hartford County | F3 2.3 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 5 | $2.5M step |
| 1959-05-30 | Hartford County | F1 0.2 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1957-06-19 | Hartford County | F1 0.3 mi x 367 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1955-10-24 | Hartford County | F1 0.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1954-05-10 | Hartford County | F2 0.8 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Hartford County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 6, 2026 thunderstorm wind.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindHartford-Branrd, Hartford County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $800 |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindSouth Wethersfield, Hartford County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindBurlington, Hartford County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-22 | Heavy SnowHartford County · forecast zone Hartford | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Heavy SnowHartford County · forecast zone Hartford | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-19 | High WindHartford County · forecast zone Hartford | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2025-09-06 | Thunderstorm WindCollinsville, Hartford County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-06 | Thunderstorm WindNew Britain, Hartford County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2025-08-13 | Thunderstorm WindBuckland, Hartford County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $100 |
| 2025-08-13 | Thunderstorm WindBroad Brook, Hartford County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $800 |
| 2025-08-13 | LightningBuckland, Hartford County | 0 | 0 | $5K | |
| 2025-07-20 | Thunderstorm WindSouth Windsor, Hartford County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-10-03 | TornadoHartford County | F4 11.3 mi x 1,400 yd | 3 | 500 | $250M step |
| 1996-02-25 | High WindHartford County · forecast zone Hartford A deep low pressure system over northern Maine combined with a strong high pressure area centered over South Carolina to produce a "tight pressure gradient" and a period of very powerful and damaging west to northwest winds. Two people were killed and three injured when a large tree was blown down and crushed their ... | 2 | 3 | $941K | |
| 2017-03-22 | Strong WindHartford County · forecast zone Hartford At 751 AM EST a trained spotter estimated a wind gust to 50 mph. At 806 AM EST, a tree and wires fell on a school bus on Country Club Road in Avon. The school bus driver was killed. At 957 AM EST a tree, wires, and pole were down at the intersection of Circle and Pond Roads in Farmington. | 43 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $8K |
| 2011-08-28 | FloodBristol, Hartford County Four to ten inches of heavy rain from Tropical Storm Irene resulted in the Pequabuck River overflowing its banks. This led to flooding on roads and homes along the river throughout Bristol. Flooded roads ran approximately three and a half feet deep. A 46 year old man went canoeing in floodwaters. He drowned when his ... | 1 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2000-09-09 | LightningSouth Windsor, Hartford County Lightning struck a utility pole at a fair in South Windsor, then traveled through the fairgrounds' electrical system, injuring twelve people. | 0 | 12 | $9K | |
| 2000-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindCanton, Hartford County A pair of severe thunderstorms caused extensive wind damage in Hartford County. The most significant damage occurred in Farmington and New Britain where thunderstorm winds downed over one hundred trees. Nearly 88,000 electric customers from Canton to West Hartford and Newington were left without power. Six people were ... | 55 kt wind | 0 | 8 | – |
| 1962-05-24 | TornadoHartford County | F3 2.3 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 5 | $2.5M step |
| 2010-10-15 | Strong WindHartford County · forecast zone Hartford The Automated Surface Observing System at Bradley International Airport (KBDL) recorded a sustained wind speed of 31 mph. A tree was downed onto a house on Canterbury Street in Hartford. In addition, a large branch fell onto the bleachers at a baseball field at Elizabeth Park, injuring a woman and her 6 and 8 year old ... | 27 kt wind | 0 | 3 | $27K |
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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-08-28 | FloodBristol, Hartford County | 1 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2011-10-29 | Heavy SnowHartford County · forecast zone Hartford | 0 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2020-08-04 | Tropical StormHartford County · forecast zone Hartford | 0 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2001-03-05 | Heavy SnowHartford County · forecast zone Hartford | 0 | 0 | $8.3M | |
| 2018-08-02 | Thunderstorm WindSuffield, Hartford County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $6.5M |
| 2005-10-15 | FloodHartford County · forecast zone Hartford | 0 | 0 | $6.3M | |
| 2013-07-01 | TornadoPoquonock, Hartford County | EF1 2.07 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $6.3M |
| 1996-12-07 | Heavy SnowHartford County · forecast zone Hartford | 0 | 0 | $5.6M |
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 $250M, in the dollars of the day) holds: October 3, 1979 (tornado, Hartford County, 3 killed).
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 Hartford 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 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 61 | 118 | 113 | 108 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 43 | 31 | 52 | 62 |
| Hail | 1 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 28 | 73 | 35 | 13 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 20 | 39 | 50 | 13 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 22 | 22 | 25 | 14 |
| Lightning | – | – | – | – | 3 | 15 | 9 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
55% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 53 · Feb 60 · Mar 60 · Apr 43 · May 104 · Jun 191 · Jul 236 · Aug 158 · Sep 73 · Oct 47 · Nov 31 · Dec 52 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Hartford County
FEMA's register lists 30 declarations that include Hartford County: 15 major disasters, 14 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for hurricane (10) and snowstorm (8).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-24 | FM-5542 | Fire | Hawthorne Fire |
| 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 |
| 2013-03-21 | DR-4106 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2013-02-10 | EM-3361 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 2007-05-11 | DR-1700 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2006-05-02 | EM-3266 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2005-12-16 | DR-1619 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 1991-08-30 | DR-916 | Hurricane | Hurricane Bob |
| 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 |
| 1979-10-04 | DR-608 | Tornado | Tornado & Severe Storms |
| 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 Hartford County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 188 flood or flash flood records for Hartford County from 1996 to 2025, on 103 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Hartford County ranks 198th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Irene | 2011-08-28 | 2 | 1 |
| Hurricane Henri | 2021-08-22 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Isaias | 2020-08-04 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $15.2 million on 1,922 claims filed in Hartford County; the most in one year was 291 in 2011. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 47 · 1979: 188 · 1980: 60 · 1981: 8 · 1982: 250 · 1983: 40 · 1984: 153 · 1985: 10 · 1986: 4 · 1987: 41 · 1988: 3 · 1989: 30 · 1990: 6 · 1991: 6 · 1992: 46 · 1993: 6 · 1994: 14 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 25 · 1997: 2 · 1998: 17 · 1999: 79 · 2000: 2 · 2001: 15 · 2002: 2 · 2003: 19 · 2004: 7 · 2005: 177 · 2006: 26 · 2007: 80 · 2008: 30 · 2009: 14 · 2010: 19 · 2011: 291 · 2012: 12 · 2013: 10 · 2014: 7 · 2015: 2 · 2016: 5 · 2017: 5 · 2018: 12 · 2019: 12 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 90 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 30 · 2024: 9 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 6.
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 Hartford 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 Hartford 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 Hartford County's FEMA declarations (CSV)30 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis