Suffolk County, Massachusetts severe weather history spans 255 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 51.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,079 nationally and #12 in Massachusetts.
255
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
23
Direct injuries
$34.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Suffolk County, Massachusetts severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Suffolk County, Massachusetts severe weather history averages 3.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 105 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 27 events fall before 1990 and 228 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Suffolk County, Massachusetts record is lightning, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $11.2M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Suffolk County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 130 | 0 | $833K | 73 | 1956–2025 |
| Flood | 40 | 0 | $10.9M | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 31 | 0 | $11.2M | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Hail | 24 | 0 | $0 | 2 | 1966–2020 |
| Lightning | 19 | 2 | $7.2M | 0 | 1997–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 9 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2000 |
| Tornado | 1 | 0 | $4.0M | EF2 | 2014–2014 |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 1 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 2002–2002 |
Decade by decade
Suffolk County, Massachusetts severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
2 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-07-28 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 1.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-08-09 | EF1 | 1 | 6 | 4.9 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Suffolk County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 5, 2010 | Lightning | SOUTH BOSTON | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 10, 2001 | Lightning | REVERE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 20, 2008 | Lightning | GROVE HALL | 0 | 10 | $0 |
| Jul 28, 2014 | Tornado | CHELSEA | 0 | 2 | $4.0M |
| Jul 5, 2012 | Lightning | BOSTON | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Aug 2, 2008 | Lightning | BOSTON | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 22, 1997 | Lightning | BOSTON | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Sep 9, 2023 | Lightning | BOSTON | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A 50 year old man was struck by lightning while walking in an area known as the Sugar Bowl in South Boston. Lightning struck him in the head, passing through his back and exiting his feet. He collapsed in cardiac arrest and was revived and hospitalized for several days before dying from his injuries.
Heavy rains resulted in flooding across much of Boston. This flooding resulted in damage to the collections at both the Bostonian Society and the Massachusetts Historical Society. In addition, several roads in Dorchester and Revere were closed. A portion of the MBTA Green line was closed between Fenway Park and Kenmore for several hours on Monday due to a flooded tunnel. A portion of the MBTA Red line was closed between Ashmont and Fields Corner because of flooded tracks. Passengers were transported by bus.
Numerous trees and wires and several utility poles were downed throughout Boston, including in Boston Common. Several trees were downed onto cars throughout town, though no injuries resulted. One tree was downed onto a building on Corey Road. The Automated Surface Observing System at Logan International Airport in Boston, MA (KBOS) recorded sustained wind speeds of 47 mph and wind gusts up to 68 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
785,121
Population (ACS)
$706K
Median home value
38
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 15, 2023 | Hurricane | HURRICANE LEE | EM |
| Apr 18, 2022 | Snowstorm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
| Mar 27, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jul 19, 2018 | Snowstorm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
| Apr 13, 2015 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM, SNOWSTORM, AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Suffolk County, Massachusetts?
255 events are on record between 1956 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $34.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Suffolk County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 130 recorded events — 51.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Suffolk County?
2 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 1 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Suffolk County?
38 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Suffolk County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Suffolk County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Suffolk County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 94 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Suffolk County, Massachusetts 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
- Plymouth County 438
- Worcester County 1,258
- Norfolk County 562
- Nantucket County 25
- Middlesex County 1,134
- Hampshire County 641
Cite this page
“Suffolk County, Massachusetts.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/massachusetts/suffolk-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.