Middlesex County, Massachusetts
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 25017 · population 1,629,857 · 818 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,940 records for Middlesex County, Massachusetts from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 759 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (632 records). The deadliest single record is the March 12, 1998 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Western Middlesex, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 35 declarations naming the county since 1985, 31 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
- 1,940on 759 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 895 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $146Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 21strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 35latest 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 Middlesex County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 632 since 1957. 57% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 fell in June and July. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 632 | 221 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 31 | $6.0M | 7 of 12 |
| High wind and dust storms | 358 | 197 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 11 | $5.6M | 7 of 12 |
| Winter storms | 352 | 181 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 9 | $15M | 8 of 12 |
| Floods | 258 | 122 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $80M | 7 of 12 |
| Hail | 183 | 84 | 1955-2025 | 0 | 0 | $118K | 6 of 12 |
| Lightning | 63 | 55 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 35 | $4.4M | 4 of 12 |
| Drought | 30 | 13 | 2012-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 12 |
| Heavy rain | 27 | 21 | 1996-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 12 |
| Tornadoes | 21 | 19 | 1955-2025 | 1 | 6 | $29M | 5 of 12 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 3 | 2011-2020 | 0 | 0 | $5.8M | 9 of 12 |
| Heat | 5 | 4 | 2010-2025 | 1 | 3 | – | 8 of 12 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 3 | 2015-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 12 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 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 Middlesex County had?
NOAA records 21 tornadoes in Middlesex County from 1955 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 6 injuries recorded in the county. That is 5th of 12 Massachusetts counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 21 tornadoes whose track touched Middlesex County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 21, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-10-03 16:15, as SPC files it | Leominster | F3 | 35.4 mi | 1 |
| 1974-09-29 15:05, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 0.1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Massachusetts.
Every tornado record filed for Middlesex County (21)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-09-06 | Hudson, Middlesex County | EF0 2.38 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2021-08-23 | Marlborough Jct, Middlesex County | EF0 0.75 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 2021-08-23 | Stow, Middlesex County | EF0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2016-08-22 | Concord, Middlesex County | EF1 0.85 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 1986-08-07 | Middlesex County | F1 4 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1985-09-27 | Middlesex County | F1 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1983-07-18 | Middlesex County | F0 0.4 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1974-09-29 | Middlesex County | F3 | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1972-07-21 | Middlesex County | F2 7.6 mi x 37 yd | 0 | 4 | $2.5M step |
| 1971-11-07 | Middlesex County | F1 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1971-07-01 | Middlesex County | F1 25.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1970-10-03 | Middlesex County | F3 | 1 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1970-07-11 | Middlesex County | F1 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-08-28 | Middlesex County | F2 2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1963-07-18 | Middlesex County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-07-03 | Middlesex County | F0 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1958-08-25 | Middlesex County | F2 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1958-07-11 | Middlesex County | F2 1.5 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1957-06-19 | Middlesex County | F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1957-06-19 | Middlesex County | F1 1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1955-10-24 | Middlesex County | F1 0.1 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 18, 2026 thunderstorm wind.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindAshby, Middlesex County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $800 |
| 2026-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindHudson, Middlesex County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $800 |
| 2026-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindWest Concord, Middlesex County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $5K |
| 2026-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindPine Rest, Middlesex County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $300 |
| 2026-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindWest Concord, Middlesex County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $300 |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter StormMiddlesex County · forecast zone Northwest Middlesex County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter StormMiddlesex County · forecast zone Southeast Middlesex | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | BlizzardMiddlesex County · forecast zone Western Middlesex | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Heavy SnowMiddlesex County · forecast zone Northwest Middlesex County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Heavy SnowMiddlesex County · forecast zone Southeast Middlesex | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Heavy SnowMiddlesex County · forecast zone Western Middlesex | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-02 | Heavy SnowMiddlesex County · forecast zone Northwest Middlesex County | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-03-12 | Winter WeatherMiddlesex County · forecast zone Western Middlesex A fast moving snow squall suddenly dropped visibility to near zero on Interstate Route 495 in Boxborough and resulted in a pile-up of 30 to 35 vehicles and the deaths of two people. A 45-year-old man and a 3-month-old infant died. Motorists were blinded by the snow. A thin coating of ice which quickly formed on the ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2000-06-27 | LightningWestford, Middlesex County Severe thunderstorms brought damaging winds and hail to much of central and eastern Massachusetts. As the storms moved through Middlesex County, lightning struck and killed a 15-year old boy in Westford, as he was doing yardwork. In Hopkinton, three 8-year old children were slightly injured when lightning hit a tree ... | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2021-03-26 | Strong WindMiddlesex County · forecast zone Northwest Middlesex County Sadly, winds gusting to around 50 mph, knocked down a rotted tree, which directly hit a 1-year-old baby, who his father was holding in the front yard of his house. The father only had scratches, but the baby was taken to a hospital and he died the next day. | 43 kt wind | 1 | 2 | $545 |
| 2013-07-05 | HeatMiddlesex County · forecast zone Southeast Middlesex A 45 year old mail carrier died as a result of heat illness on July 6th. Temperatures in the area had climbed above 90 for the 3rd day in a row on the 5th, when the mail carrier was found and transported to the hospital. The high humidity levels resulted in heat indices above 90 degrees for the daylight hours and heat ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-12-11 | Ice StormMiddlesex County · forecast zone Western Middlesex Three-quarters of an inch of ice accumulated on exposed surfaces across western Middlesex County. Trees and wires down in Littleton, Westford, Chelmsford, Groton, Acton, Hudson, Billerica, Lowell, Dracut, and Marlborough. Some of the power lines that were downed wrapped around a tractor trailer on Route 118. | 1 | 0 | $4.1M | |
| 2006-02-17 | High WindMiddlesex County · forecast zone Western Middlesex A strong cold front swept across southern New England from late Friday morning through the afternoon hours of 17 February 2006, producing high winds across most of Massachusetts. Southwest winds sustained between 20 and 30 MPH with gusts to around 60 MPH were common during this event. These winds brought down numerous ... | 58 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 1970-10-03 | TornadoMiddlesex County | F3 | 1 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1998-07-23 | LightningConcord, Middlesex County An isolated early afternoon thunderstorm produced dime size hail in Acton in Middlesex County. Then, severe thunderstorms moved eastward across Massachusetts from Hampden County to Worcester, Middlesex, and Norfolk Counties during the afternoon. Severe weather was first reported in Hampden County where local law ... | 0 | 11 | $127K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-03-14 | FloodHolliston, Middlesex County | 0 | 0 | $36M | |
| 2010-07-10 | Flash FloodWatertown, Middlesex County | 0 | 0 | $15M | |
| 2010-03-29 | FloodFarm Hill, Middlesex County | 0 | 0 | $12M | |
| 2006-05-13 | FloodCountywide, Middlesex County | 0 | 0 | $7.3M | |
| 2011-08-28 | Tropical StormMiddlesex County · forecast zone Western Middlesex | 0 | 0 | $4.2M | |
| 2011-08-28 | Tropical StormMiddlesex County · forecast zone Southeast Middlesex | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | |
| 2016-08-22 | TornadoConcord, Middlesex County | EF1 0.85 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2011-02-01 | Winter StormMiddlesex County · forecast zone Western Middlesex | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 21, 1972 (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 3 | 5 | 6 | 24 | 48 | 135 | 236 | 175 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 77 | 69 | 140 | 72 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 49 | 95 | 162 | 46 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 36 | 42 | 117 | 63 |
| Hail | 8 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 25 | 65 | 66 | 8 |
| Lightning | – | – | – | – | 4 | 33 | 20 | 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
57% 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 141 · Feb 157 · Mar 150 · Apr 79 · May 110 · Jun 262 · Jul 365 · Aug 233 · Sep 126 · Oct 115 · Nov 65 · Dec 137 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Middlesex County
FEMA's register lists 35 declarations that include Middlesex County: 19 major disasters, 16 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (9) and snowstorm (8).
| 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 |
| 2018-07-19 | DR-4379 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 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 |
| 2013-04-17 | EM-3362 | Terrorist | Explosions |
| 2012-10-28 | EM-3350 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-01-06 | DR-4051 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2011-11-01 | EM-3343 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm |
| 2011-08-26 | EM-3330 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2011-03-07 | DR-1959 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2010-09-02 | EM-3315 | Hurricane | Hurricane Earl |
| 2010-05-03 | EM-3312 | Other | Water Main Break |
| 2010-03-29 | DR-1895 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2009-01-05 | DR-1813 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding |
| 2008-12-13 | EM-3296 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2006-05-25 | DR-1642 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-11-10 | DR-1614 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3252 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-02-17 | EM-3201 | Snowstorm | Record and/Or Near Record Snow |
| 2004-04-21 | DR-1512 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2004-01-15 | EM-3191 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2003-03-11 | EM-3175 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2001-04-10 | DR-1364 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2001-03-28 | EM-3165 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 1998-06-23 | DR-1224 | Flood | Heavy Rains and Flooding |
| 1996-10-25 | DR-1142 | Flood | Extreme Weather Conditons and Flooding |
| 1996-10-23 | EM-3119 | Flood | Extreme Weather Conditions and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 1991-08-26 | DR-914 | Hurricane | Hurricane Bob |
| 1987-04-18 | DR-790 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1985-10-28 | DR-751 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gloria |
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 258 flood or flash flood records for Middlesex County from 1996 to 2025, on 122 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Middlesex County ranks 118th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irene | 2011-08-28 | 2 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $36.4 million on 3,752 claims filed in Middlesex County; the most in one year was 658 in 2010. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 200 · 1979: 354 · 1980: 19 · 1981: 24 · 1982: 214 · 1983: 43 · 1984: 68 · 1985: 29 · 1986: 8 · 1987: 167 · 1988: 4 · 1989: 6 · 1990: 21 · 1991: 27 · 1992: 10 · 1993: 32 · 1994: 12 · 1995: 3 · 1996: 284 · 1997: 2 · 1998: 192 · 1999: 18 · 2000: 7 · 2001: 309 · 2002: 4 · 2003: 12 · 2004: 94 · 2005: 90 · 2006: 332 · 2007: 83 · 2008: 66 · 2009: 34 · 2010: 658 · 2011: 40 · 2012: 22 · 2013: 10 · 2014: 54 · 2015: 14 · 2016: 8 · 2017: 24 · 2018: 11 · 2019: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2021: 38 · 2022: 5 · 2023: 56 · 2024: 26 · 2025: 4 · 2026: 3.
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 Middlesex County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $322 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Very High | $7.9M | 2.7 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $224M | 4.3 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $2.8M | 22 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | $30M | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $3.4M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $9.1M | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $24M | once in about 507 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $8.5M | 5.7 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Middlesex 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
- Severe thunderstorm wind in MassachusettsThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, 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 Middlesex CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Middlesex County's FEMA declarations (CSV)35 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis