Skip to content

NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Wallingford, 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

50 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Wallingford, Connecticut since 1851, 11 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 50 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
11

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
39

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
50

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
4

1 deaths in all

What the records show for Wallingford

The strongest storm to pass near Wallingford was Carol in 1954, a Category 3 hurricane with 115 mph winds when its centre passed 43 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1938, whose centre came within 5 miles. The record near Wallingford begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 56 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1860s, with 5 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 50 systems, 7 have come since 2000. Wallingford has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 53% of the 186 Connecticut cities on this site. The strongest of the 50 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on July 10, 1989; its path came within 7 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 24, 1962, killed 1 person. Of the 50, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 18 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 19. The most recent tornado was on June 21, 2024. Wallingford has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 54% of the 186 Connecticut cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 31 times since 1960, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 186 Connecticut cities, 56% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Wallingford.

Compare Wallingford's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Wallingford

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Wallingford, Connecticut, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021IdaSep 256 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 4
2021HenriAug 2242 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
2021ElsaJul 946 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
2013AndreaJun 845 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2011IreneAug 2838 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 3
2008HannaSep 716 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
2007BarryJun 458 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1999FloydSep 175 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1996BerthaJul 131 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1991BobAug 1965 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 3
1985GloriaSep 278 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 4
1985HenriSep 2448 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1976BelleAug 108 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 3
1972AgnesJun 2254 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 1
1971DoriaAug 2832 miTropical storm (56 mph)Tropical storm
1968Unnamed 1968 stormSep 1110 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1961Unnamed 1961 stormSep 1511 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1960DonnaSep 1224 miCategory 1 (92 mph)Category 4
1960BrendaJul 304 miTropical storm (53 mph)Tropical storm
1955DianeAug 1950 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1954CarolAug 3143 miCategory 3 (115 mph)Category 3
1952AbleSep 141 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 2
1944Unnamed 1944 stormSep 1550 miCategory 2 (102 mph)Category 5
1938Unnamed 1938 stormSep 215 miCategory 3 (112 mph)Category 5
1934Unnamed 1934 stormSep 93 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 2
1934Unnamed 1934 stormJun 1944 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 3036 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1730 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 515 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 1
1908Unnamed 1908 stormMay 3043 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1907Unnamed 1907 stormJun 3073 miTropical storm (43 mph)Tropical storm
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1554 miCategory 1 (82 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1635 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
1897Unnamed 1897 stormSep 2432 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 1022 miCategory 1 (76 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2959 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2439 miCategory 1 (79 mph)Category 3
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1226 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 2210 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 2436 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 550 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 307 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2616 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1869Unnamed 1869 stormSep 856 miCategory 3 (115 mph)Category 3
1866Unnamed 1866 stormOct 3057 miTropical storm (56 mph)Tropical storm
1863Unnamed 1863 stormSep 1948 miTropical storm (47 mph)Tropical storm
1861Unnamed 1861 stormNov 341 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 2810 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 1
1858Unnamed 1858 stormSep 1642 miCategory 1 (83 mph)Category 2
1851Unnamed 1851 stormOct 1960 miTropical storm (54 mph)Tropical storm

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Wallingford: 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 Wallingford

By decade

  • 2020s5
  • 2010s9
  • 2000s4
  • 1990s8
  • 1980s5(1 EF3+)
  • 1970s8(1 EF3+)
  • 1960s2(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s9(1 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Wallingford, Connecticut
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Jul 10, 1989F47 mi3 mi0 / 40
May 24, 1962F310 mi11.6 mi1 / 50
Jul 29, 1971F314 mi0.1 mi0 / 2
Aug 21, 1951F318 mi0.1 mi0 / 8
Jul 10, 1989F213 mi5 mi0 / 70
Jul 5, 1984F216 mi3 mi0 / 0
Sep 18, 1973F211 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Aug 31, 1973F219 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Jun 12, 1973F219 mi1.5 mi0 / 0
Oct 24, 1955F212 mi0.5 mi0 / 0
Aug 21, 1951F220 mi43.9 mi0 / 9
Jul 12, 1950F215 mi10 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 50, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Wallingford

The Storm Prediction Center has 31 hail reports within 10 miles of Wallingford since 1960, made on 23 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on July 1, 2012. The most recent report is from August 26, 2024. July has the most reports, 12.

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

Weather by month in Wallingford

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Meriden Markham Municipal Airport, CT, 4 miles north of Wallingford at 103 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 19°F. October is the wettest at 4.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 45.0 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (23.2 of 45.0 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 50 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (22); a normal September there has highs of 75°F and 4.3 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 15 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 129 nights a year. That 45.0 inches is more than at 6 of the 27 Connecticut stations used on this site (22%). Northford, 4 miles southeast, has its own station (Mt Carmel, CT): 50.5 inches a year, 5.5 more than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 84°F.

Water temperature at the NOAA tide station New Haven, CT, 13 miles south, averaged 75°F in August and 37°F in February over 2021–2025. No month averaged 80°F. Sea level at the Bridgeport tide gauge, 27 miles from Wallingford, has risen 1.35 ± 0.08 inches per decade from 1964 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 13.5 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 81 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Meriden Markham Municipal Airport, CT
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"Water °F
Jan37193.1539
Feb39202.9537
Mar48284.1641
Apr60384.1748
May70483.5757
Jun79574.1765
Jul84633.4674
Aug82613.5675
Sep75544.3572
Oct64424.5663
Nov52323.4653
Dec42254.1743
Year614045.07456

Averages for 1991–2020 at Meriden Markham Municipal Airport, CT (103 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station New Haven, 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.

Connecticut weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Wallingford

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 129 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Wallingford: 101 thunderstorm wind reports, 17 flash floods, 8 floods and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $474,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on August 27, 2020. September has had the most flash floods, 7 of 17. Of the 186 Connecticut cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 57 have had fewer than Wallingford.

  • April 23, 2006: flood 7 miles from the centre of Wallingford — 1 killed.

  • May 15, 2018: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Wallingford — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.

  • March 30, 2010: flood 8 miles from the centre of Wallingford — $100,000 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

Flood insurance policyholders in Wallingford's ZIP code 06492 have filed 138 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $1.0 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Not a named storm in 1982: 42 claims (30% of all) and $579,000, then Flooding in 1992 with 28. 55% 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, 91 have fewer than Wallingford.

Flood insurance claims in Wallingford by named event
EventClaimsPaid
Not a named storm198242$579,000
Flooding199228$116,000

New Haven County, which includes Wallingford, has been named in 36 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1978, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 hurricanes, 9 severe storms, 8 snowstorms, 3 floods). 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.

Cities near Wallingford