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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Middletown, CT

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

52 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Middletown, Connecticut since 1851, 12 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 51 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
12

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
40

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
51

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
5

4 deaths in all

What the records show for Middletown

The strongest storm to pass near Middletown was an unnamed storm in 1869, a Category 3 hurricane with 115 mph winds when its centre passed 50 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Gloria in 1985, whose centre came within 13 miles. The record near Middletown begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 60 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1860s, with 5 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 52 systems, 7 have come since 2000. Middletown has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 77% of the 186 Connecticut cities on this site. The highest rating among the 51 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on July 10, 1989, came within 17 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on October 3, 1979, killed 3 people. Of the 51, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 17 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 18. The most recent tornado was on June 21, 2024. Middletown has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 56% of the 186 Connecticut cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 31 times since 1960, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 186 Connecticut cities, 56% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Middletown.

Compare Middletown's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Middletown

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Middletown, Connecticut, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021IdaSep 260 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 4
2021HenriAug 229 miTropical storm (39 mph)Category 1
2021ElsaJul 944 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
2013AndreaJun 844 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2011IreneAug 2843 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 3
2008HannaSep 716 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
2007BarryJun 455 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1999FloydSep 172 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1996BerthaJul 13overheadTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1991BobAug 1960 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 3
1985GloriaSep 2713 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 4
1985HenriSep 2453 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1976BelleAug 1013 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 3
1972AgnesJun 2263 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 1
1971DoriaAug 2835 miTropical storm (56 mph)Tropical storm
1968Unnamed 1968 stormSep 1116 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1961Unnamed 1961 stormSep 158 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1960DonnaSep 1221 miCategory 1 (91 mph)Category 4
1960BrendaJul 307 miTropical storm (53 mph)Tropical storm
1955DianeAug 1955 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1954CarolAug 3138 miCategory 3 (114 mph)Category 3
1952AbleSep 141 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 2
1944Unnamed 1944 stormSep 1548 miCategory 2 (101 mph)Category 5
1938Unnamed 1938 stormSep 2113 miCategory 2 (109 mph)Category 5
1934Unnamed 1934 stormSep 9overheadTropical storm (54 mph)Category 2
1934Unnamed 1934 stormJun 2047 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 3041 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormJul 2172 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 2
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1726 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 512 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 1
1908Unnamed 1908 stormMay 3038 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1907Unnamed 1907 stormJun 3071 miTropical storm (43 mph)Tropical storm
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1554 miCategory 1 (82 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1633 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
1897Unnamed 1897 stormSep 2430 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 1019 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2960 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2445 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 3
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1225 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 227 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 2439 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1879Unnamed 1879 stormAug 1975 miCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 3
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 552 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 308 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2717 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1869Unnamed 1869 stormSep 850 miCategory 3 (115 mph)Category 3
1866Unnamed 1866 stormOct 3063 miTropical storm (56 mph)Tropical storm
1863Unnamed 1863 stormSep 1952 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1861Unnamed 1861 stormNov 341 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 2814 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 1
1858Unnamed 1858 stormSep 1636 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 2
1851Unnamed 1851 stormOct 1952 miTropical storm (53 mph)Tropical storm

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Middletown: 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 Middletown

By decade

  • 2020s5
  • 2010s10
  • 2000s2
  • 1990s7
  • 1980s5(1 EF3+)
  • 1970s10(2 EF3+)
  • 1960s3(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s9(1 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Middletown, Connecticut
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Oct 3, 1979F423 mi11.3 mi3 / 500
Jul 10, 1989F417 mi3 mi0 / 40
May 24, 1962F312 mi11.6 mi1 / 50
Jul 29, 1971F320 mi0.1 mi0 / 2
Aug 21, 1951F39 mi0.1 mi0 / 8
Jul 10, 1989F219 mi5 mi0 / 70
Jul 5, 1984F214 mi3 mi0 / 0
Sep 18, 1973F213 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Sep 6, 1973F218 mi3.3 mi0 / 0
Aug 31, 1973F213 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Jun 12, 1973F224 mi1.5 mi0 / 0
Oct 24, 1955F220 mi0.5 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 51, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Middletown

The Storm Prediction Center has 31 hail reports within 10 miles of Middletown since 1960, made on 26 separate days. Of these, 16 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on April 24, 1960. The most recent report is from August 26, 2024. August has the most reports, 10.

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

Radar-estimated hail days in Middletown since 2019 →

Weather by month in Middletown

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Meriden Markham Municipal Airport, CT, 9 miles west of Middletown at 103 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 19°F. October is the wettest at 4.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 45.0 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (23.2 of 45.0 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 52 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (22); a normal September there has highs of 75°F and 4.3 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 15 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 129 nights a year. That 45.0 inches is more than at 6 of the 27 Connecticut stations used on this site (22%). Portland, 4 miles northeast, has its own station (Hartford Brainard Field, CT): 42.9 inches a year, 2.1 less than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 84°F.

Water temperature at the NOAA tide station New Haven, CT, 23 miles southwest, averaged 75°F in August and 37°F in February over 2021–2025. No month averaged 80°F. Sea level at the New London tide gauge, 32 miles from Middletown, has risen 1.16 ± 0.04 inches per decade from 1938 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 11.6 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 66 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Meriden Markham Municipal Airport, CT
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"Water °F
Jan37193.1539
Feb39202.9537
Mar48284.1641
Apr60384.1748
May70483.5757
Jun79574.1765
Jul84633.4674
Aug82613.5675
Sep75544.3572
Oct64424.5663
Nov52323.4653
Dec42254.1743
Year614045.07456

Averages for 1991–2020 at Meriden Markham Municipal Airport, CT (103 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station New Haven, CT, from NOAA Tides & Currents. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.

Connecticut weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Middletown

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 121 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Middletown: 86 thunderstorm wind reports, 17 flash floods, 10 lightning strikes and 8 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $957,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 110 mph, on July 21, 2010. July has had the most flash floods, 7 of 17. Of the 186 Connecticut cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 57 have had fewer than Middletown.

  • June 22, 2024: lightning strike 5 miles from the centre of Middletown — 3 injured.

  • August 1, 2011: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Middletown — 1 injured, $50,000 damage.

  • July 8, 2011: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Middletown — $250,000 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 Middletown's ZIP code 06457 have filed 70 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $1.4 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1992: 18 claims (26% of all) and $560,000. The year with the most claims was 1996, with 10. 49% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 128 Connecticut cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 72 have fewer than Middletown.

Flood insurance claims in Middletown by named event
EventClaimsPaid
Flooding199218$560,000

Middlesex County, which includes Middletown, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1978, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 hurricanes, 7 severe storms, 5 snowstorms, 3 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Hurricane Ida, on October 30, 2021.

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).

What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.

Cities near Middletown