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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Gloucester, 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 Gloucester, Massachusetts since 1851, 9 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 14 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
9

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
37

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
14

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
0

no recorded deaths

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Gloucester

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Gloucester, Massachusetts, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021ElsaJul 919 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 1
2013AndreaJun 821 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2008HannaSep 711 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
2007BarryJun 5overheadTropical storm (39 mph)Tropical storm
1999FloydSep 1729 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 4
1996BerthaJul 1416 miTropical storm (67 mph)Category 3
1991BobAug 199 miCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 3
1985GloriaSep 2769 miCategory 1 (77 mph)Category 4
1966AlmaJun 1444 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1961EstherSep 2631 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 5
1961Unnamed 1961 stormSep 1533 miTropical storm (67 mph)Tropical storm
1960DonnaSep 1329 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 4
1960BrendaJul 3149 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1959CindyJul 1140 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 1
1954EdnaSep 1154 miCategory 2 (100 mph)Category 3
1954CarolAug 3144 miCategory 2 (97 mph)Category 3
1944Unnamed 1944 stormSep 1515 miTropical storm (72 mph)Category 5
1934Unnamed 1934 stormSep 957 miTropical storm (45 mph)Category 2
1934Unnamed 1934 stormJun 2065 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 2
1923Unnamed 1923 stormOct 1918 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1916Unnamed 1916 stormJul 214 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 2
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1727 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 572 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1908Unnamed 1908 stormMay 3120 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1907Unnamed 1907 stormJun 3033 miTropical storm (39 mph)Tropical storm
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1545 miCategory 1 (85 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 172 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1897Unnamed 1897 stormSep 2420 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
1896Unnamed 1896 stormSep 105 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 3
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 1039 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 3
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 2556 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 2668 miCategory 1 (76 mph)Category 1
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 129 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 2221 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 3
1880Unnamed 1880 stormOct 2362 miTropical storm (69 mph)Tropical storm
1879Unnamed 1879 stormAug 1958 miCategory 1 (77 mph)Category 3
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 2411 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 567 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 3041 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2742 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1869Unnamed 1869 stormOct 421 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 2
1869Unnamed 1869 stormSep 824 miCategory 1 (93 mph)Category 3
1861Unnamed 1861 stormNov 316 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 2827 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1858Unnamed 1858 stormSep 1635 miTropical storm (72 mph)Category 2
1851Unnamed 1851 stormOct 1964 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 Gloucester: 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 Gloucester

By decade

  • 2010s1
  • 2000s1
  • 1990s1
  • 1970s2
  • 1960s5
  • 1950s4
Strongest tornadoes near Gloucester, Massachusetts
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Jul 28, 2014EF222 mi1.93 mi0 / 2
May 21, 2006F222 mi0.1 mi0 / 2
Aug 25, 1958F218 mi1 mi0 / 0
Nov 21, 1956F221 mi0.8 mi0 / 0
Aug 21, 1951F218 mi9.3 mi0 / 0
Aug 15, 1991F117 mi0.8 mi0 / 0
Jul 21, 1972F121 mi0.3 mi0 / 0
Jul 1, 1971F122 mi25.2 mi0 / 1
Jul 1, 1968F120 mi0.3 mi0 / 1
Aug 10, 1965F15 mi3.6 mi0 / 0
May 19, 1964F112 mi2 mi0 / 0
Jul 21, 1962F112 mi2.7 mi0 / 3

The strongest 12 of 14, 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 Gloucester 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 Massachusetts