NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bolton, 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
52 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bolton, Connecticut since 1851, 10 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 47 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 10
- Tropical storms
- 42
- Tornadoes
- 47
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Bolton
The strongest storm to pass near Bolton was an unnamed storm in 1869, a Category 3 hurricane with 112 mph winds when its centre passed 44 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Donna in 1960, whose centre came within 18 miles. The record near Bolton begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 70 miles away. The 1860s and the 1890s were the busiest decades, with 5 systems each. Of the 52 systems, 7 have come since 2000. Of the 186 Connecticut cities on this site, 47% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Bolton. The strongest of the 47 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on October 3, 1979; its path came within 14 miles, and it killed 3 people. The deadliest, an EF3 on June 1, 2011, killed 3 people. Of the 47, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 13 have come since 2000. July and August have had the most tornadoes, 12 each. The most recent tornado was on August 18, 2023. Bolton has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 49% of the 186 Connecticut cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 60 times since 1956, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Bolton has more hail reports within 10 miles than 73% of the 186 Connecticut cities.
Compare Bolton's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bolton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 2 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | HenriAug 22 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 8 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 7 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | BarryJun 4 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 17 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1991 | BobAug 19 | 58 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 20 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | HenriSep 24 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | BelleAug 10 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 18 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | DianeAug 19 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | CarolAug 31 | 30 mi | Category 3 (110 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 15 | 49 mi | Category 2 (99 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 21 | 26 mi | Category 2 (106 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 9 | overhead | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 20 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 21 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 17 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 5 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormMay 30 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 30 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 58 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 24 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 52 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 12 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 24 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 24 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 5 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 27 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 8 | 44 mi | Category 3 (112 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 3 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 16 | 30 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormOct 19 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Bolton: 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 Bolton
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s7(1 EF3+)
- 2000s3
- 1990s3
- 1980s2
- 1970s11(1 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s13(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3, 1979 | F4 | 14 mi | 11.3 mi | 3 / 500 |
| Jun 1, 2011 | EF3 | 23 mi | 37.58 mi | 3 / 200 |
| May 10, 1954 | F3 | 10 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Aug 21, 1951 | F3 | 14 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Jul 5, 1984 | F2 | 21 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 6, 1973 | F2 | 3 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 31, 1973 | F2 | 15 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 19, 1965 | F2 | 12 mi | 6.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 7, 1958 | F2 | 11 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Aug 21, 1951 | F2 | 9 mi | 43.9 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Aug 20, 1951 | F2 | 12 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 12, 1950 | F2 | 16 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 47, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bolton
The Storm Prediction Center has 60 hail reports within 10 miles of Bolton since 1956, made on 39 separate days. Of these, 24 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on June 20, 1995. The most recent report is from June 22, 2024. June has the most reports, 27.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bolton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Storrs, CT, 11 miles east of Bolton at 665 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 35°F and 19°F. October is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 49.3 inches over 84 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (25.8 of 49.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 52 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (22); a normal September there has highs of 73°F and 4.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 3 days a year, almost all from July. Lows fall below freezing on about 123 nights a year. Snowfall averages 39.0 inches a year, most of it in February. That 49.3 inches is more than at 12 of the 27 Connecticut stations used on this site (44%). Manchester, 5 miles west, has its own station (Hartford Brainard Field, CT): 42.9 inches a year, 6.4 less than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 19 | 3.7 | 7 | 8.3 |
| Feb | 37 | 20 | 3.0 | 7 | 14.1 |
| Mar | 45 | 28 | 4.4 | 7 | 6.3 |
| Apr | 57 | 38 | 4.2 | 8 | 1.7 |
| May | 68 | 48 | 3.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 76 | 57 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 81 | 63 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 79 | 61 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 73 | 54 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 61 | 43 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Nov | 50 | 34 | 3.9 | 6 | 1.1 |
| Dec | 40 | 25 | 4.5 | 8 | 7.2 |
| Year | 58 | 41 | 49.3 | 84 | 39.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Storrs, CT (665 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Bolton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 232 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bolton: 177 thunderstorm wind reports, 29 floods, 14 flash floods, 10 lightning strikes and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $2.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on August 10, 2012. Of the 186 Connecticut cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 46 have had fewer than Bolton.
July 2, 2012: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Bolton — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
August 11, 2016: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Bolton — 1 injured.
NWS: “Lightning struck at Twin Hills Country Club, causing an elderly man to collapse. When first responders arrived, the man was conscious, alert, and refused transport to the hospital.”
August 22, 2021: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Bolton — $600,000 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
Tolland County, which includes Bolton, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1978, 14 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.