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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lynnfield, 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

47 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lynnfield, Massachusetts since 1851, 10 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 33 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
10

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
37

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
33

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
1

1 deaths in all

What the records show for Lynnfield

The strongest storm to pass near Lynnfield was an unnamed storm in 1869, a Category 2 hurricane with 104 mph winds when its centre passed 38 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1869, whose centre came within 9 miles. The record near Lynnfield begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 27 miles away. The 1870s and the 1960s were the busiest decades, with 5 systems each. Of the 47 systems, 5 have come since 2000. Of the 346 Massachusetts cities on this site, 51% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Lynnfield. The strongest of the 33 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on September 29, 1974; its path came within 11 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on August 9, 1972, killed 1 person. Of the 33, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 4 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 12. The most recent tornado was on August 18, 2023. Of the 346 Massachusetts cities, 72% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Lynnfield. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 82 times since 1959, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Lynnfield has more hail reports within 10 miles than 86% of the 346 Massachusetts cities.

Compare Lynnfield's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lynnfield

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Lynnfield, Massachusetts, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021ElsaJul 927 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 1
2013AndreaJun 829 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2008HannaSep 716 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
2007BarryJun 514 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
2004HermineAug 3171 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1999FloydSep 1720 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 4
1996BerthaJul 149 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 3
1991BobAug 1921 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 3
1985GloriaSep 2757 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 4
1976BelleAug 1070 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 3
1966AlmaJun 1445 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1961EstherSep 2648 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 5
1961Unnamed 1961 stormSep 1522 miTropical storm (67 mph)Tropical storm
1960DonnaSep 1217 miTropical storm (71 mph)Category 4
1960BrendaJul 3038 miTropical storm (47 mph)Tropical storm
1959CindyJul 1150 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 1
1954EdnaSep 1164 miCategory 2 (102 mph)Category 3
1954CarolAug 3128 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 3
1944Unnamed 1944 stormSep 1525 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 5
1934Unnamed 1934 stormSep 944 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 2
1934Unnamed 1934 stormJun 2069 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 2
1923Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19overheadTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1916Unnamed 1916 stormJul 2119 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1715 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 554 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1908Unnamed 1908 stormMay 317 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1907Unnamed 1907 stormJun 3043 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1552 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 178 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1897Unnamed 1897 stormSep 248 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
1896Unnamed 1896 stormSep 1022 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 3
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 1026 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2973 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 3
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 2566 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1216 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 2222 miTropical storm (49 mph)Category 3
1879Unnamed 1879 stormAug 1965 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 3
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 2421 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 570 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 3030 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2742 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1869Unnamed 1869 stormOct 438 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 2
1869Unnamed 1869 stormSep 89 miCategory 2 (96 mph)Category 3
1861Unnamed 1861 stormNov 33 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 2821 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1858Unnamed 1858 stormSep 1620 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 2
1851Unnamed 1851 stormOct 1947 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 Lynnfield: 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 Lynnfield

By decade

  • 2020s2
  • 2010s2
  • 1990s1
  • 1980s3
  • 1970s6(1 EF3+)
  • 1960s9
  • 1950s10
Strongest tornadoes near Lynnfield, Massachusetts
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Sep 29, 1974F311 mi0.1 mi0 / 1
Jul 28, 2014EF27 mi1.93 mi0 / 2
Jul 21, 1972F216 mi7.6 mi0 / 4
Aug 28, 1965F219 mi2 mi0 / 0
Jul 2, 1961F219 mi5.1 mi0 / 1
Aug 25, 1958F21 mi1 mi0 / 0
Jul 11, 1958F214 mi1.5 mi0 / 0
Nov 21, 1956F219 mi0.8 mi0 / 0
Aug 21, 1951F222 mi4.9 mi0 / 0
Aug 21, 1951F213 mi9.3 mi0 / 0
Aug 9, 1972F114 mi4.9 mi1 / 6
Aug 18, 2023EF124 mi0.35 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 33, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Lynnfield

The Storm Prediction Center has 82 hail reports within 10 miles of Lynnfield since 1959, made on 45 separate days. Of these, 36 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on July 11, 2006. The most recent report is from August 23, 2020. July has the most reports, 37.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.

Radar-estimated hail days in Lynnfield since 2019 →

Weather by month in Lynnfield

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Middleton, MA, 5 miles north of Lynnfield at 110 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 35°F and 16°F. October and December are the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and February and August the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 48.2 inches over 85 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 50% of the year's precipitation (24.0 of 48.2 inches). September has brought the most of the 47 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (18); a normal September there has highs of 73°F and 3.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 16 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 129 nights a year. Snowfall averages 47.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 48.2 inches is more than at 29 of the 65 Massachusetts stations used on this site (45%). Wakefield, 3 miles southwest, has its own station (Reading, MA): 49.9 inches a year, 1.7 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 81°F.

Sea level at the Boston tide gauge, 12 miles from Lynnfield, has risen 1.17 ± 0.03 inches per decade from 1921 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 11.7 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 68 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Middleton, MA
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"Snow in
Jan35163.5713.4
Feb38173.3613.2
Mar44254.579.4
Apr56354.481.8
May67453.780.0
Jun75554.370.0
Jul81613.870.0
Aug80593.360.0
Sep73523.860.0
Oct62414.870.0
Nov50314.071.1
Dec40234.878.9
Year583848.28547.8

Averages for 1991–2020 at Middleton, MA (110 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.

Massachusetts weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Lynnfield

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 421 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lynnfield: 252 thunderstorm wind reports, 103 floods, 37 flash floods and 29 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $19.9 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, 15 of 37. Of the 339 Massachusetts cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 284 have had fewer than Lynnfield.

  • July 2, 2008: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Lynnfield — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.

  • August 3, 2008: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Lynnfield — 1 injured, $5,000 damage.

  • July 3, 2008: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Lynnfield — 1 injured, $3,000 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 Lynnfield's ZIP code 01940 have filed 36 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $232,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 53% 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, 107 have fewer than Lynnfield.

Essex County, which includes Lynnfield, has been named in 40 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 25 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 8 snowstorms, 7 floods, 7 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 27, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Essex County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for coastal flooding; Relatively High for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $198.8 million a year, the 2nd highest of 14 Massachusetts counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $124.6 million (63%), 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 Lynnfield