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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Portland, CT

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

51 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Portland, 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, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
11

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
40

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
50

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
6

4 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Portland

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Portland, Connecticut, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021IdaSep 261 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 4
2021HenriAug 226 miTropical storm (39 mph)Category 1
2021ElsaJul 943 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
2013AndreaJun 843 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2011IreneAug 2845 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 3
2008HannaSep 715 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
2007BarryJun 453 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1999FloydSep 171 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1996BerthaJul 13overheadTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1991BobAug 1958 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 3
1985GloriaSep 2716 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 4
1985HenriSep 2455 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1976BelleAug 1015 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 3
1971DoriaAug 2837 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1968Unnamed 1968 stormSep 1119 miTropical storm (62 mph)Tropical storm
1961Unnamed 1961 stormSep 157 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1960DonnaSep 1219 miCategory 1 (90 mph)Category 4
1960BrendaJul 308 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1955DianeAug 1957 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1954CarolAug 3135 miCategory 3 (113 mph)Category 3
1952AbleSep 142 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 2
1944Unnamed 1944 stormSep 1547 miCategory 2 (101 mph)Category 5
1938Unnamed 1938 stormSep 2117 miCategory 2 (109 mph)Category 5
1934Unnamed 1934 stormSep 9overheadTropical storm (54 mph)Category 2
1934Unnamed 1934 stormJun 2047 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 3043 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormJul 2171 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 2
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1725 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 511 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 1
1908Unnamed 1908 stormMay 3037 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1907Unnamed 1907 stormJun 3070 miTropical storm (43 mph)Tropical storm
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1554 miCategory 1 (83 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1632 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
1897Unnamed 1897 stormSep 2428 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 1017 miTropical storm (72 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2960 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2447 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 3
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1225 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 226 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 2441 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1879Unnamed 1879 stormAug 1974 miCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 3
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 553 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 309 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2718 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1869Unnamed 1869 stormSep 848 miCategory 3 (115 mph)Category 3
1866Unnamed 1866 stormOct 3066 miTropical storm (55 mph)Tropical storm
1863Unnamed 1863 stormSep 1954 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1861Unnamed 1861 stormNov 340 miTropical storm (67 mph)Category 1
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 2815 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 1
1858Unnamed 1858 stormSep 1634 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 2
1851Unnamed 1851 stormOct 1949 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm

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

By decade

  • 2020s4
  • 2010s9
  • 2000s3
  • 1990s7
  • 1980s4(1 EF3+)
  • 1970s9(2 EF3+)
  • 1960s4(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s10(2 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Portland, Connecticut
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Oct 3, 1979F420 mi11.3 mi3 / 500
Jul 10, 1989F421 mi3 mi0 / 40
May 24, 1962F314 mi11.6 mi1 / 50
Jul 29, 1971F323 mi0.1 mi0 / 2
May 10, 1954F324 mi0.3 mi0 / 2
Aug 21, 1951F35 mi0.1 mi0 / 8
Jul 10, 1989F222 mi5 mi0 / 70
Jul 5, 1984F215 mi3 mi0 / 0
Sep 18, 1973F215 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Sep 6, 1973F215 mi3.3 mi0 / 0
Aug 31, 1973F212 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Oct 24, 1955F224 mi0.5 mi0 / 0

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

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Portland while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

Other cities in Connecticut