New London County, Connecticut
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 09011
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 656 records for New London County, Connecticut from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 364 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (166 records). The deadliest single record is the September 6, 2017 thunderstorm wind: 1 death, 2 injuries and $18,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 30 declarations naming the county since 1978, 28 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Flooding, and A Potential Dam Breach” on January 13, 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
- 656on 364 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 428 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $16Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 4strongest EF1
- 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 New London County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 166 since 1996. 63% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. Census land area gives no figure for New London County under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 166 | 96 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 137 | 85 | 1969-2026 | 2 | 2 | $479K | – |
| Floods | 136 | 69 | 1996-2024 | 1 | 1 | $9.8M | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 83 | 67 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $3.6M | – |
| Hail | 62 | 38 | 1963-2024 | 0 | 1 | $685 | – |
| Heavy rain | 18 | 18 | 1996-2009 | 0 | 0 | $10K | – |
| Lightning | 17 | 16 | 1997-2025 | 1 | 23 | $64K | – |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 10 | 5 | 2008-2021 | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | – |
| Heat | 8 | 6 | 1999-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 4 | 2000-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Drought | 6 | 3 | 2002-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 4 | 1998-2021 | 0 | 0 | $73K | – |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2010-2012 | 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 New London County had?
NOAA records 4 tornadoes in New London County from 1998 to 2021, the strongest rated EF1, with 0 deaths and 0 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 3 tornadoes whose track touched New London County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 4: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Connecticut.
Every tornado record filed for New London County (4)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-11-13 | Pawcatuck, New London County | EF1 0.26 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2018-10-29 | Shelton, New London County | EF0 2.33 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $59K |
| 2002-06-16 | Montville, New London County | F1 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-06-30 | Lyme, New London County | F1 0.1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
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 London County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 11, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($4,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindGales Ferry, New London County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2026-02-23 | High WindNew London County · forecast zone Southern New London | 59 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-23 | BlizzardNew London County · forecast zone Southern New London | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Heavy SnowNew London County · forecast zone Northern New London | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-06 | Winter StormNew London County · forecast zone Southern New London | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-06 | Winter StormNew London County · forecast zone Northern New London | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormNew London County · forecast zone Southern New London | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormNew London County · forecast zone Northern New London | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter WeatherNew London County · forecast zone Southern New London | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter WeatherNew London County · forecast zone Northern New London | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | Winter WeatherNew London County · forecast zone Northern New London | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | Winter WeatherNew London County · forecast zone Southern New London | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-09-06 | Thunderstorm WindRidgewood, New London County Multiple trees were reported down along Pequot Avenue (just south of New London), including one tree falling onto a car, killing one person and injuring another. There was also minor damage to windows to one building. | 56 kt wind | 1 | 2 | $18K |
| 2015-08-04 | Thunderstorm WindWest Mystic, New London County A tree fell on a car along Flanders Road, near U. S. Route 1. The driver, and sole occupant of the vehicle, was killed. | 52 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $12K |
| 2010-03-14 | FloodLaysville, New London County A resident of 22 Oak St. in Lyme suffered from a heart attack and drowned after trying to move structures in his pond because of high water. He was pronounced dead at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital at 1610 EST. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1997-06-19 | LightningGriswold, New London County A boy was struck by lightning while celebrating the last day of school with four friends in a shed by Beachdale Pond. He was changing a CD in a disc player when lightning struck an electrical socket or skipped off the nearby pond. The State Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed that the boy was killed by ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2012-06-25 | LightningPreston, New London County Ten people were taken to the hospital after lightning struck the restroom they were in, between holes 4 and 13, at Lake of Isles Golf Course in North Stonington. | 0 | 11 | – | |
| 2024-06-21 | LightningVoluntown, New London County Four people injured by a lightning strike at a Voluntown campsite. | 0 | 4 | – | |
| 2005-09-17 | LightningNiantic, New London County Lightning struck at Rocky Neck State Park during a wedding. Two caterers sustained minor injuries. | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2019-10-17 | High WindNew London County · forecast zone Southern New London At 1206 am, a measured gust to 60 mph was reported at Groton New London airport. The broadcast media reported an injury due to the high winds in Neptune Park. Emergency crews extracted a person trapped from underneath a fallen tree and wires. This occurred in the area of Ocean Avenue and Shirley Lane. | 52 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $58K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-03-30 | FloodClarks Falls, New London County | 0 | 0 | $5.4M | |
| 2020-08-04 | Tropical StormNew London County · forecast zone Southern New London | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | |
| 2010-03-30 | FloodTaftville, New London County | 0 | 1 | $1.5M | |
| 2012-10-29 | High WindNew London County · forecast zone Northern New London | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.3M |
| 2021-09-02 | Flash FloodWequetequock, New London County | 0 | 0 | $769K | |
| 2010-03-30 | FloodField Crest Estates, New London County | 0 | 0 | $677K | |
| 2012-10-29 | High WindNew London County · forecast zone Southern New London | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $386K |
| 2010-03-29 | FloodEast New London, New London County | 0 | 0 | $352K |
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 London 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 | – | – | – | – | 14 | 39 | 74 | 39 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 28 | 31 | 38 | 32 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 22 | 38 | 58 | 18 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 15 | 16 | 33 | 19 |
| Hail | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 9 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 11 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
63% 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 83 · Feb 69 · Mar 70 · Apr 22 · May 39 · Jun 72 · Jul 101 · Aug 50 · Sep 48 · Oct 29 · Nov 23 · Dec 50 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for New London County
FEMA's register lists 30 declarations that include New London County: 16 major disasters, 14 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (11) and severe storm (9).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-13 | EM-3604 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and A Potential Dam Breach |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2011-10-31 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 London County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 136 flood or flash flood records for New London County from 1996 to 2024, on 69 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), New London County ranks 177th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ida | 2021-09-02 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Isaias | 2020-08-04 | 2 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $31.2 million on 2,155 claims filed in New London County; the most in one year was 678 in 2012. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 66 · 1979: 92 · 1980: 29 · 1982: 294 · 1983: 25 · 1984: 13 · 1985: 74 · 1986: 2 · 1987: 15 · 1988: 5 · 1989: 2 · 1990: 4 · 1991: 56 · 1992: 41 · 1993: 7 · 1994: 18 · 1995: 2 · 1996: 8 · 1997: 3 · 1998: 8 · 1999: 3 · 2000: 4 · 2001: 14 · 2002: 2 · 2003: 2 · 2004: 7 · 2005: 97 · 2006: 1 · 2007: 30 · 2008: 5 · 2009: 33 · 2010: 316 · 2011: 82 · 2012: 678 · 2013: 7 · 2014: 9 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2018: 12 · 2019: 9 · 2021: 31 · 2022: 7 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 29 · 2025: 3 · 2026: 2; 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 New London 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 London 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 New London County's FEMA declarations (CSV)30 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis