Norfolk County, Massachusetts
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 25021 · population 725,648 · 396 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,321 records for Norfolk County, Massachusetts from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 644 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (403 records). 755 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 February 5, 2016 heavy snow, filed for the forecast zone Western Norfolk, which covers the county: 2 deaths and $123,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 38 declarations naming the county since 1972, 33 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
- 1,321on 644 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 544 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $141Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 15strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 38latest 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 Norfolk County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 403 since 1996. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 403 | 234 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $3.3M | 3 of 12 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 254 | 125 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | 3 of 12 |
| Winter storms | 233 | 126 | 1996-2026 | 4 | 6 | $14M | 2 of 12 |
| Floods | 187 | 106 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $78M | 1 of 12 |
| Hail | 82 | 50 | 1965-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 4 of 12 |
| Lightning | 56 | 45 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 17 | $5.3M | 1 of 12 |
| Heavy rain | 33 | 26 | 1996-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 12 |
| Heat | 25 | 24 | 1996-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 12 |
| Drought | 15 | 8 | 2012-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 of 12 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 13 | 1953-2023 | 1 | 21 | $30M | 1 of 12 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 13 | 11 | 2002-2021 | 0 | 0 | $7.9M | 3 of 12 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 3 | 2015-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 of 12 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 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 Norfolk County had?
NOAA records 15 tornadoes in Norfolk County from 1953 to 2023, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 21 injuries recorded in the county. That is 1st 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 15 tornadoes whose track touched Norfolk County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 15, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-08-09 13:30, as SPC files it | Newton | F1 | 4.9 mi | 1 |
| 1953-06-09 15:30, as SPC files it | Franklin | F3 | 28 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Massachusetts.
Every tornado record filed for Norfolk County (15)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-08-18 | South Weymouth Nas, Norfolk County | EF1 0.35 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2023-08-18 | Stoughton, Norfolk County | EF0 0.1 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2023-07-29 | East Foxboro, Norfolk County | EF0 0.16 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2020-10-07 | Millis, Norfolk County | EF0 0.53 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2015-06-23 | Wrentham, Norfolk County | EF0 0.48 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2013-05-09 | Stoughton, Norfolk County | EF0 0.38 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2004-08-21 | Franklin, Norfolk County | F1 6 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.3M |
| 2001-06-30 | Bellingham, Norfolk County | F0 0.1 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-05-18 | Norfolk County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1990-05-18 | Norfolk County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1989-07-10 | Norfolk County | F0 0.1 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1973-09-06 | Norfolk County | F1 1.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1972-08-09 | Norfolk County | F1 4.9 mi x 30 yd | 1 | 6 | $25K step |
| 1956-11-21 | Norfolk County | F2 0.1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1953-06-09 | Norfolk County | F3 13.1 mi x 667 yd | 0 | 15 | $2.5M 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 Norfolk County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 19, 2026 thunderstorm wind.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindRockville, Norfolk County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindMilton, Norfolk County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindNeedham, Norfolk County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $100 |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter StormNorfolk County · forecast zone Eastern Norfolk | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | BlizzardNorfolk County · forecast zone Western Norfolk | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | BlizzardNorfolk County and Plymouth County · forecast zone Eastern Plymouth | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | BlizzardNorfolk County and Suffolk County · forecast zone Suffolk | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Heavy SnowNorfolk County and Suffolk County · forecast zone Suffolk | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Heavy SnowNorfolk County and Plymouth County · forecast zone Eastern Plymouth | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Heavy SnowNorfolk County · forecast zone Eastern Norfolk | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Heavy SnowNorfolk County · forecast zone Western Norfolk | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-19 | High WindNorfolk County and Suffolk County · forecast zone Suffolk | 56 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-02-05 | Heavy SnowNorfolk County · forecast zone Western Norfolk One to eleven inches of snow fell across western Norfolk County. Two separate fatalities occurred in Canton due to falling tree limbs. A tree limb fell onto a six year old girl playing in her backyard on Indian Lane. On Longmeadow Drive in Canton, a tree limb fell late in the evening onto a 48 year old man tending an ... | 2 | 0 | $123K | |
| 1972-08-09 | TornadoNorfolk County | F1 4.9 mi x 30 yd | 1 | 6 | $25K step |
| 2017-02-08 | Winter WeatherNorfolk County · forecast zone Western Norfolk Freezing rain caused numerous crashes and in some instances temporary road closures on the major arteries around Metropolitan Boston. These occurred near the start of the morning commute. A 63-year-old man who stopped to help a motorist stuck on an icy road in Needham was killed when a second vehicle slid into him, ... | 1 | 4 | $181K | |
| 2015-02-02 | Heavy SnowNorfolk County · forecast zone Eastern Norfolk Ten to seventeen inches of snow fell across eastern Norfolk County. A 57 year old female was struck and killed by a snowplow in the parking lot of the Tara Gardens condominium complex. A 67 year old woman sustained non-life threatening injuries after she was struck by a plow truck in Cohasset. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 1953-06-09 | TornadoNorfolk County | F3 13.1 mi x 667 yd | 0 | 15 | $2.5M step |
| 1996-06-08 | LightningNorfolk County Lightning struck a well system in the backyard of a home as many people gathered during an outdoor wedding reception. Sixteen people were hit by the lightning and seven were transported to the hospital. One person was held for observation. Elsewhere in town, four houses and a barn were hit by lightning. | 0 | 7 | – | |
| 2010-06-05 | LightningMilton, Norfolk County Lightning struck a house on Augusta Road, causing a fire that engulfed the entire third floor of the house. No one was home at the time of the fire. Three firefighters were hospitalized for heat exhaustion but were released less than 24 hours later. | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2009-06-27 | LightningWest Stoughton, Norfolk County Lightning struck the roof of a condo at Knollsbrook Condominiums. The resultant fire spread to two other units. Three firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion and dehydration while fighting the fire. One was transported to the hospital. These injuries were indirectly related to the lightning strike. | 0 | 3 | $688K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-06-28 | Flash FloodNorwood, Norfolk County | 0 | 0 | $34M | |
| 2010-03-14 | FloodWellesley Fells, Norfolk County | 0 | 0 | $23M | |
| 2010-03-29 | FloodBellingham, Norfolk County | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2011-08-28 | Tropical StormNorfolk County · forecast zone Western Norfolk | 0 | 0 | $4.6M | |
| 1996-01-07 | Heavy SnowNorfolk County and Plymouth County · forecast zone Eastern Norfolk | 0 | 0 | $3.8M | |
| 2011-08-28 | Tropical StormNorfolk County · forecast zone Eastern Norfolk | 0 | 0 | $3.0M | |
| 1996-01-07 | Heavy SnowNorfolk County · forecast zone Western Norfolk | 0 | 0 | $2.6M | |
| 2004-08-21 | TornadoFranklin, Norfolk County | F1 6 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.3M |
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: June 9, 1953 (tornado, Norfolk 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 Norfolk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 114 | 96 | 128 | 65 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 21 | 53 | 80 | 81 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 43 | 66 | 95 | 29 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 18 | 29 | 82 | 58 |
| Hail | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 34 | 21 | 8 |
| Lightning | – | – | – | – | 8 | 26 | 17 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Norfolk County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 135 · Feb 140 · Mar 126 · Apr 66 · May 71 · Jun 165 · Jul 165 · Aug 106 · Sep 60 · Oct 99 · Nov 68 · Dec 120 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Norfolk County
FEMA's register lists 38 declarations that include Norfolk County: 23 major disasters, 15 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for snowstorm (9) and hurricane (8).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-09-15 | EM-3599 | Hurricane | Hurricane Lee |
| 2022-04-18 | DR-4651 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 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 |
| 2018-06-25 | DR-4372 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2011-11-01 | EM-3343 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm |
| 2011-09-03 | DR-4028 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Irene |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 1991-11-04 | DR-920 | Coastal Storm | 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 |
| 1978-02-10 | DR-546 | Flood | Coastal Storms, Flood, Ice & Snow |
| 1972-09-28 | DR-357 | Fishing Losses | Toxic Algae in Coastal Waters |
| 1972-03-06 | DR-325 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
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 Norfolk County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 187 flood or flash flood records for Norfolk County from 1996 to 2025, on 106 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Norfolk County ranks 130th 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 $25.9 million on 3,262 claims filed in Norfolk County; the most in one year was 476 in 2010. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 299 · 1979: 213 · 1980: 10 · 1981: 29 · 1982: 130 · 1983: 39 · 1984: 60 · 1985: 11 · 1986: 16 · 1987: 170 · 1988: 63 · 1989: 4 · 1990: 11 · 1991: 296 · 1992: 185 · 1993: 11 · 1994: 11 · 1995: 3 · 1996: 181 · 1997: 6 · 1998: 95 · 1999: 22 · 2000: 7 · 2001: 63 · 2002: 6 · 2003: 8 · 2004: 17 · 2005: 153 · 2006: 48 · 2007: 8 · 2008: 29 · 2009: 6 · 2010: 476 · 2011: 11 · 2012: 27 · 2013: 37 · 2014: 27 · 2015: 20 · 2016: 2 · 2017: 6 · 2018: 346 · 2019: 9 · 2020: 19 · 2021: 13 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 27 · 2024: 19 · 2025: 9 · 2026: 1.
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 Norfolk County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Norfolk County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $147 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $103M | 2.9 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $1.2M | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.3M | 21 a year (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | $5.1M | 7.9 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $16M | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $8.9M | once in about 602 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $3.9M | 6.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $3.3M | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Norfolk 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
- High wind and dust storms in MassachusettsThe state's high wind and dust records, 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 Norfolk CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Norfolk County's FEMA declarations (CSV)38 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis