PlainHazard

Connecticut natural disasters

The state's storm and disaster record · population 3,604,191 · 8 counties and county equivalents

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 7,163 storm events in Connecticut since 1950, 6,627 of them since 1996 when every event type began to be recorded, and the Storm Prediction Center counts 127 tornadoes in the state since 1950. The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events (2,455). In NOAA's storm record since 1950, the deadliest tornado day in Connecticut was October 3, 1979: tornadoes and the storms that came with them killed 3 people in the state; the deadliest of them in Connecticut, the Windsor Locks tornado, killed 3 (SPC). FEMA has made 43 declarations for Connecticut since 1954, 41 for natural hazards; 26 were major disasters.

The record, 1950 to 2026

Storm events recorded in Connecticut 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 $1 million
  • $1 million or more
  • $10 million or more
  • $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
  • $1 billion or more, or 100 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 events recorded
7,1631950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
67947 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$2.2Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes (SPC)
1271950 to 2025
FEMA declarations
4326 major disasters

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); tornado count: NOAA Storm Prediction Center, 1950-2025; damage in 2025 dollars (BLS CPI-U). Search the record at NCEI.

What natural disasters happen in Connecticut?

By NOAA's records, Connecticut's most frequent hazards are severe thunderstorm wind events (2,455), winter storm records (1,461), floods and flash floods (1,033); the deadliest are high wind and dust records (16 deaths). Each hazard is counted over the years NOAA has recorded it everywhere: tornadoes since 1950, hail and thunderstorm wind since 1955, everything else since 1996. Open a hazard for its years, months, counties and worst events.

Connecticut: records by hazard to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsLast 10 yearsKilledInjuredDamageCounties
Severe thunderstorm wind 2,455824 1277$26M 8 of 8
Winter storms 1,461507 955$57M 8 of 8
Floods 1,033411 134$73M 8 of 8
Hail 691103 01$670K 8 of 8
High wind and dust storms 630233 1625$25M 8 of 8
Heat 18590 10– 7 of 8
Lightning 17128 478$3.3M 8 of 8
Extreme cold 14050 00– 6 of 8
Tornadoes 13030 4703$1.9B 8 of 8
Heavy rain 1264 42$163K 8 of 8
Drought 7332 00– 8 of 8
Hurricanes and tropical storms 4624 22$63M 8 of 8
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 193 00– 7 of 8
Rip currents and high surf 21 20– 2 of 8
Wildfires 10 00– 1 of 8

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: every record counted once in the state; "last 10 years" is 2017-2026 (2026 to June 30, 2026).

What were the deadliest disasters in Connecticut?

The storms with the most deaths since 1950, from the National Weather Service's own entries. NOAA files one storm as several records when it crosses forecast zones and counties or changes type, and groups them under one episode; each row here is an episode, with its totals and the narrative of its deadliest record. Before 1996 tornado records carry no episode and stand alone. The narrative says what happened: some deaths the National Weather Service files under a weather type had another cause beside the weather.

Connecticut: the 10 storm episodes with the most deaths
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1979-10-03 Tornadoes of the day; the deadliest, Windsor Locks, killed 3 (SPC) · TornadoHartford County F4 11.3 mi x 1,400 yd 3 500 $250M step
2012-10-29 High WindFairfield County · forecast zone Northern Fairfield One storm episode: 8 records in 4 places; the totals are the episode's. Post Tropical Storm Sandy was the costliest natural disaster in Southeast New York. Tropical Storm Sandy formed in the Caribbean Sea on October 22. After drifting slowly southwest on October 23, Sandy turned to the north and intensified to a hurricane on October 24, just before making landfall in Jamaica. Hurricane ... 59 kt wind 3 0 $5.1M
2024-08-18 Flash FloodOxford, New Haven County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. A frontal system over the area on August 18th allowed for the development of rain early in the morning. As the day progressed, mesoscale features including multiple boundary interactions and a mesolow allowed thunderstorms to continue to intensify with persistent back-building and training over the same areas in ... 3 0 $94K
2009-01-06 Ice StormNew Haven County · forecast zone Northern New Haven One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. 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 ... 2 4 –
1996-02-25 High WindHartford County · forecast zone Hartford A deep low pressure system over northern Maine combined with a strong high pressure area centered over South Carolina to produce a "tight pressure gradient" and a period of very powerful and damaging west to northwest winds. Two people were killed and three injured when a large tree was blown down and crushed their ... 2 3 $941K
2018-05-15 New Haven County · Thunderstorm WindDanbury, Fairfield County One storm episode: 12 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. An approaching cold front triggered numerous severe thunderstorms over southern Connecticut. These storms produced 2 tornadoes in the Lower Hudson Valley, as well as microbursts and macroburts. 61 kt wind 2 3 $388K
2011-08-28 Tropical Storm Irene · FloodBristol, Hartford County One named storm filed by several offices: 5 records in 2 episodes; the totals are the storm's. Hurricane Irene formed east of the Caribbean island of Dominica, part of the Lesser Antilles region, on the afternoon of August 20. Irene moved through the Caribbean and up the east coast of the United States making landfall twice. She first made landfall as a Category 1 Hurricane near Cape Lookout, North Carolina ... 2 2 $89M
2010-10-01 Heavy RainCannondale, Fairfield County In Wilton, a man and a woman drowned shortly after launching their 2-person kayak into the swollen Norwalk River in the early evening hours after the heavy rain had ceased. Neither of them were wearing a life preserver, and the river was moving quickly at the time of the accident. Rainfall totals ranged from 1.59 ... 2 0 –
2010-03-13 High WindFairfield County · forecast zone Southern Fairfield A wind gust to 58 mph was reported in Westport at 320 pm. At Bridgeport Sikorsky Airport, a wind gust of 60 mph was reported at 430 pm. The public reported a wind gust to 65 mph in Norwalk at 515 pm. There was widespread trees downed by the storm. Some towns that reported many trees down were Darien and Norwalk. There ... 50 kt wind 2 0 $1.4M
1997-08-20 Heavy RainCountywide, Fairfield County A low pressure system developed over the lower Midwest on Wednesday, August 20th. As it moved slowly east-northeast, it intensified. The low passed over Pennsylvania and moved south of Long Island during Thursday morning.The low produced heavy rain and strong gusty winds. Two men died when their car hit a puddle and ... 2 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.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed in this state, summed over the records of each episode (EPISODE_ID); a forecast-zone record counts the zone's deaths once. A tornado's whole-track deaths (SPC), on the state's tornado page, can be higher when the track crossed a state line. Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.

The costliest records in Connecticut

Connecticut: the 8 records with the most damage since 1993, 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2011-08-28 Tropical StormWindham County · forecast zone Windham 0 0 $26M
2020-08-04 Tropical StormNew Haven County · forecast zone Northern New Haven 1 0 $11M
2011-10-29 Heavy SnowHartford County · forecast zone Hartford 0 0 $10M
2011-08-28 FloodBristol, Hartford County 1 0 $10M
2000-08-11 Flash FloodBridgeport, Fairfield County 0 0 $10M
2020-08-04 Tropical StormFairfield County · forecast zone Northern Fairfield 0 0 $10M
2020-08-04 Tropical StormHartford County · forecast zone Hartford 0 0 $10M
2001-03-05 Heavy SnowHartford County · forecast zone Hartford 0 0 $8.3M

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 $250M, in the dollars of the day) holds: October 3, 1979 (tornado, Hartford County, 3 killed); July 10, 1989 (tornado, New Haven County).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. BLS consumer price index.

Which counties in Connecticut have the most records?

  1. Litchfield County 1,645
  2. Fairfield County 1,234
  3. Hartford County 1,108
  4. New Haven County 1,034
  5. New London County 656
  6. Tolland County 517
  7. Middlesex County 491
  8. Windham County 473

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950 attributed to each county (forecast-zone records count on every county the zone covers).

Every county in Connecticut

Billion-dollar disasters in Connecticut

NOAA counted 45 weather or climate disasters from 1980-2024 that cost at least $1 billion (adjusted for inflation) and affected Connecticut, led by winter storm (17). The most recent: Central and Northeast Severe Weather (2024); Southern Tornado Outbreak and East Coast Storm (2024); East Coast Storm and Flooding (2023).

Connecticut: billion-dollar disasters by type, 1980-2024
TypeEventsTotal cost (NOAA's range)
Winter Storm17$2.0B-$5.0B
Severe Storm13$500M-$1.0B
Tropical Cyclone10$5.0B-$10.0B
Flooding3$500M-$1.0B
Drought1$5M-$100M
Freeze1$5M-$100M
Every one of the 45, newest first
  • Central and Northeast Severe Weather2024
  • Southern Tornado Outbreak and East Coast Storm2024
  • East Coast Storm and Flooding2023
  • Northeastern Winter Storm/Cold Wave2023
  • Central and Eastern Winter Storm and Cold Wave2022
  • Hurricane Ida2021
  • Tropical Storm Fred2021
  • Tropical Storm Elsa2021
  • Hurricane Isaias2020
  • Southeast and Eastern Tornado Outbreak2020
  • Southeast, Ohio Valley and Northeast Severe Weather2019
  • Central and Eastern Severe Weather2018
  • Northeast Winter Storm2018
  • Central and Eastern Winter Storm2018
  • Southeast and Eastern Tornadoes2016
  • West/Northeast/Southeast Drought2016
  • Central and Northeast Severe Weather2015
  • Central and Eastern Winter storm, Cold Wave2015
  • Hurricane Sandy2012
  • Northeastern Winter Storm2011
  • Tropical Storm Lee2011
  • Hurricane Irene2011
  • Groundhog Day Blizzard2011
  • Northeast Flooding2010
  • Midwest/Mid-Atlantic Severe Weather2008
  • East/South Severe Weather and Flooding2007
  • Hurricane Floyd1999
  • Central and Eastern Winter Storm1999
  • Central and Eastern Winter Storm1999
  • Central and Eastern Severe Storms and Flooding1998
  • Mississippi and Ohio Valley Severe Weather and Flooding1997
  • New England Flooding1996
  • Blizzard/Floods1996
  • Southeast Ice Storm1994
  • Winter Storm, Cold Wave1994
  • East Coast Blizzard and Severe Weather1993
  • Northeast Winter Storm1992
  • Hurricane Bob1991
  • Winter Storm, Cold Wave1989
  • Hurricane Gloria1985
  • Winter Storm, Cold Wave1985
  • Tornadoes, Severe Storms, Floods1984
  • Freeze/Cold Wave1983
  • Severe Storms1982
  • Midwest/Southeast/Northeast Winter Storm, Cold Wave1982

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters, state summary for Connecticut, 1980-2024 (NCEI's last update; the product is archived). A disaster that affected several states counts in each. NCEI billion-dollar disasters.

Federal disaster declarations in Connecticut

FEMA has made 43 declarations for Connecticut since 1954: 26 major disasters, 16 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. The most common incident types are hurricane (14), severe storm (12), snowstorm (8).

  1. Hurricane 14
  2. Severe Storm 12
  3. Snowstorm 8
  4. Tornado 3
  5. Flood 3
  6. Biological 2
  7. Fire 1
  1. 1950s 2
  2. 1970s 2
  3. 1980s 4
  4. 1990s 5
  5. 2000s 7
  6. 2010s 13
  7. 2020s 10
The 15 most recent declarations in Connecticut
DeclaredNumberTypeTitleAreas named
2024-10-24FM-5542FireHawthorne Fire2
2024-09-20DR-4820Severe StormSevere Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides3
2024-08-21EM-3612Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides3
2024-01-13EM-3604Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, and A Potential Dam Breach3
2021-10-30DR-4629HurricaneRemnants of Hurricane Ida7
2021-08-22EM-3564HurricaneHurricane Henri10
2021-01-12DR-4580HurricaneTropical Storm Isaias10
2020-08-06EM-3535HurricaneTropical Storm Isaias10
2020-03-28DR-4500BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic12
2020-03-13EM-3439BiologicalCovid-199
2018-12-05DR-4410Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding2
2018-08-20DR-4385TornadoSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds2
2015-04-08DR-4213Severe StormSevere Winter Storm and Snowstorm4
2013-03-21DR-4106Severe StormSevere Winter Storm and Snowstorm9
2013-02-10EM-3361Severe StormSevere Winter Storm9

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.

Flood insurance claims in Connecticut

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $552 million on 29,315 claims in 8 Connecticut counties. Claims count insured losses only.

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.

FEMA's modeled risk across Connecticut's counties

How FEMA's National Risk Index rates Connecticut's counties overall: a model of expected future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of events.

  1. Relatively High 3
  2. Relatively Moderate 4
  3. Relatively Low 2

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

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