Skip to content

NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Milton, 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

50 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Milton, Massachusetts since 1851, 12 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Henri in 2021. Since 1950, 46 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
12

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
38

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
46

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
2

96 deaths in all

What the records show for Milton

The strongest storm to pass near Milton was Edna in 1954, a Category 2 hurricane with 107 mph winds when its centre passed 55 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1869, whose centre came within 13 miles. The record near Milton begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Henri in 2021, a tropical storm 70 miles away. Of the 50 systems, 6 have come since 2000. Milton has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 71% of the 346 Massachusetts cities on this site. The strongest of the 46 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on June 9, 1953; its path came within 23 miles, and it killed 94 people. Of the 46, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 13 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on September 13, 2023. Of the 346 Massachusetts cities, 50% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Milton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 71 times since 1956, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Milton has more hail reports within 10 miles than 75% of the 346 Massachusetts cities.

Compare Milton's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Milton

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Milton, Massachusetts, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021HenriAug 2270 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
2021ElsaJul 915 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
2013AndreaJun 818 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2008HannaSep 72 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
2007BarryJun 47 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
2004HermineAug 3153 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1999FloydSep 1731 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 4
1996JosephineOct 974 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1996BerthaJul 1421 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 3
1991BobAug 1914 miCategory 1 (89 mph)Category 3
1985GloriaSep 2764 miCategory 1 (79 mph)Category 4
1976BelleAug 1072 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 3
1966AlmaJun 1434 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1961EstherSep 2649 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 5
1961Unnamed 1961 stormSep 1531 miTropical storm (66 mph)Tropical storm
1960DonnaSep 1225 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 4
1960BrendaJul 3047 miTropical storm (47 mph)Tropical storm
1959CindyJul 1139 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1954EdnaSep 1155 miCategory 2 (107 mph)Category 3
1954CarolAug 3130 miCategory 2 (101 mph)Category 3
1944Unnamed 1944 stormSep 1514 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 5
1934Unnamed 1934 stormSep 950 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 2
1934Unnamed 1934 stormJun 2054 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1923Unnamed 1923 stormOct 198 miTropical storm (53 mph)Tropical storm
1916Unnamed 1916 stormJul 2114 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 2
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1722 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 541 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1908Unnamed 1908 stormMay 3114 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1907Unnamed 1907 stormJun 3034 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1539 miCategory 1 (85 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 172 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1897Unnamed 1897 stormSep 2416 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1896Unnamed 1896 stormSep 1022 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 3
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 1031 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 3
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 2557 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 2674 miCategory 1 (79 mph)Category 1
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 124 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 226 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 3
1880Unnamed 1880 stormOct 2373 miTropical storm (69 mph)Tropical storm
1879Unnamed 1879 stormAug 1953 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 3
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 2440 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 555 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 3040 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2725 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1869Unnamed 1869 stormOct 439 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 2
1869Unnamed 1869 stormSep 813 miCategory 2 (100 mph)Category 3
1861Unnamed 1861 stormNov 311 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 2835 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1858Unnamed 1858 stormSep 1624 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 2
1851Unnamed 1851 stormOct 1932 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 Milton: 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 Milton

By decade

  • 2020s6
  • 2010s5
  • 2000s2
  • 1990s2
  • 1980s7
  • 1970s7
  • 1960s6
  • 1950s11(2 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Milton, Massachusetts
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Jun 9, 1953F423 mi34.9 mi94 / 1228
Jun 9, 1953F315 mi28 mi0 / 17
Jul 28, 2014EF210 mi1.93 mi0 / 2
Nov 18, 1967F222 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Aug 25, 1958F220 mi1 mi0 / 0
Jul 11, 1958F221 mi1.5 mi0 / 0
Nov 21, 1956F28 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Aug 9, 1972F18 mi4.9 mi1 / 6
Aug 18, 2023EF18 mi0.35 mi0 / 0
Aug 18, 2023EF120 mi7.6 mi0 / 0
Jul 29, 2023EF115 mi0.16 mi0 / 0
Oct 23, 2018EF120 mi0.8 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 46, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Milton

The Storm Prediction Center has 71 hail reports within 10 miles of Milton since 1956, made on 41 separate days. Of these, 31 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 August 4, 2015. The most recent report is from August 15, 2024. June has the most reports, 22.

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

Radar-estimated hail days in Milton since 2019 →

Weather by month in Milton

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Blue Hill Coop, MA, 3 miles southwest of Milton at 625 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 35°F and 18°F. March and October are the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 3.5 inches; the year adds up to 53.9 inches over 87 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 48% of the year's precipitation (25.9 of 53.9 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 50 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (19); a normal September there has highs of 73°F and 4.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 9 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 121 nights a year. Snowfall averages 69.7 inches a year, most of it in January. That 53.9 inches is more than at 63 of the 65 Massachusetts stations used on this site (97%). Mattapan, 2 miles northwest, has its own station (Jamaica Plain, MA): 49.4 inches a year, 4.5 less than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 82°F.

Sea level at the Boston tide gauge, 7 miles from Milton, 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 Blue Hill Coop, MA
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"Snow in
Jan35184.5818.6
Feb37204.0718.2
Mar44275.5815.0
Apr56384.882.8
May67483.880.0
Jun75584.670.0
Jul82643.560.0
Aug80633.960.0
Sep73564.160.0
Oct61445.570.7
Nov50344.371.8
Dec40255.4912.6
Year584153.98769.7

Averages for 1991–2020 at Blue Hill Coop, MA (625 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 Milton

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 469 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Milton: 286 thunderstorm wind reports, 96 floods, 55 flash floods and 32 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 30, and the NWS estimated $62.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on July 6, 1999. July has had the most flash floods, 34 of 55. Of the 339 Massachusetts cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 311 have had fewer than Milton.

  • August 5, 2010: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Milton — 1 killed.

  • July 20, 2008: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Milton — 10 injured.

  • June 27, 2008: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Milton — 4 injured, $5.0 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 Milton's ZIP code 02186 have filed 103 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $724,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1978: 25 claims (24% of all) and $207,000, then March 2010 Nor'easter in 2010 with 20 and Not a named storm in 1982 with 17. The year with the most claims was 2010, with 21. 63% 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, 166 have fewer than Milton.

Flood insurance claims in Milton by named event
EventClaimsPaid
Flooding197825$207,000
March 2010 Nor'easter201020$316,000
Not a named storm198217$27,000

Norfolk County, which includes Milton, has been named in 38 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 23 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 snowstorms, 8 hurricanes, 7 floods, 7 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm, on April 18, 2022. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Norfolk County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for inland flooding, coastal flooding and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $146.9 million a year, the 4th highest of 14 Massachusetts counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $103.1 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 Milton