New Haven County, Connecticut severe weather history spans 641 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 52.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #489 nationally and #4 in Connecticut.
641
Recorded events
9
Direct deaths
155
Direct injuries
$285.8M
Property damage
The record
What the New Haven County, Connecticut severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, New Haven County, Connecticut severe weather history averages 9.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 188 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 39 events fall before 1990 and 602 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the New Haven County, Connecticut record is flash flood, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $280.8M in reported property damage. In total, 10 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in New Haven County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 339 | 1 | $1.2M | 87 | 1957–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 133 | 3 | $3.5M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Hail | 66 | 0 | $5K | 2 | 1957–2024 |
| Lightning | 32 | 1 | $157K | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Flood | 24 | 1 | $110K | 0 | 1996–2021 |
| Heavy Rain | 22 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 1996–2009 |
| Tornado | 21 | 1 | $280.8M | F4 | 1955–2021 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2010 |
| Coastal Flood | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–1997 |
| Rip Current | 1 | 2 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2002 |
Decade by decade
New Haven County, Connecticut severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
19 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 18 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-07-10 | EF4 | 0 | 40 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1962-05-24 | EF3 | 1 | 50 | 11.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-07-29 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-07-10 | EF2 | 0 | 70 | 5.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1955-10-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-08-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 11.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-05-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-05-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-07-31 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-07-03 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in New Haven County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 18, 2024 | Flash Flood | OXFORD | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 19, 2002 | Rip Current | MILFORD | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| May 24, 1962 | Tornado | 1 | 45 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 8, 2008 | Lightning | MADISON | 1 | 4 | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2006 | Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 2, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | NEW HAVEN | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 16, 1999 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 10, 1989 | Tornado | 0 | 50 | $25.0M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A National Weather Service storm survey team has confirmed |An EF0 tornado in Cheshire CT. A narrow tornado path of 25 yd width |began along Mountain rd just south of Higgins rd and continued |northeast with sporadic tree damage. More significant tree damage |occurred on the grounds of the Legion of Christ College of Humanities |on Oak rd where the damage path also widened to 100 yards. The |tornado path narrowed to 25 yards thereafter with uprooted hardwood |trees along Warren st. The damage path continued northeast to the |back of the Main St Caffe and along W Main st and to the intersection |of George ave and Mueller ave where an SUV and an RV were crushed |respectively. The damage path became more sporadic past that point |and ended near Fairwood dr. The NWS would like to thank Connecticut |Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Headquarters |and region 2 personnel and the Cheshire Fire Department in assisting |in the survey and helping formulate this preliminary damage |assessment.
A tornado touched down near the intersection of Bethany Road and|Bonna Street in Beacon Falls, destroyed a barn in Bethany, and|continued on to just west of Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden,|where the damage path broadened and became more straight-line in|nature. The tornado left a path of numerous uprooted and snapped |hardwood and pine trees. Based on this information, this tornado |is classified as an EF1 with maximum winds of 110 mph.
A tornado touched down near the intersection of Route 67 and |Burma Road in Southbury and continued southeast into Oxford, |leaving a path of numerous uprooted and snapped pine trees and |some hardwood trees. The tornado lifted after damaging the roof of|the Great Oak School in Oxford. Based on this information, this |tornado is classified as an EF1 with maximum winds of 100 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
36
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 24, 2024 | Fire | HAWTHORNE FIRE | FM |
| Sep 20, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORM, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Aug 21, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | EM |
| Oct 30, 2021 | Hurricane | REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IDA | DR |
| Aug 22, 2021 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HENRI | EM |
| Jan 12, 2021 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORM ISAIAS | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in New Haven County, Connecticut?
641 events are on record between 1955 and 2025, causing 9 direct deaths and $285.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in New Haven County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 339 recorded events — 52.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed New Haven County?
19 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 18 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover New Haven County?
36 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include New Haven County, each tied to a specific incident period.
Where does the New Haven County, Connecticut severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Middlesex County 231
- New London County 355
- Litchfield County 915
- Tolland County 327
- Hartford County 806
- Windham County 290
Cite this page
“New Haven County, Connecticut.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/connecticut/new-haven-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.