NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit New Milford, 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
45 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of New Milford, Connecticut since 1851, 7 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 63 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 7
- Tropical storms
- 38
- Tornadoes
- 63
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for New Milford
The strongest storm to pass near New Milford was an unnamed storm in 1938, a Category 2 hurricane with 108 mph winds when its centre passed 25 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 7 miles. The record near New Milford begins with an unnamed storm in 1858; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 75 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 5 systems, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 45 systems, 7 have come since 2000. Of the 186 Connecticut cities on this site, 93% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than New Milford. The highest rating among the 63 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on July 29, 1971, came within 19 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 24, 1962, killed 1 person. Of the 63, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 32 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 23. The most recent tornado was on June 21, 2024. New Milford has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 84% of the 186 Connecticut cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 33 times since 1962, with stones up to 1.5 inches (ping pong ball size). Of the 186 Connecticut cities, 52% have more hail reports within 10 miles than New Milford.
Compare New Milford's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near New Milford
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 2 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | HenriAug 22 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 8 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 7 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | FloydSep 17 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 24 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | HenriSep 24 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | BelleAug 10 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 22 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | overhead | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 55 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | DianeAug 19 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 21 | 25 mi | Category 2 (108 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 9 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 17 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormMay 30 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 24 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 53 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 7 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 12 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 24 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 64 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 5 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 26 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 3 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 16 | 74 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in New 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 New Milford
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s12
- 2000s10
- 1990s10
- 1980s7
- 1970s8(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 1962 | F3 | 15 mi | 11.6 mi | 1 / 50 |
| Jul 29, 1971 | F3 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 15, 2018 | EF2 | 15 mi | 1.18 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 23, 2001 | F2 | 21 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 10, 1989 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jul 10, 1989 | F2 | 15 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 70 |
| Jul 10, 1989 | F2 | 13 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jul 5, 1984 | F2 | 25 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 12, 1973 | F2 | 15 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 1971 | F2 | 17 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 18, 1962 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 24, 1955 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 63, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in New Milford
The Storm Prediction Center has 33 hail reports within 10 miles of New Milford since 1962, made on 24 separate days. Of these, 14 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.5 inches (ping pong ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently July 26, 2009. The most recent report is from August 2, 2017. July has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in New Milford
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Danbury, CT, 13 miles south of New Milford at 405 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 36°F and 21°F. July and October are the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 53.0 inches over 86 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (28.6 of 53.0 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 45 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (19); a normal September there has highs of 75°F and 4.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 20 days a year, almost all from May to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 126 nights a year. Snowfall averages 49.3 inches a year, most of it in January. That 53.0 inches is more than at 22 of the 27 Connecticut stations used on this site (81%). Sherman, 4 miles west, has its own station (Carmel 4N, NY): 50.5 inches a year, 2.5 less than here, and a July average high of 78°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 21 | 3.7 | 7 | 15.7 |
| Feb | 39 | 22 | 3.3 | 7 | 11.0 |
| Mar | 48 | 29 | 4.4 | 8 | 10.4 |
| Apr | 61 | 39 | 4.2 | 8 | 1.7 |
| May | 72 | 49 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 80 | 59 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 64 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 63 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 75 | 55 | 4.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 63 | 43 | 5.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 50 | 34 | 4.0 | 7 | 1.9 |
| Dec | 40 | 26 | 4.6 | 8 | 8.6 |
| Year | 61 | 42 | 53.0 | 86 | 49.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Danbury, CT (405 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 New Milford
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 209 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of New Milford: 170 thunderstorm wind reports, 23 flash floods and 16 floods. They killed 2 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $992,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 9, 2011. September has had the most flash floods, 13 of 23. Of the 186 Connecticut cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 78 have had fewer than New Milford.
May 15, 2018: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of New Milford — 1 killed, $5,000 damage.
May 27, 2014: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of New Milford — 1 killed.
NWS: “Broadcast Media reported that downed power lines resulted in a man exiting a vehicle to be electrocuted. The man died as a result of the injuries.”
July 21, 2015: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of New Milford — 2 injured.
NWS: “A tree was downed due to thunderstorm winds on Still River Drive in New Milford. The downed tree fell on a car, injuring the two occupants, who had to be extricated from the vehicle.”
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 New Milford's ZIP code 06776 have filed 128 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $3.4 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1984: 39 claims (30% of all) and $934,000, then Hurricane Irene in 2011 with 10. The year with the most claims was 2011, with 31. 40% 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, 89 have fewer than New Milford.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1984 | 39 | $934,000 |
| Hurricane Irene2011 | 10 | $760,000 |
Litchfield County, which includes New Milford, has been named in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1978, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 hurricanes, 8 severe storms, 7 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, on September 20, 2024.
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.