Middlesex County, Connecticut
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 09007
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 491 records for Middlesex County, Connecticut from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 302 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (169 records). 258 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 deadliest single record is the April 23, 1998 strong wind, filed for the forecast zone Southern Middlesex, which covers the county: 1 death and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 28 declarations naming the county since 1978, 26 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Remnants of Hurricane Ida” on October 30, 2021.
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
- 491on 302 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 416 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $6.8Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 8strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 28latest 2021
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 Middlesex County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 169 since 1996. 61% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. Census land area gives no figure for Middlesex County under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 169 | 100 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | – | – |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 112 | 74 | 1963-2026 | 0 | 0 | $374K | – |
| Floods | 52 | 39 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $816K | – |
| Hail | 41 | 29 | 1960-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1 | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 41 | 31 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 1 | $964K | – |
| Heavy rain | 18 | 18 | 1996-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Lightning | 17 | 14 | 1998-2024 | 1 | 7 | $251K | – |
| Heat | 12 | 8 | 1999-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Tornadoes | 8 | 7 | 1950-1998 | 0 | 8 | $2.9M | – |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 4 | 2000-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 7 | 4 | 2008-2021 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | – |
| Drought | 6 | 3 | 2002-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2000-2000 | 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 Middlesex County had?
NOAA records 8 tornadoes in Middlesex County from 1950 to 1998, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 8 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 8 tornadoes whose track touched Middlesex County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 8, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951-08-21 16:30, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 0.1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Connecticut.
Every tornado record filed for Middlesex County (8)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-06-30 | Chester, Middlesex County | F0 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-06-30 | Killingworth, Middlesex County | F1 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1983-08-01 | Middlesex County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1974-06-27 | Middlesex County | F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1972-07-21 | Middlesex County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1963-07-19 | Middlesex County | F1 12.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1951-08-21 | Middlesex County | F3 | 0 | 8 | $250K step |
| 1950-07-12 | Middlesex County | F2 10 mi x 33 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 Middlesex County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 6, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($3,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindCromwell, Middlesex County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindMiddletown, Middlesex County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-02-23 | BlizzardMiddlesex County · forecast zone Southern Middlesex | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Heavy SnowMiddlesex County · forecast zone Northern Middlesex | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-06 | Winter WeatherMiddlesex County · forecast zone Southern Middlesex | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-06 | Winter WeatherMiddlesex County · forecast zone Northern Middlesex | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormMiddlesex County · forecast zone Southern Middlesex | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormMiddlesex County · forecast zone Northern Middlesex | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter WeatherMiddlesex County · forecast zone Northern Middlesex | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter WeatherMiddlesex County · forecast zone Southern Middlesex | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-17 | Winter WeatherMiddlesex County · forecast zone Northern Middlesex | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | Winter WeatherMiddlesex County · forecast zone Southern Middlesex | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-04-23 | Strong WindMiddlesex County · forecast zone Southern Middlesex A low pressure system that moved east of the area produced strong gusty winds and rain. Wind gusts from 40 to 50 mph and rain downed a large tree limb that fell on a moving car. The driver was killed and the passenger was injured as the car accelerated out-of-control. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2019-01-19 | Winter StormMiddlesex County · forecast zone Northern Middlesex Broadcast media reported about 0.7 inches of ice accretion in nearby Bethany. Many roads were closed due to trees and wires down from ice accretion in Middlefield, Durham, and Middletown. One fatality occurred in Middletown when a tree fell on a subcontractor as power line repairs were being completed. The nearby ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2000-05-10 | LightningMiddletown, Middlesex County As a line of severe thunderstorms moved north, it produced nickel-size hail in New London and penny-size hail in Middletown.These and other thunderstorms were accompanied by frequent and intense lightning strikes that resulted in significant power outages. In Fairfield County, 1500 outages were reported in Bethel and ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-09-28 | Strong WindClinton Beach, Middlesex County Southwest gale force winds developed over Long Island Sound by afternoon in response to a strong slow retreating high pressure system offshore and an approaching cold front.A man drowned at sea after his 31-foot wood cabin cruiser broke up in rough seas in Long Island Sound near Clinton Harbor. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1951-08-21 | TornadoMiddlesex County | F3 | 0 | 8 | $250K step |
| 2024-06-22 | LightningGoodrich Hgts, Middlesex County First responders reported a tree struck by lightning, injuring three people nearby. The EMS crew treated two people who were transported to area hospitals for further evaluation. The third person refused treatment. This took place at the TPC River Highlands golf course during a PGA Tour event. | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2001-07-01 | LightningClinton, Middlesex County On Sunday, July 1st, a strong cold front approached southern Connecticut from the northwest during the late afternoon hours. As this front clashed with a warm, moist and very unstable air mass already in place, strong to locally severe thunderstorms developed and moved east-southeast across portions of southern ... | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2011-08-01 | LightningHidden Lake, Middlesex County Lightning struck a barn along Wiese Albert Road in the town of Haddam, causing a fire. As a result of the fire, one horse died, and the owner suffered minor injuries while trying to rescue the horse. | 0 | 1 | $66K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-08-04 | Tropical StormMiddlesex County · forecast zone Southern Middlesex | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 2010-03-30 | FloodSaybrook Pt, Middlesex County | 0 | 0 | $426K | |
| 2011-07-08 | Flash FloodGildersleeve, Middlesex County | 0 | 0 | $328K | |
| 2012-10-29 | High WindMiddlesex County · forecast zone Southern Middlesex | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $257K |
| 2010-07-21 | Thunderstorm WindRiverdale, Middlesex County | 96 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $102K |
| 2011-08-01 | LightningHidden Lake, Middlesex County | 0 | 1 | $66K | |
| 2025-07-03 | Thunderstorm WindKillingworth, Middlesex County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindCromwell, Middlesex County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
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: August 21, 1951 (tornado, Middlesex 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 Middlesex 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 16 | 42 | 74 | 37 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 31 | 41 | 20 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 17 | 15 | 15 | 5 |
| Hail | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 7 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 12 | 12 | 7 | 10 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 10 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
61% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 74 · Feb 60 · Mar 44 · Apr 23 · May 28 · Jun 50 · Jul 79 · Aug 45 · Sep 20 · Oct 19 · Nov 10 · Dec 39 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Middlesex County
FEMA's register lists 28 declarations that include Middlesex County: 16 major disasters, 12 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (11) and severe storm (7).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2018-12-05 | DR-4410 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2010-04-23 | DR-1904 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2007-05-11 | DR-1700 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3246 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-02-17 | EM-3200 | Snowstorm | Record Snow |
| 2003-03-11 | EM-3176 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 Middlesex County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 52 flood or flash flood records for Middlesex County from 1996 to 2024, on 39 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Middlesex County ranks 173rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Isaias | 2020-08-04 | 2 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $38.3 million on 2,242 claims filed in Middlesex County; the most in one year was 570 in 2012. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 57 · 1979: 43 · 1980: 5 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 202 · 1983: 23 · 1984: 95 · 1985: 202 · 1986: 2 · 1987: 46 · 1988: 3 · 1989: 3 · 1990: 18 · 1991: 45 · 1992: 72 · 1993: 13 · 1994: 3 · 1995: 9 · 1996: 30 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 10 · 1999: 4 · 2000: 6 · 2001: 21 · 2002: 3 · 2003: 8 · 2004: 6 · 2005: 29 · 2006: 5 · 2007: 41 · 2008: 6 · 2009: 5 · 2010: 110 · 2011: 412 · 2012: 570 · 2013: 3 · 2014: 5 · 2016: 3 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 40 · 2019: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2021: 36 · 2022: 8 · 2023: 5 · 2024: 19 · 2026: 1; 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 Middlesex 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 Middlesex 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
- Winter storms in ConnecticutThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
- The Connecticut recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- Download Middlesex County's FEMA declarations (CSV)28 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis