NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lee, 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
31 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lee, Massachusetts since 1851, 4 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 34 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 4
- Tropical storms
- 27
- Tornadoes
- 34
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
7 deaths in all
What the records show for Lee
The strongest storm to pass near Lee was an unnamed storm in 1938, a Category 1 hurricane with 93 mph winds when its centre passed 12 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 2 miles. The record near Lee begins with an unnamed storm in 1861; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 44 miles away. Of the 31 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Of the 346 Massachusetts cities on this site, 97% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Lee. The highest rating among the 34 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 29, 1995, came within 8 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on August 28, 1973, killed 4 people. Of the 34, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 13 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 15. The most recent tornado was on July 28, 2022. Of the 346 Massachusetts cities, 70% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Lee. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 64 times since 1955, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Lee has more hail reports within 10 miles than 65% of the 346 Massachusetts cities.
Compare Lee's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lee
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 7 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | FloydSep 17 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 33 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1976 | BelleAug 10 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 72 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 21 | 12 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 9 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 5 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 2 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 24 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Lee: 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 Lee
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s3
- 2000s7
- 1990s7(1 EF3+)
- 1980s1
- 1970s6(1 EF3+)
- 1960s4
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 1973 | F4 | 8 mi | 9.8 mi | 4 / 36 |
| May 29, 1995 | F4 | 8 mi | 11.5 mi | 3 / 24 |
| Jul 21, 2003 | F2 | 25 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 3, 1997 | F2 | 12 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 3, 1997 | F2 | 8 mi | 3.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 3, 1997 | F2 | 7 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 29, 1995 | F2 | 16 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jun 30, 1976 | F2 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 13, 1975 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 11, 1966 | F2 | 16 mi | 10.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 1, 1966 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 1959 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 34, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lee
The Storm Prediction Center has 64 hail reports within 10 miles of Lee since 1955, made on 49 separate days. Of these, 28 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on July 3, 1997. The most recent report is from July 16, 2024. June has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lee
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Pittsfield Municipal Airport, MA, 9 miles north of Lee at 1,194 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 79°F and low of 58°F; January is the coolest, at 30°F and 14°F. June and October are the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 44.3 inches over 87 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 57% of the year's precipitation (25.2 of 44.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 31 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (14); a normal September there has highs of 70°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 153 nights a year. That 44.3 inches is more than at 10 of the 65 Massachusetts stations used on this site (15%). Becket, 7 miles east, has its own station (Worthington, MA): 54.3 inches a year, 10.0 more than here, and a July average high of 80°F against 79°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 14 | 2.7 | 6 |
| Feb | 33 | 15 | 2.5 | 7 |
| Mar | 42 | 23 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Apr | 55 | 34 | 3.4 | 8 |
| May | 67 | 44 | 3.8 | 8 |
| Jun | 75 | 53 | 4.6 | 9 |
| Jul | 79 | 58 | 4.2 | 8 |
| Aug | 78 | 57 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Sep | 70 | 49 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Oct | 58 | 39 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Nov | 47 | 29 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Dec | 36 | 21 | 3.6 | 7 |
| Year | 56 | 36 | 44.3 | 87 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Pittsfield Municipal Airport, MA (1,194 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 Lee
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 283 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lee: 232 thunderstorm wind reports, 35 flash floods, 11 floods, 4 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 7, and the NWS estimated $819,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on July 27, 2008. July has had the most flash floods, 15 of 35. Of the 339 Massachusetts cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 278 have had fewer than Lee.
July 12, 2022: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Lee — 1 killed.
August 21, 2009: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Lee — 3 injured.
June 22, 2008: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Lee — 1 injured, $8,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Lee's ZIP code 01238 have filed 12 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $21,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 8% 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, 19 have fewer than Lee.
Berkshire County, which includes Lee, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1985, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 snowstorms, 6 hurricanes, 6 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 27, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Berkshire County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes and hail; Very Low for heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $51.8 million a year, the 10th highest of 14 Massachusetts counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $41.4 million (80%), 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.