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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Milford, 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

52 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Milford, Massachusetts since 1851, 12 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Henri in 2021. Since 1950, 65 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
12

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
40

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
65

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
3

100 deaths in all

What the records show for Milford

The strongest storm to pass near Milford was Edna in 1954, a Category 2 hurricane with 109 mph winds when its centre passed 70 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1858, whose centre came within 5 miles. The record near Milford begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Henri in 2021, a tropical storm 51 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1960s, with 6 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 52 systems, 6 have come since 2000. Milford has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 71% of the 346 Massachusetts cities on this site. The strongest of the 65 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on June 9, 1953; its path came within 10 miles, and it killed 94 people. Of the 65, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 33 have come since 2000. August has had the most tornadoes, 25. The most recent tornado was on September 6, 2025. Milford has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 94% of the 346 Massachusetts cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 61 times since 1959, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Milford has more hail reports within 10 miles than 59% of the 346 Massachusetts cities.

Compare Milford's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Milford

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Milford, Massachusetts, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021HenriAug 2251 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
2021ElsaJul 927 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 1
2013AndreaJun 830 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2008HannaSep 79 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
2007BarryJun 424 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
2004HermineAug 3155 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1999FloydSep 1719 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 4
1996BerthaJul 1411 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1991BobAug 1931 miCategory 1 (91 mph)Category 3
1985GloriaSep 2748 miCategory 1 (82 mph)Category 4
1976BelleAug 1053 miTropical storm (44 mph)Category 3
1971DoriaAug 2867 miTropical storm (54 mph)Tropical storm
1968Unnamed 1968 stormSep 1165 miTropical storm (60 mph)Tropical storm
1966AlmaJun 1452 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1961EstherSep 2671 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 5
1961Unnamed 1961 stormSep 1516 miTropical storm (66 mph)Tropical storm
1960DonnaSep 129 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 4
1960BrendaJul 3032 miTropical storm (48 mph)Tropical storm
1959CindyJul 1152 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1954EdnaSep 1170 miCategory 2 (109 mph)Category 3
1954CarolAug 3110 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 3
1952AbleSep 246 miTropical storm (41 mph)Category 2
1944Unnamed 1944 stormSep 1528 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 5
1938Unnamed 1938 stormSep 2175 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 5
1934Unnamed 1934 stormSep 932 miTropical storm (49 mph)Category 2
1934Unnamed 1934 stormJun 2059 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1923Unnamed 1923 stormOct 1932 miTropical storm (53 mph)Tropical storm
1916Unnamed 1916 stormJul 2133 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 2
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 175 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 54 miTropical storm (39 mph)Category 1
1908Unnamed 1908 stormMay 313 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1907Unnamed 1907 stormJun 3048 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1548 miCategory 1 (85 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1712 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1897Unnamed 1897 stormSep 24overheadTropical storm (47 mph)Tropical storm
1896Unnamed 1896 stormSep 1043 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 1013 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2973 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 3
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 2571 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1215 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 229 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 3
1879Unnamed 1879 stormAug 1963 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 3
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 2451 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 559 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 3027 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2727 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1869Unnamed 1869 stormOct 460 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 2
1869Unnamed 1869 stormSep 87 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 3
1861Unnamed 1861 stormNov 36 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 2826 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1858Unnamed 1858 stormSep 165 miCategory 1 (76 mph)Category 2
1851Unnamed 1851 stormOct 1911 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 Milford: 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 Milford

By decade

  • 2020s19
  • 2010s11(1 EF3+)
  • 2000s3
  • 1990s2
  • 1980s9
  • 1970s7
  • 1960s6
  • 1950s8(2 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Milford, Massachusetts
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Jun 9, 1953F410 mi34.9 mi94 / 1228
Jun 1, 2011EF324 mi37.58 mi3 / 200
Jun 9, 1953F32 mi28 mi0 / 17
Aug 10, 1979F224 mi9.7 mi2 / 2
Aug 18, 2023EF220 mi9.1 mi0 / 1
Aug 7, 1986F223 mi4 mi0 / 20
Aug 31, 1966F218 mi1 mi0 / 0
May 20, 1963F218 mi0.3 mi0 / 0
May 20, 1963F220 mi1.5 mi0 / 0
Oct 12, 1962F220 mi4.1 mi0 / 0
Nov 21, 1956F218 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Nov 21, 1956F220 mi0.1 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 65, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Milford

The Storm Prediction Center has 61 hail reports within 10 miles of Milford since 1959, made on 36 separate days. Of these, 24 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently June 28, 2020. The most recent report is from June 2, 2023. June has the most reports, 18.

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

Radar-estimated hail days in Milford since 2019 →

Weather by month in Milford

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is West Medway, MA, 5 miles east of Milford at 210 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 38°F and 17°F. October is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 50.4 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 50% of the year's precipitation (25.0 of 50.4 inches). September has brought the most of the 52 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (21); a normal September there has highs of 76°F and 4.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 17 days a year, almost all from May to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 152 nights a year. Snowfall averages 51.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 50.4 inches is more than at 51 of the 65 Massachusetts stations used on this site (78%). Uxbridge, 8 miles southwest, has its own station (Woonsocket, RI): 52.0 inches a year, 1.6 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 85°F.

Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Providence, RI, 24 miles south, averaged 72°F in August and 36°F in February over 2021–2025. No month averaged 80°F. Sea level at the Providence tide gauge, 24 miles from Milford, has risen 1.04 ± 0.05 inches per decade from 1938 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 10.4 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 58 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at West Medway, MA
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"Snow inWater °F
Jan38174.1713.539
Feb41183.3511.936
Mar48254.6811.040
Apr60354.873.247
May71463.980.055
Jun79554.570.064
Jul85613.560.071
Aug83593.970.072
Sep76514.270.068
Oct65395.160.161
Nov53313.871.652
Dec43234.7710.242
Year623850.48151.554

Averages for 1991–2020 at West Medway, MA (210 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Providence, RI, 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.

Massachusetts weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Milford

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 199 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Milford: 144 thunderstorm wind reports, 32 floods, 12 flash floods and 11 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $36.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 31, 1998. September has had the most flash floods, 5 of 12. Of the 339 Massachusetts cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 106 have had fewer than Milford.

  • July 2, 2009: lightning strike 6 miles from the centre of Milford — 1 injured.

  • July 8, 2009: lightning strike in Milford — 1 injured.

    NWS: “A 27 year old man was injured inside his home when lightning struck a tree just outside. Newspaper reports indicate that the man was standing in his doorway when lightning struck the tree about 30 feet away.”

  • July 1, 2020: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Milford — 1 injured.

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 Milford's ZIP code 01757 have filed 25 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $67,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 24% 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, 74 have fewer than Milford.

Worcester County, which includes Milford, has been named in 32 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1985, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 7 hurricanes, 7 snowstorms, 4 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Flooding, on May 15, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Worcester County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $162.8 million a year, the 3rd highest of 14 Massachusetts counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $89.6 million (55%), 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 Milford