NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Essex, MA
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
46 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Essex, Massachusetts since 1851, 9 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 22 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 9
- Tropical storms
- 37
- Tornadoes
- 22
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Essex
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 8 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 7 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | BarryJun 5 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 17 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 14 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1991 | BobAug 19 | 14 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 64 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 14 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1961 | EstherSep 26 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 13 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 11 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | EdnaSep 11 | 58 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1954 | CarolAug 31 | 38 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 15 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 9 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 20 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 21 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 17 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 5 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormMay 31 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 30 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 49 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 17 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 24 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 10 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 25 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 26 | 73 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 12 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormOct 23 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 19 | 62 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 24 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 5 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 27 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormOct 4 | 26 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 8 | 19 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 3 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 16 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormOct 19 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Essex: 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 Essex
By decade
- 2010s1
- 2000s1
- 1990s1
- 1980s1
- 1970s3(1 EF3+)
- 1960s9
- 1950s6
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 29, 1974 | F3 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 28, 2014 | EF2 | 18 mi | 1.93 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 21, 2006 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 2, 1961 | F2 | 23 mi | 5.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 25, 1958 | F2 | 13 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 21, 1956 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 21, 1951 | F2 | 23 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 21, 1951 | F2 | 14 mi | 9.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 15, 1991 | F1 | 12 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 1986 | F1 | 25 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 21, 1972 | F1 | 17 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 1, 1971 | F1 | 17 mi | 25.2 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 22, 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 Essex 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.