Connecticut severe thunderstorm wind
Every recorded severe thunderstorm wind event since 1955 · 8 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 2,455 severe thunderstorm wind events in Connecticut from 1955 through June 30, 2026, about 74 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the May 15, 2018 thunderstorm wind in Fairfield County: 2 deaths, 3 injuries and $153,000 in damage in 2025 dollars across 10 records. Connecticut ranks 39th of 52 states and territories by count and 9th of 51 per square mile.
Severe thunderstorm wind in Connecticut, 1955 to 2026
Thunderstorm wind records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996.
- 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
- 1996: all 48 event types recorded from 1996
- Records
- 2,4551955 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 74average
- Deaths
- 1277 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $26Mas filed
- Busiest year
- 2010129 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are severe thunderstorm wind events common in Connecticut?
Connecticut averages about 74 severe thunderstorm wind events a year since 2000, 39th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2010 (129). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Connecticut records 5070 severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955, 9th of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1955, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
When is the severe thunderstorm season in Connecticut?
53% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in June and July. The busiest month is July (716 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 5 · Feb 28 · Mar 14 · Apr 56 · May 306 · Jun 586 · Jul 716 · Aug 470 · Sep 143 · Oct 58 · Nov 60 · Dec 13 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1955.
What were the deadliest severe thunderstorm wind events in Connecticut?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-05-15 | Thunderstorm WindDanbury, Fairfield County One storm episode: 10 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 | $153K |
| 1989-07-10 | Thunderstorm WindLitchfield County Every thunderstorm wind record filed in the state that day (4; before 1996 NOAA filed no storm episodes); the totals are the day's. | 1 | 10 | – | |
| 2011-06-23 | Thunderstorm WindHunting Ridge, Fairfield County A combination of strong winds and heavy rainfall caused a tree to fall down on car at the intersection of Merritt Parkway and County Route 104, killing one person, and injuring two others. | 26 kt wind | 1 | 2 | $10K |
| 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 |
| 2000-06-02 | Thunderstorm WindNew Haven County One storm episode: 3 records in 3 places; the totals are the episode's. Lines of severe thunderstorms swept southeast across the region. They produced high winds that downed many trees and power lines and caused 1 death and 1 injury. A funnel cloud was observed in Old Saybrook and downbursts were observed in Danbury and Orange (just southwest of New Haven).Here's a brief summary of damage ... | 50 kt wind | 1 | 1 | – |
| 2014-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindPark Lane, Litchfield County One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. An isolated thunderstorm moved southeast across Litchfield County Connecticut during the late afternoon and early evening hours on Tuesday, May 27th. The thunderstorm strengthened as it reached the southern portion of the county and produced a period of gusty winds, heavy rainfall and frequent cloud to ground ... | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 1997-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindStamford, Fairfield County Severe thunderstorms caused high winds that knocked down trees in Stamford. High winds also caused a 24 foot sailboat to capsize about 2 to 3 miles south of Darien in Long Island Sound. A 78 year old man died after he was thrown from the boat. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindWillimantic, Windham County One storm episode: 3 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. Strong storms moved through southern New England overnight bringing a line of very strong winds which caused damage in Connecticut while also producing two tornadoes in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $470 |
| 2019-07-17 | Thunderstorm WindBridgeport, Fairfield County A 21 year old man was killed when a large tree limb and power lines fell onto his car in the northbound lanes of Park Avenue between Wilson Street and Merritt Street. | 52 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $8K |
| 2019-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindFairfield County Fallen tree into a car resulted in a fatality and another person having to be extracted from the car on Sturges Road in the Mill Plain section of Fairfield. | 52 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $7K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest severe thunderstorm wind events in Connecticut
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-08-02 | Thunderstorm WindSuffield, Hartford County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $6.5M |
| 2010-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindBridgeport, Fairfield County One storm episode: 10 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. | 87 kt wind | 0 | 27 | $4.7M |
| 1994-05-25 | Thunderstorm WindNew Canaan, Fairfield County | 0 | 0 | $995K | |
| 2009-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindFarmington, Hartford County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $344K |
| 2018-05-15 | Thunderstorm WindLanesville, Litchfield County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $247K |
| 2010-07-21 | Thunderstorm WindRiverdale, Middlesex County One storm episode: 5 records in 3 places; the totals are the episode's. | 96 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $187K |
| 2018-05-15 | Thunderstorm WindDanbury, Fairfield County One storm episode: 10 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. | 61 kt wind | 2 | 3 | $153K |
| 2008-07-02 | Thunderstorm WindNorthwichtown, New London County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $137K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are severe thunderstorm wind events becoming more frequent in Connecticut?
Connecticut's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Connecticut | United States | Connecticut's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-59 | 8 | 3,482 | 0.23% |
| 1960s | 27 | 10,124 | 0.27% |
| 1970s | 42 | 18,714 | 0.22% |
| 1980s | 85 | 39,604 | 0.21% |
| 1990s | 338 | 85,554 | 0.40% |
| 2000s | 560 | 129,990 | 0.43% |
| 2010s | 772 | 161,286 | 0.48% |
| 2020-26 | 623 | 126,815 | 0.49% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent severe thunderstorm wind events in Connecticut
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindEast Farms, New Haven County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindWatertown, Litchfield County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindWatertown, Litchfield County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindWashington, Litchfield County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindBlack Rock, Fairfield County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindGales Ferry, New London County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindAnsonia, New Haven County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindBethel, Fairfield County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindKnollcrest, Fairfield County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindSherman, Fairfield County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 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 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for severe thunderstorm wind events in Connecticut
FEMA files hail and wind disasters under the incident type Severe Storm: 12 declarations in Connecticut, 8 of them major disasters; the latest on September 20, 2024.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-20 | DR-4820 | Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 3 |
| 2024-08-21 | EM-3612 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 3 |
| 2024-01-13 | EM-3604 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and A Potential Dam Breach | 3 |
| 2018-12-05 | DR-4410 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 2 |
| 2015-04-08 | DR-4213 | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm | 4 |
| 2013-03-21 | DR-4106 | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm | 9 |
| 2013-02-10 | EM-3361 | Severe Winter Storm | 9 |
| 2011-11-17 | DR-4046 | Severe Storm | 7 |
| 2011-10-31 | EM-3342 | Severe Storm | 8 |
| 2010-04-23 | DR-1904 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 5 |
| 2007-05-11 | DR-1700 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 7 |
| 2005-12-16 | DR-1619 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 5 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.