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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bedford, NH

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

40 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bedford, New Hampshire since 1851, 5 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 35 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
5

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
35

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
35

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
1

1 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bedford

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Bedford, New Hampshire, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021ElsaJul 964 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 1
2013AndreaJun 867 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2011IreneAug 2861 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 3
2008HannaSep 754 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
2007BarryJun 548 miTropical storm (39 mph)Tropical storm
1999FloydSep 1718 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 4
1996BerthaJul 1429 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 3
1991BobAug 1957 miCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 3
1985GloriaSep 2721 miCategory 1 (77 mph)Category 4
1976BelleAug 1050 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 3
1971DoriaAug 2840 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1968Unnamed 1968 stormSep 1153 miTropical storm (56 mph)Tropical storm
1961Unnamed 1961 stormSep 1514 miTropical storm (67 mph)Tropical storm
1960DonnaSep 1319 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 4
1960BrendaJul 301 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1954CarolAug 313 miCategory 1 (94 mph)Category 3
1944Unnamed 1944 stormSep 1562 miTropical storm (72 mph)Category 5
1934Unnamed 1934 stormSep 910 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1923Unnamed 1923 stormOct 1917 miTropical storm (48 mph)Tropical storm
1916Unnamed 1916 stormJul 2152 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 2
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1721 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 567 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1908Unnamed 1908 stormMay 3128 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1745 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1899Unnamed 1899 stormNov 148 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 2
1897Unnamed 1897 stormSep 2428 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
1896Unnamed 1896 stormSep 1050 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 3
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 109 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2935 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2466 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 3
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1254 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 2259 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 3
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 244 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 2
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 307 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1869Unnamed 1869 stormOct 466 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 2
1869Unnamed 1869 stormSep 923 miCategory 1 (92 mph)Category 3
1861Unnamed 1861 stormNov 332 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 2817 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1858Unnamed 1858 stormSep 1613 miTropical storm (72 mph)Category 2
1851Unnamed 1851 stormOct 1965 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Bedford: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.

Tornadoes within 25 miles of Bedford

By decade

  • 2000s1
  • 1990s2
  • 1980s3
  • 1970s6
  • 1960s18(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s5
Strongest tornadoes near Bedford, New Hampshire
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
May 20, 1963F323 mi14 mi0 / 0
Jul 24, 2008EF218 mi50.46 mi1 / 2
May 31, 1998F223 mi0.5 mi0 / 0
Jul 3, 1997F217 mi2 mi0 / 0
Jul 21, 1972F219 mi7.6 mi0 / 4
Jul 17, 1968F216 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Aug 28, 1965F219 mi2 mi0 / 0
Jun 9, 1963F23 mi10 mi0 / 0
Jul 2, 1961F215 mi5.1 mi0 / 1
Jul 2, 1961F214 mi2 mi0 / 0
Aug 21, 1951F221 mi4.9 mi0 / 0
Jun 16, 1986F123 mi12 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 35, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Bedford while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

Other cities in New Hampshire