NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Chaplin, 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
56 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Chaplin, Connecticut since 1851, 11 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 38 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 11
- Tropical storms
- 45
- Tornadoes
- 38
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
3 deaths in all
What the records show for Chaplin
The strongest storm to pass near Chaplin was an unnamed storm in 1869, a Category 3 hurricane with 110 mph winds when its centre passed 29 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Donna in 1960, whose centre came within 5 miles. The record near Chaplin begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 67 miles away. Of the 56 systems, 8 have come since 2000. Chaplin has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 53% of the 186 Connecticut cities on this site. The highest rating among the 38 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on June 1, 2011, came within 20 miles. Of the 38, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 20 have come since 2000. August has had the most tornadoes, 12. The most recent tornado was on September 13, 2023. Of the 186 Connecticut cities, 62% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Chaplin. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 42 times since 1969, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Chaplin has more hail reports within 10 miles than 60% of the 186 Connecticut cities.
Compare Chaplin's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Chaplin
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 2 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | HenriAug 22 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 8 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 7 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | BarryJun 4 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | HermineAug 31 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 17 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1991 | BobAug 19 | 46 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 34 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | HenriSep 24 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | BelleAug 10 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 14 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 5 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 11 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 19 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | CarolAug 31 | 14 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 2 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 15 | 38 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 21 | 43 mi | Category 2 (105 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 9 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 20 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 21 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 17 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 5 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormMay 30 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 30 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 49 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 24 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 10 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 67 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 12 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | overhead | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 24 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 19 | 67 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 24 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 5 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 27 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 8 | 29 mi | Category 3 (110 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 3 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 16 | 15 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormOct 19 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Chaplin: 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 Chaplin
By decade
- 2020s7
- 2010s10(1 EF3+)
- 2000s3
- 1990s2
- 1980s3
- 1970s4
- 1960s5
- 1950s4(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2011 | EF3 | 20 mi | 37.58 mi | 3 / 200 |
| May 10, 1954 | F3 | 20 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Sep 6, 1973 | F2 | 17 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 19, 1965 | F2 | 14 mi | 6.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 12, 1962 | F2 | 22 mi | 4.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 7, 1958 | F2 | 12 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Aug 20, 1951 | F2 | 8 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 13, 2023 | EF1 | 23 mi | 0.21 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 13, 2023 | EF1 | 15 mi | 1.61 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 18, 2023 | EF1 | 7 mi | 2.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 4, 2019 | EF1 | 10 mi | 3.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 4, 2018 | EF1 | 20 mi | 0.47 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 38, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Chaplin
The Storm Prediction Center has 42 hail reports within 10 miles of Chaplin since 1969, made on 30 separate days. Of these, 15 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), fell on July 18, 2012. The most recent report is from May 8, 2024. June has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Chaplin
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hampton, CT, 4 miles southeast of Chaplin at 490 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 80°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 36°F and 17°F. December is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 50.6 inches. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 50% of the year's precipitation (25.5 of 50.6 inches). September has brought the most of the 56 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (23); a normal September there has highs of 73°F and 4.3 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 3 days a year, almost all from July. Lows fall below freezing on about 142 nights a year. That 50.6 inches is more than at 17 of the 27 Connecticut stations used on this site (63%). Mansfield Center, 5 miles southwest, has its own station (Willimantic Windham Airport, CT): 43.5 inches a year, 7.1 less than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 17 | 4.1 |
| Feb | 38 | 18 | 3.4 |
| Mar | 46 | 25 | 4.4 |
| Apr | 58 | 35 | 4.7 |
| May | 68 | 45 | 3.7 |
| Jun | 75 | 54 | 4.3 |
| Jul | 80 | 60 | 3.9 |
| Aug | 79 | 58 | 4.2 |
| Sep | 73 | 51 | 4.3 |
| Oct | 62 | 40 | 4.7 |
| Nov | 51 | 31 | 4.1 |
| Dec | 41 | 23 | 4.8 |
| Year | 59 | 38 | 50.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hampton, CT (490 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 Chaplin
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 166 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Chaplin: 117 thunderstorm wind reports, 31 floods, 14 flash floods and 4 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 15, 2018. September has had the most flash floods, 7 of 14. Of the 186 Connecticut cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 46 have had fewer than Chaplin.
June 26, 2024: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Chaplin — 1 killed, $500 damage.
August 15, 2012: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Chaplin — 1 injured.
August 12, 2016: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Chaplin — $100,000 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
Windham County, which includes Chaplin, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1978, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 hurricanes, 8 severe storms, 7 snowstorms, 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.