106
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$4.0M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Barnstable County, Massachusetts: 106 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 95. That places the county #2,137 nationally and #12 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Barnstable County, Massachusetts: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Barnstable County is the 2010s, when 52 of the county's 106 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Barnstable County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 39.4% of all recorded severe weather across 10 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #2,137 for this hazard and #12 within Massachusetts, putting it in the 32.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Barnstable County with 35 recorded events, while Feb is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2, 2008 | BUZZARDS BAY | 50 | 0 | 1 | $500 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 4, 2025 | CATAUMET | 50 | $300 |
| Aug 8, 2023 | WEST BARNSTABLE | 50 | $500 |
| Aug 8, 2023 | BARNSTABLE | 50 | $3K |
| Jun 15, 2023 | EAST FALMOUTH | 43 | $800 |
| Jun 15, 2023 | MASHPEE | 43 | $1K |
| Nov 13, 2021 | YARMOUTH | 50 | $300 |
| Nov 13, 2021 | WEST DENNIS | 65 | $10K |
| Nov 13, 2021 | MASHPEE | 50 | $500 |
| Nov 13, 2021 | WAQUOIT | 61 | $0 |
| Sep 16, 2021 | CENTERVILLE | 50 | $500 |
Other hazards here
More from Barnstable County
- Hail 49
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A NWS survey team determined that although a weak, shallow waterspout was observed over the southern end of the Bass River, the damage observed in West Dennis was from straight-line microburst winds, estimated at 90+ mph. Media and amateur radio contributed to the following reports, as well. Numerous trees and wires were snapped or downed at Wrinkle Point. Trees and wires were down on Loring Avenue. Wires were down on Corporation Road. Trees, wires, and a utility pole were down on Pleasant Street. Wires were down on a car on Depot Street at Vester Drive. Power lines were down on Old Wharf Road. Trees down on Sunset Drive. There were many others. State Emergency Management reported that the cost to Dennis just for cleaning up the roads was a whopping $860,000. Total estimates were approximately triple that figure, when accounting for individual homeowner and business claims.
In Chatham, a NWS survey found numerous large trees uprooted, consistent with 90+ mph microburst straight line winds, which is what remained after the Harwich tornado lifted. Two utility poles were leaning on Morris Island Road with one snapped in half and wires hanging low to the ground. A mesonet site reported a gust to 85 mph at 1115 AM EST (1215 PM EDT). Emergency management cited $426,000 in costs for the town to clean debris from roadways. Total damage estimates are much higher, accounting for individual homeowner and business claims.
A NWS survey determined damage in Yarmouth to be from straight-line winds, with maximum gusts estimated around 80 mph. The damage was concentrated in a small area along Old Hyannis Road, south of Corporation Road. Numerous pine and oak trees were snapped and some were uprooted, generally all down to the north or northeast.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Barnstable County, Massachusetts?
106 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Barnstable County between 1957 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Barnstable County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Barnstable County measured 95.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Barnstable County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Barnstable County, Massachusetts.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/massachusetts/barnstable-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.