NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Salem, 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
56 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Salem, Connecticut since 1851, 11 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 26 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 11
- Tropical storms
- 45
- Tornadoes
- 26
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Salem
The strongest storm to pass near Salem was an unnamed storm in 1869, a Category 3 hurricane with 115 mph winds when its centre passed 29 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Donna in 1960, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Salem begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 49 miles away. The 1880s and the 1960s were the busiest decades, with 5 systems each. Of the 56 systems, 8 have come since 2000. Salem has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 53% of the 186 Connecticut cities on this site. The strongest of the 26 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on August 21, 1951; its path came within 14 miles. Of the 26, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 9 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 7. The most recent tornado was on August 18, 2023. Of the 186 Connecticut cities, 84% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Salem. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 28 times since 1991, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 186 Connecticut cities, 67% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Salem.
Compare Salem's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Salem
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 2 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | HenriAug 22 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 8 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 7 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | BarryJun 4 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | HermineAug 31 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 17 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 9 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1991 | BobAug 19 | 39 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 35 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | HenriSep 24 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | BelleAug 10 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1966 | AlmaJun 14 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | overhead | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 11 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 19 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | CarolAug 31 | 16 mi | Category 3 (114 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 15 | 29 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 21 | 34 mi | Category 3 (112 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 9 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 20 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 21 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 17 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 5 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormOct 2 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormMay 30 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 30 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 37 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 24 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 66 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 25 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 12 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 12 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 24 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 19 | 57 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 5 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 27 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 8 | 29 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 3 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 16 | 14 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormOct 19 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Salem: 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 Salem
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s5
- 2000s1
- 1990s5
- 1980s1
- 1970s3
- 1960s2
- 1950s6(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 1951 | F3 | 14 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Jul 12, 1950 | F2 | 17 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 18, 2023 | EF1 | 16 mi | 2.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 13, 2021 | EF1 | 23 mi | 1.36 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 4, 2019 | EF1 | 22 mi | 3.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 29, 2018 | EF1 | 20 mi | 1.96 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 10, 2013 | EF1 | 18 mi | 10.87 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 31, 2009 | EF1 | 22 mi | 2.94 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 30, 1998 | F1 | 13 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 30, 1998 | F1 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 14, 1992 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 27, 1974 | F1 | 13 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 26, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Salem
The Storm Prediction Center has 28 hail reports within 10 miles of Salem since 1991, made on 20 separate days. Of these, 16 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 June 29, 2020. The most recent report is from June 17, 2022. July has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Salem
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Norwich Public Utility Plt, CT, 10 miles east of Salem at 20 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 38°F and 21°F. March is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and May and July the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 52.3 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 50% of the year's precipitation (26.2 of 52.3 inches). September has brought the most of the 56 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (23); a normal September there has highs of 76°F and 4.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 15 days a year, almost all from May to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 124 nights a year. Snowfall averages 27.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 52.3 inches is more than at 20 of the 27 Connecticut stations used on this site (74%). East Lyme, 8 miles south, has its own station (Groton New London Airport, CT): 39.2 inches a year, 13.1 less than here, and a July average high of 80°F against 84°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station New London, CT, 11 miles southeast, averaged 71°F in August and 39°F in February over 2021–2025. No month averaged 80°F. Sea level at the New London tide gauge, 11 miles from Salem, has risen 1.16 ± 0.04 inches per decade from 1938 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 11.6 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 66 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 | 21 | 3.9 | 7 | 9.0 | 41 |
| Feb | 41 | 23 | 3.8 | 6 | 7.1 | 39 |
| Mar | 48 | 29 | 5.1 | 7 | 5.0 | 43 |
| Apr | 59 | 39 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.8 | 49 |
| May | 70 | 49 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.0 | 56 |
| Jun | 78 | 59 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 | 64 |
| Jul | 84 | 65 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 | 71 |
| Aug | 83 | 63 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 | 71 |
| Sep | 76 | 55 | 4.8 | 6 | 0.0 | 70 |
| Oct | 64 | 44 | 4.9 | 6 | 0.0 | 63 |
| Nov | 53 | 34 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.3 | 55 |
| Dec | 43 | 27 | 5.0 | 7 | 5.6 | 46 |
| Year | 61 | 42 | 52.3 | 78 | 27.8 | 56 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Norwich Public Utility Plt, CT (20 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station New London, CT, 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 Salem
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 87 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Salem: 50 thunderstorm wind reports, 22 flash floods, 12 floods and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $502,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on July 2, 2008. July has had the most flash floods, 10 of 22. Of the 186 Connecticut cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 76 have had fewer than Salem.
March 14, 2010: flood 8 miles from the centre of Salem — 1 killed.
July 23, 2008: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Salem — 1 injured.
March 14, 2010: flood 8 miles from the centre of Salem — $200,000 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
New London County, which includes Salem, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1978, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 hurricanes, 9 severe storms, 7 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Hurricane Ida, on October 30, 2021.
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.