346
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$7.9M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Essex County, Massachusetts: 346 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 100. That places the county #315 nationally and #7 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Essex County, Massachusetts: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Essex County is the 2010s, when 139 of the county's 346 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 Essex County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 52.2% of all recorded severe weather across 11 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #315 for this hazard and #7 within Massachusetts, putting it in the 90.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Essex County with 134 recorded events, while Jan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7, 1989 | 60 | 1 | 1 | $0 | |
| Jun 16, 1988 | 70 | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Aug 8, 1986 | 0 | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Jul 3, 2008 | HAWTHORNE | 50 | 0 | 1 | $3K |
| Jul 2, 2008 | PRIDES CROSSING | 50 | 0 | 1 | $10K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 6, 2025 | SOUTH PEABODY | 50 | $10K |
| Sep 6, 2025 | SOUTH PEABODY | 50 | $5K |
| Aug 13, 2025 | HAMILTON | 50 | $300 |
| Jul 20, 2025 | MONTSERRAT | 50 | $1K |
| Jul 20, 2025 | SHAWSHEEN VLG | 50 | $300 |
| Jul 20, 2025 | MIDDLETON | 50 | $800 |
| Jul 20, 2025 | TOPSFIELD | 50 | $300 |
| Aug 15, 2024 | METHUEN | 50 | $500 |
| Jul 17, 2024 | MERRIMAC | 50 | $500 |
| Jul 17, 2024 | LOWELL JCT | 50 | $500 |
Other hazards here
More from Essex County
- Hail 98
- Flood 82
- Flash Flood 55
- Lightning 49
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Local police reported numerous trees blown down. At the Beverly Airport, a wind gust to an estimated 70 to 75 mph occurred during a severe thunderstorm, flipping over several light aircraft and damaging a total of 14 aircraft. Five were damaged beyond repair.
Surveys done by emergency management, fire, and police officials as well as NWS storm spotters and discussed with the NWS office determined that straight line winds with speeds up to 80 mph caused the damage that occurred in Haverhill. Numerous trees and wires were downed throughout Haverhill with some blocking streets and others falling onto houses and cars. This included at least 50 trees that fell at the Haverhill Country Club.
Over 100 trees were downed, snapped, or lost large limbs. This included hardwood and softwood trees such as oaks and pines. Power was out for a majority of the town since many utility lines were brought down. Damage from this microburst began at Mile Lane and Linebrook Road where tops of a large pine tree and oak tree were snapped off and ended on Argilla Road where large tree limbs and power lines were downed.||The most significant damage was on Topsfield Road where a large pine tree was downed and multiple utility lines were downed, including a transformer. Damage was also significant on South Main Street at County Road where large oak trees had limbs snapped off and numerous power and utility lines were downed. On Waldingfield Road, a large tree and limbs were downed onto the commuter rail tracks, resulting in delays until the debris could be cleared.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Essex County, Massachusetts?
346 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Essex County between 1956 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Essex County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Essex County measured 100.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Essex 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 Essex County, Massachusetts.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/massachusetts/essex-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.