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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Northfield, MA

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

40 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Northfield, Massachusetts since 1851, 6 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 45 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
6

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
34

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
45

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
2

94 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Northfield

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Northfield, Massachusetts, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2020IsaiasAug 469 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 1
2011IreneAug 2825 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 3
2008HannaSep 766 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1999FloydSep 1741 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 4
1996BerthaJul 1449 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1985GloriaSep 2712 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 4
1979DavidSep 670 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 5
1976BelleAug 106 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 3
1971DoriaAug 287 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1968Unnamed 1968 stormSep 1111 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1961Unnamed 1961 stormSep 1544 miTropical storm (66 mph)Tropical storm
1960DonnaSep 1251 miCategory 1 (77 mph)Category 4
1960BrendaJul 3028 miTropical storm (48 mph)Tropical storm
1954CarolAug 3145 miCategory 2 (99 mph)Category 3
1952AbleSep 213 miTropical storm (45 mph)Category 2
1949Unnamed 1949 stormAug 2956 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 4
1938Unnamed 1938 stormSep 2129 miCategory 1 (85 mph)Category 5
1934Unnamed 1934 stormSep 927 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 2
1924Unnamed 1924 stormOct 130 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
1923Unnamed 1923 stormOct 1967 miTropical storm (49 mph)Tropical storm
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1754 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 556 miTropical storm (43 mph)Category 1
1908Unnamed 1908 stormMay 3162 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1772 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1899Unnamed 1899 stormNov 128 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 2
1897Unnamed 1897 stormSep 2460 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 1045 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2913 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2433 miTropical storm (70 mph)Category 3
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1274 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 2262 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 248 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 2
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 3033 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1869Unnamed 1869 stormSep 863 miCategory 2 (99 mph)Category 3
1866Unnamed 1866 stormOct 3055 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1863Unnamed 1863 stormSep 1971 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1861Unnamed 1861 stormNov 365 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 2832 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1858Unnamed 1858 stormSep 1652 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 2
1851Unnamed 1851 stormOct 1964 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 Northfield: 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 Northfield

By decade

  • 2020s3
  • 2010s3
  • 2000s1
  • 1990s5
  • 1980s5
  • 1970s8
  • 1960s10(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s10(1 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Northfield, Massachusetts
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Jun 9, 1953F421 mi34.9 mi94 / 1228
May 20, 1963F324 mi14 mi0 / 0
Jul 11, 2006F210 mi2.9 mi0 / 0
Aug 27, 1972F213 mi1 mi0 / 0
Aug 9, 1972F219 mi9.7 mi0 / 1
Jun 6, 1969F220 mi1.5 mi0 / 0
Aug 13, 1963F217 mi2 mi0 / 0
May 20, 1963F219 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Jul 21, 1961F223 mi4.9 mi0 / 0
Jul 11, 1958F27 mi1 mi0 / 0
Jul 5, 1955F218 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Jun 23, 2024EF124 mi3.36 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 45, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Northfield while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

Other cities in Massachusetts