NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rochester, 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
57 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Rochester, Massachusetts since 1851, 12 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 20 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 12
- Tropical storms
- 45
- Tornadoes
- 20
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Rochester
The strongest storm to pass near Rochester was Edna in 1954, a Category 2 hurricane with 109 mph winds when its centre passed 27 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1904, whose centre came within 5 miles. The record near Rochester begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 43 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 7 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 57 systems, 8 have come since 2000. Rochester has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 71% of the 346 Massachusetts cities on this site. The highest rating among the 20 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 2 times; the most recent, on August 28, 1970, came within 12 miles. The deadliest, an F0 on September 7, 1958, killed 1 person. Of the 20, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 8 have come since 2000. August has had the most tornadoes, 6. The most recent tornado was on June 26, 2024. Of the 346 Massachusetts cities, 85% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Rochester. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 31 times since 1974, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 346 Massachusetts cities, 83% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Rochester.
Compare Rochester's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rochester
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 2 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | HenriAug 22 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 8 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 7 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | BarryJun 4 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | BerylJul 21 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | HermineAug 31 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 17 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 9 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 14 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1991 | BobAug 19 | 13 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1972 | CarrieSep 3 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 14 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1961 | EstherSep 26 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 53 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | CindyJul 11 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 19 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | EdnaSep 11 | 27 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1954 | CarolAug 31 | 50 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1952 | Unnamed 1952 stormFeb 4 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 21 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 15 | 17 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 9 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 20 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormAug 26 | 60 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 21 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 17 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 5 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormOct 2 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormMay 31 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 30 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 5 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 17 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 24 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 10 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 25 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 12 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 26 | 48 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 12 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 21 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormOct 23 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 19 | 20 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 24 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 5 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 27 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormOct 4 | 23 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 8 | 35 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 3 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 16 | 48 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormOct 19 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Rochester: 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 Rochester
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s4
- 2000s1
- 1990s2
- 1980s2
- 1970s2
- 1960s4
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 1970 | F2 | 12 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 18, 1967 | F2 | 15 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 26, 2024 | EF1 | 23 mi | 0.55 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 8, 2023 | EF1 | 5 mi | 0.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 23, 2018 | EF1 | 23 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 23, 2008 | EF1 | 19 mi | 4.28 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 10, 1989 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 9, 1968 | F1 | 5 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 4, 1964 | F1 | 22 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 7, 1958 | F0 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Aug 8, 2023 | EF0 | 24 mi | 1.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 2, 2019 | EF0 | 24 mi | 0.22 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 20, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rochester
The Storm Prediction Center has 31 hail reports within 10 miles of Rochester since 1974, made on 19 separate days. Of these, 13 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently August 22, 2020. 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.
Weather by month in Rochester
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Rochester, MA, 4 miles west of Rochester at 65 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 38°F and 20°F. March is the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 53.6 inches over 85 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 48% of the year's precipitation (25.8 of 53.6 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 57 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (20); a normal September there has highs of 74°F and 4.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 10 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 115 nights a year. Snowfall averages 30.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 53.6 inches is more than at 62 of the 65 Massachusetts stations used on this site (95%). West Wareham, 4 miles east, has its own station (E Wareham, MA): 51.3 inches a year, 2.3 less than here, and a July average high of 81°F against 82°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Fall River, MA, 17 miles west, averaged 75°F in July and 38°F in February over 2021–2025. No month averaged 80°F. Sea level at the Woods Hole tide gauge, 19 miles from Rochester, has risen 1.24 ± 0.03 inches per decade from 1932 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 12.4 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 73 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 20 | 4.5 | 8 | 10.7 | 41 |
| Feb | 40 | 22 | 3.8 | 7 | 9.0 | 38 |
| Mar | 46 | 28 | 5.7 | 8 | 4.5 | 42 |
| Apr | 57 | 37 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.6 | 49 |
| May | 68 | 47 | 3.6 | 8 | 0.0 | 58 |
| Jun | 77 | 56 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 | 68 |
| Jul | 82 | 63 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 | 75 |
| Aug | 81 | 61 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 | 75 |
| Sep | 74 | 55 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 | 71 |
| Oct | 63 | 44 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.0 | 63 |
| Nov | 52 | 35 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.1 | 53 |
| Dec | 43 | 26 | 5.3 | 8 | 5.9 | 44 |
| Year | 60 | 41 | 53.6 | 85 | 30.8 | 56 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Rochester, MA (65 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Fall River, MA, 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.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Rochester
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 124 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rochester: 51 thunderstorm wind reports, 43 floods, 16 lightning strikes and 14 flash floods. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 101 mph, on October 30, 2012. August has had the most flash floods, 4 of 14. Of the 339 Massachusetts cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 121 have had fewer than Rochester.
July 18, 2011: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Rochester — 1 injured.
August 11, 2008: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Rochester — $500,000 damage.
October 8, 2014: lightning strike 2 miles from the centre of Rochester — $300,000 damage.
NWS: “Lightning struck a tree 30 feet away from a house on Jason's Lane. The lightning traveled through the root system to the house, setting it on fire.”
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
Plymouth County, which includes Rochester, has been named in 32 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 21 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 hurricanes, 7 severe storms, 6 snowstorms, 5 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm, on April 18, 2022. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Plymouth County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for coastal flooding; Relatively High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, inland flooding and heat waves; Relatively Low for tornadoes; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $114.3 million a year, the 6th highest of 14 Massachusetts counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $71.4 million (62%), 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 Rochester
- West Wareham, MA4 mi
- Acushnet, MA6 mi
- Marion, MA6 mi
- East Freetown, MA6 mi
- Wareham, MA7 mi
- Mattapoisett, MA8 mi
- Lakeville, MA8 mi
- Carver, MA9 mi
- Fairhaven, MA9 mi
- New Bedford, MA9 mi
- Middleboro, MA9 mi
- East Wareham, MA10 mi
All Massachusetts cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Rochester with another place →