New Haven County, Connecticut
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 09009
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,034 records for New Haven County, Connecticut from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 529 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (345 records). NOAA records 192 flood or flash floods there since 1996, with 5 deaths; its 9,609 flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA) rank 56th of 2,942 U.S. counties; the deadliest named storm on its flood record is Tropical Storm Isaias (2020). The deadliest single record is the August 18, 2024 flash flood: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 36 declarations naming the county since 1978, 34 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
- 1,034on 529 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 15166 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $713Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 21strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 36latest 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 New Haven County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 345 since 1957. 54% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 fell in June and July. Census land area gives no figure for New Haven 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 | 345 | 166 | 1957-2026 | 1 | 3 | $1.5M | – |
| Winter storms | 215 | 129 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 5 | $4.8M | – |
| Floods | 192 | 115 | 1996-2025 | 5 | 0 | $5.5M | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 97 | 70 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 2 | $3.6M | – |
| Hail | 66 | 41 | 1957-2024 | 0 | 0 | $6K | – |
| Lightning | 32 | 28 | 1997-2025 | 1 | 16 | $254K | – |
| Heavy rain | 22 | 22 | 1996-2009 | 0 | 1 | $7K | – |
| Heat | 21 | 12 | 1999-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Tornadoes | 21 | 17 | 1955-2021 | 1 | 137 | $686M | – |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 4 | 2000-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 7 | 3 | 2008-2020 | 2 | 2 | $11M | – |
| Drought | 6 | 3 | 2002-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2002-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 1 | 2002-2002 | 2 | 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 New Haven County had?
NOAA records 21 tornadoes in New Haven County from 1955 to 2021, the strongest rated F4, with 1 death and 137 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 20 tornadoes whose track touched New Haven County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 21: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962-05-24 15:30, as SPC files it | Waterbury | F3 | 11.6 mi | 1 |
| 1989-07-10 14:45, as SPC files it | New Haven | F4 | 3 mi | 0 |
| 1971-07-29 17:55, as SPC files it | Waterbury | F3 | 0.1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Connecticut.
Every tornado record filed for New Haven County (21)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-11-13 | West Cheshire, New Haven County | EF0 3.57 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $163K |
| 2021-11-13 | Damascus, New Haven County | EF0 1.94 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $109K |
| 2020-08-27 | Bethany, New Haven County | EF1 11.1 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $570K |
| 2018-05-15 | Beacon Falls, New Haven County | EF1 7.36 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | $118K |
| 2018-05-15 | Southford, New Haven County | EF1 3.67 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $118K |
| 2016-08-10 | Montowese, New Haven County | EF0 2.69 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 2014-07-27 | Wolcott, New Haven County | EF0 0.72 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $31K |
| 2009-07-31 | East River, New Haven County | EF1 2.94 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2002-05-31 | Southbury, New Haven County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-07-03 | Waterbury, New Haven County | F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.8M |
| 1995-07-23 | Prospect, New Haven County | F0 0.5 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-05-29 | South Britain, New Haven County | F1 2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $97K |
| 1995-05-29 | Britain, New Haven County | 0 | 0 | $19K | |
| 1989-07-10 | New Haven County | F4 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 40 | $250M step |
| 1989-07-10 | New Haven County | F2 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 50 | $25M step |
| 1982-07-28 | New Haven County | F1 2.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1973-09-18 | New Haven County | F2 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-07-29 | New Haven County | F3 | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1962-05-24 | New Haven County | F3 9.3 mi x 120 yd | 1 | 45 | $2.5M step |
| 1959-08-29 | New Haven County | 0 | 0 | $30 step | |
| 1955-10-24 | New Haven County | F2 0.5 mi x 200 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 New Haven County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 12, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($3,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindEast Farms, New Haven County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindAnsonia, New Haven County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindOxford, New Haven County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindWaterbury, New Haven County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindPine Bridge, New Haven County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindOxford, New Haven County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-02-23 | BlizzardNew Haven County · forecast zone Southern New Haven | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Heavy SnowNew Haven County · forecast zone Northern New Haven | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormNew Haven County · forecast zone Southern New Haven | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormNew Haven County · forecast zone Northern New Haven | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter WeatherNew Haven County · forecast zone Northern New Haven | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter WeatherNew Haven County · forecast zone Southern New Haven | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-08-18 | Flash FloodOxford, New Haven County Two women women were swept away by rising floodwaters. Both have been reported as fatalities. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2002-10-19 | Rip CurrentMilford, New Haven County As a cold front pushed east toward a relatively strong high pressure system, southwest surface winds rapidly increased and seas quickly built during Saturday morning, October 19th. The Automated Surface Observing System at Sikorsky Airport in Bridgeport measured sustained wind speeds around 20 knots with gusts to 28 ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1962-05-24 | TornadoNew Haven County | F3 9.3 mi x 120 yd | 1 | 45 | $2.5M step |
| 2008-06-08 | LightningMadison, New Haven County Lightning struck a pavilion at Hamonassett Beach State Park, resulting in one fatality and four injuries. | 1 | 4 | – | |
| 2009-01-06 | Ice StormNew Haven County · forecast zone Northern New Haven The combination of a weak high retreating over the northeast and deepening low pressure over the Great Lakes resulted in a significant accumulation of ice across interior portions of southern Connecticut from the evening of January 6 into the afternoon of January 7. A warm front extending east from the developing low ... | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2011-08-28 | Tropical StormNew Haven County · forecast zone Northern New Haven The maximum sustained winds measured by ASOS at Tweed Airport in New Haven was southeast at 37 knots. The peak gust was southeast at 58 knots. In Prospect of Northern New Haven County, 1 woman was struck by a fallen power line and died. The 2 fire fighters that went to her rescue were electrically – shocked – by the ... | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2020-08-04 | Tropical StormNew Haven County · forecast zone Northern New Haven In Naugatuck, New Haven, one man died after being struck by a falling tree while trying to move branches in front of his car on Andrew Mountain Road around 230 pm LST. Numerous trees and power lines were downed throughout the county. This resulted in numerous power outages. The Waterbury-Oxford Airport reported a peak ... | 1 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2015-01-18 | Winter WeatherNew Haven County · forecast zone Southern New Haven Freezing rain led to widespread motor vehicle accidents, including 1 fatality, and numerous falls and injuries. | 1 | 0 | – |
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 StormNew Haven County · forecast zone Northern New Haven | 1 | 0 | $11M | |
| 1996-07-03 | TornadoWaterbury, New Haven County | F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.8M |
| 1996-04-16 | Flash FloodCountywide, New Haven County | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | |
| 2011-02-01 | Ice StormNew Haven County · forecast zone Southern New Haven | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | |
| 2011-02-01 | Winter StormNew Haven County · forecast zone Northern New Haven | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | |
| 2011-07-08 | Flash FloodBeacon Falls, New Haven County | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2008-05-27 | Flash FloodWaterbury, New Haven County | 0 | 0 | $822K | |
| 2010-09-30 | Strong WindNew Haven County · forecast zone Northern New Haven | 40 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $677K |
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: July 10, 1989 (tornado, New Haven 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 New Haven 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 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 49 | 85 | 111 | 77 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 17 | 58 | 98 | 42 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 34 | 51 | 58 | 49 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 19 | 19 | 39 | 20 |
| Hail | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 22 | 18 | 8 |
| Lightning | – | – | – | – | 11 | 14 | 6 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
54% 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 95 · Feb 85 · Mar 72 · Apr 35 · May 85 · Jun 135 · Jul 168 · Aug 156 · Sep 58 · Oct 45 · Nov 36 · Dec 64 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for New Haven County
FEMA's register lists 36 declarations that include New Haven County: 20 major disasters, 15 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for hurricane (11) and severe storm (9).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-24 | FM-5542 | Fire | Hawthorne Fire |
| 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 |
| 2015-04-08 | DR-4213 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 1989-07-17 | DR-837 | Tornado | Severe Storms & Tornadoes |
| 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 New Haven County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 192 flood or flash flood records for New Haven County from 1996 to 2025, on 115 days, with 5 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), New Haven County ranks 56th of 2,942 U.S. counties. The 100 counties with the most claims
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Isaias | 2020-08-04 | 2 | 1 |
| Tropical Storm Irene | 2011-08-28 | 1 | 1 |
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-16 | 1 | 1 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $173 million on 9,609 claims filed in New Haven County; the most in one year was 1,861 in 2011. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 204 · 1979: 373 · 1980: 410 · 1981: 4 · 1982: 799 · 1983: 220 · 1984: 222 · 1985: 427 · 1986: 16 · 1987: 39 · 1988: 30 · 1989: 105 · 1990: 18 · 1991: 127 · 1992: 1,020 · 1993: 21 · 1994: 31 · 1995: 100 · 1996: 529 · 1997: 10 · 1998: 43 · 1999: 43 · 2000: 53 · 2001: 27 · 2002: 17 · 2003: 36 · 2004: 35 · 2005: 105 · 2006: 49 · 2007: 207 · 2008: 50 · 2009: 16 · 2010: 163 · 2011: 1,861 · 2012: 1,811 · 2013: 23 · 2014: 16 · 2015: 9 · 2016: 5 · 2017: 11 · 2018: 59 · 2019: 13 · 2020: 9 · 2021: 120 · 2022: 29 · 2023: 27 · 2024: 51 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 15.
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 New Haven 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 New Haven 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 New Haven County's FEMA declarations (CSV)36 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis