NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Greenfield, MA
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
38 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Greenfield, Massachusetts since 1851, 6 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 47 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 6
- Tropical storms
- 32
- Tornadoes
- 47
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
94 deaths in all
What the records show for Greenfield
The strongest storm to pass near Greenfield was Carol in 1954, a Category 2 hurricane with 100 mph winds when its centre passed 51 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Gloria in 1985, whose centre came within 15 miles. The record near Greenfield begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 64 miles away. The 1860s and the 1890s were the busiest decades, with 5 systems each. Of the 38 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Of the 346 Massachusetts cities on this site, 91% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Greenfield. The strongest of the 47 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on June 9, 1953; its path came within 24 miles, and it killed 94 people. Of the 47, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 6 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 24. The most recent tornado was on July 18, 2022. Greenfield has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 50% of the 346 Massachusetts cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 43 times since 1973, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 346 Massachusetts cities, 69% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Greenfield.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Greenfield
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 7 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | FloydSep 17 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 15 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | BelleAug 10 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 55 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1954 | CarolAug 31 | 51 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 2 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 21 | 21 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 9 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormOct 1 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 17 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 5 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormMay 31 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 17 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 24 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 24 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 8 | 69 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 3 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 16 | 57 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormOct 19 | 66 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 Greenfield: 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 Greenfield
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s3
- 2000s2
- 1990s6
- 1980s5
- 1970s9(1 EF3+)
- 1960s9
- 1950s12(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 9, 1953 | F4 | 24 mi | 34.9 mi | 94 / 1228 |
| Sep 13, 1971 | F3 | 19 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 11, 2006 | F2 | 11 mi | 2.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 27, 1972 | F2 | 9 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 1972 | F2 | 24 mi | 9.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 11, 1966 | F2 | 23 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 20, 1963 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 21, 1961 | F2 | 16 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 14, 1958 | F2 | 20 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 11, 1958 | F2 | 5 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 5, 1955 | F2 | 12 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 18, 2022 | EF1 | 23 mi | 0.36 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 Greenfield
The Storm Prediction Center has 43 hail reports within 10 miles of Greenfield since 1973, made on 33 separate days. Of these, 15 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently May 22, 2013. The most recent report is from June 6, 2025. May and June have the most reports, 12 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Greenfield
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Greenfield #3, MA, 2 miles south of Greenfield at 130 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 33°F and 15°F. June is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 49.3 inches over 87 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (26.3 of 49.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 38 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (16); a normal September there has highs of 74°F and 4.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 10 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 154 nights a year. That 49.3 inches is more than at 41 of the 65 Massachusetts stations used on this site (63%). Sunderland, 11 miles south, has its own station (Amherst, MA): 46.6 inches a year, 2.7 less than here, and the same July average high, 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 15 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Feb | 37 | 14 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Mar | 45 | 23 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Apr | 59 | 34 | 3.8 | 8 |
| May | 70 | 45 | 4.0 | 8 |
| Jun | 78 | 54 | 4.8 | 9 |
| Jul | 83 | 59 | 4.1 | 9 |
| Aug | 81 | 57 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Sep | 74 | 50 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Oct | 62 | 39 | 4.7 | 8 |
| Nov | 50 | 29 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Dec | 40 | 21 | 4.7 | 8 |
| Year | 59 | 37 | 49.3 | 87 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Greenfield #3, MA (130 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 Greenfield
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 312 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Greenfield: 245 thunderstorm wind reports, 35 floods, 23 flash floods and 9 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $28.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on July 11, 2006. July has had the most flash floods, 19 of 23. Of the 339 Massachusetts cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 205 have had fewer than Greenfield.
June 9, 2004: thunderstorm wind in Greenfield — 1 killed, $5,000 damage.
July 5, 2018: lightning strike 2 miles from the centre of Greenfield — 1 injured, $5,000 damage.
August 28, 2011: flood 9 miles from the centre of Greenfield — $22.0 million 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 Greenfield's ZIP code 01301 have filed 48 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1984, and were paid $2.4 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Irene in 2011: 11 claims (23% of all) and $509,000. The year with the most claims was 2005, with 32. 23% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 229 Massachusetts cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 125 have fewer than Greenfield.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irene2011 | 11 | $509,000 |
Franklin County, which includes Greenfield, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1985, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 6 severe storms, 6 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 27, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Franklin County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $22.9 million a year, the 13th highest of 14 Massachusetts counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $16.0 million (70%), is from inland flooding.
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).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets 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 Greenfield
- Turners Falls, MA3 mi
- Bernardston, MA6 mi
- Montague, MA6 mi
- Shelburne Falls, MA6 mi
- Northfield, MA9 mi
- South Deerfield, MA9 mi
- Sunderland, MA11 mi
- Vernon, VT12 mi
- Hinsdale, NH14 mi
- Orange, MA16 mi
- Hatfield, MA16 mi
- Williamsburg, MA16 mi
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