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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Berlin, CT

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

Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated

50 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Berlin, Connecticut since 1851, 11 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 60 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
11

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
39

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
60

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
5

4 deaths in all

What the records show for Berlin

The strongest storm to pass near Berlin was an unnamed storm in 1869, a Category 3 hurricane with 115 mph winds when its centre passed 57 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Gloria in 1985, whose centre came within 7 miles. The record near Berlin begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 66 miles away. The 1860s and the 1890s were the busiest decades, with 5 systems each. Of the 50 systems, 7 have come since 2000. Berlin has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 53% of the 186 Connecticut cities on this site. The highest rating among the 60 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on July 10, 1989, came within 18 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on October 3, 1979, killed 3 people. Of the 60, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 22 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on June 21, 2024. Berlin has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 77% of the 186 Connecticut cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 51 times since 1960, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Berlin has more hail reports within 10 miles than 68% of the 186 Connecticut cities.

Compare Berlin's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Berlin

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Berlin, Connecticut, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021IdaSep 266 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 4
2021HenriAug 2240 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
2021ElsaJul 951 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
2013AndreaJun 851 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2011IreneAug 2837 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 3
2008HannaSep 723 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
2007BarryJun 461 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1999FloydSep 179 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1996BerthaJul 138 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1991BobAug 1967 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 3
1985GloriaSep 277 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 4
1985HenriSep 2458 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1976BelleAug 106 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 3
1972AgnesJun 2259 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 1
1971DoriaAug 2828 miTropical storm (56 mph)Tropical storm
1968Unnamed 1968 stormSep 1110 miTropical storm (62 mph)Tropical storm
1961Unnamed 1961 stormSep 1515 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1960DonnaSep 1228 miCategory 1 (90 mph)Category 4
1960BrendaJul 30overheadTropical storm (53 mph)Tropical storm
1955DianeAug 1960 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1954CarolAug 3144 miCategory 3 (113 mph)Category 3
1952AbleSep 135 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 2
1944Unnamed 1944 stormSep 1555 miCategory 2 (101 mph)Category 5
1938Unnamed 1938 stormSep 218 miCategory 2 (108 mph)Category 5
1934Unnamed 1934 stormSep 98 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 2
1934Unnamed 1934 stormJun 2053 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 3034 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1733 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 55 miTropical storm (49 mph)Category 1
1908Unnamed 1908 stormMay 3045 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1561 miCategory 1 (82 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1640 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
1899Unnamed 1899 stormNov 170 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 2
1897Unnamed 1897 stormSep 2436 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 1026 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2953 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2438 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 3
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1232 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22overheadTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 2445 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 559 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 301 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2724 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1869Unnamed 1869 stormSep 857 miCategory 3 (115 mph)Category 3
1866Unnamed 1866 stormOct 3057 miTropical storm (55 mph)Tropical storm
1863Unnamed 1863 stormSep 1945 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1861Unnamed 1861 stormNov 348 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 287 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 1
1858Unnamed 1858 stormSep 1642 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 2
1851Unnamed 1851 stormOct 1958 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Berlin: 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 Berlin

By decade

  • 2020s5
  • 2010s13
  • 2000s4
  • 1990s6
  • 1980s6(1 EF3+)
  • 1970s12(2 EF3+)
  • 1960s5(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s9(1 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Berlin, Connecticut
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Oct 3, 1979F419 mi11.3 mi3 / 500
Jul 10, 1989F418 mi3 mi0 / 40
May 24, 1962F36 mi11.6 mi1 / 50
Jul 29, 1971F315 mi0.1 mi0 / 2
Aug 21, 1951F314 mi0.1 mi0 / 8
Jun 23, 2001F222 mi0.5 mi0 / 0
Jul 10, 1989F214 mi5 mi0 / 70
Jul 10, 1989F225 mi10 mi0 / 4
Jul 5, 1984F28 mi3 mi0 / 0
Sep 18, 1973F27 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Sep 6, 1973F218 mi3.3 mi0 / 0
Aug 31, 1973F28 mi0.1 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 60, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Berlin

The Storm Prediction Center has 51 hail reports within 10 miles of Berlin since 1960, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 23 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 5 days, most recently May 26, 2010. The most recent report is from August 26, 2024. June has the most reports, 17.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.

Weather by month in Berlin

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Meriden Markham Municipal Airport, CT, 8 miles south of Berlin at 103 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 19°F. October is the wettest at 4.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 45.0 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (23.2 of 45.0 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 50 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (22); a normal September there has highs of 75°F and 4.3 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 15 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 129 nights a year. That 45.0 inches is more than at 6 of the 27 Connecticut stations used on this site (22%). New Britain, 4 miles north, has its own station (Hartford Brainard Field, CT): 42.9 inches a year, 2.1 less than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 84°F.

Water temperature at the NOAA tide station New Haven, CT, 24 miles south, averaged 75°F in August and 37°F in February over 2021–2025. No month averaged 80°F. Sea level at the Bridgeport tide gauge, 38 miles from Berlin, has risen 1.35 ± 0.08 inches per decade from 1964 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 13.5 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 81 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Meriden Markham Municipal Airport, CT
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"Water °F
Jan37193.1539
Feb39202.9537
Mar48284.1641
Apr60384.1748
May70483.5757
Jun79574.1765
Jul84633.4674
Aug82613.5675
Sep75544.3572
Oct64424.5663
Nov52323.4653
Dec42254.1743
Year614045.07456

Averages for 1991–2020 at Meriden Markham Municipal Airport, CT (103 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station New Haven, CT, from NOAA Tides & Currents. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.

Connecticut weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Berlin

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 212 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Berlin: 134 thunderstorm wind reports, 40 flash floods, 25 floods and 13 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $2.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 110 mph, on July 21, 2010. September has had the most flash floods, 18 of 40. Of the 186 Connecticut cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 118 have had fewer than Berlin.

  • June 22, 2024: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Berlin — 3 injured.

  • July 15, 2002: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Berlin — 1 injured, $20,000 damage.

  • June 26, 2009: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Berlin — $250,000 damage.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.

Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings

Flood insurance policyholders in Berlin's ZIP code 06037 have filed 67 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $414,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1992: 19 claims (28% of all) and $115,000, then Not a named storm in 1982 with 13. 58% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 128 Connecticut cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 69 have fewer than Berlin.

Flood insurance claims in Berlin by named event
EventClaimsPaid
Flooding199219$115,000
Not a named storm198213$63,000

Hartford County, which includes Berlin, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1978, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 hurricanes, 8 snowstorms, 6 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Isaias, on January 12, 2021.

Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.

Cities near Berlin