List of Connecticut tornadoes
This is a list of tornadoes reported in the history of the US state of Connecticut.
Pre-1850
- A tornado devastated forests in southern Connecticut, touching down north of Fairfield and crossing the Housatonic River, cutting through New Haven before passing out into Long Island Sound.[1]
1728 or 1729
- A tornado passed through New Britain, in nearly the same spot as the 1787 tornado.[2]
- Two tornadoes struck Central Connecticut. The first injured five people while destroying more than a dozen structures in South Britain. The second injured one person while moving down a hillside west of Southington.[1]
- Possibly the first tornado outbreak ever in Connecticut, as many as six tornadoes did a great deal of damage in Windham County. Twenty homes, 63 barns, and 1000 acres of forest were destroyed. One woman was killed, and five people were injured.[1]
- The largest tornado outbreak recorded to date affected most of New England. The first touched down around 1:30PM near New Britain. A mother and two children were killed in Wethersfield, and 10 others were injured before the tornado lifted outside of the town. What may have been another tornado caused additional damage as far east as Coventry, Connecticut. Another tornado struck East Windsor, damaging several homes and barns. Yet another touched down near Killingly, moving northeast into Rhode Island and Massachusetts.[1][2]
- A tornado destroyed several structures in Milford injuring 4, while a separate tornado cut through Branford. Some loss of life likely occurred from one or both tornadoes.[1]
- Six people were injured by a tornado in Ridgefield.[1]
- A tornado destroyed two houses in New London County.[1]
- Trees and buildings were damaged from East Windsor to North Bolton, possibly by a tornado.[1]
- A tornado passed from Westchester County, New York into Greenwich.[1]
- A tornado destroyed 23 buildings in Wallingford.[1]
- A long-lived tornado tracked 30 miles from Dutchess County, New York to Salisbury.[1]
1850-1949
- What may have been a small tornado hit Windsor Locks.[1]
- A 300-yard wide tornado unroofed several homes in northern Bridgeport.[4]
- "Something like a tornado", described as a "whirling mass of black clouds" cut across Hartford, tearing down trees and branches.[5]
- A severe tornado, likely an F4, smashed through New Haven County. Touching down just outside of Wallingford, it destroyed the north side of town. At least 29 people were killed in that town (possibly 34), the most by any tornado event in Connecticut history. The tornado continued into Durham and Killingsworth, unroofing houses.[1]
- A tornado touched down in Suffield, moving northeast and crossing the Connecticut River. It destroyed 25 buildings in Thompsonville and Enfield.[1]
- A "terrific storm" downed trees "in all directions" in Meriden, also damaging a school and several other buildings.[6]
- A tornado touched down outside of Winsted, destroying 9 homes and 5 barns as it moved into town. Twenty people were injured, two of whom may have later died.[1]
- A tornado passed through the towns of Bloomfield and Windsor, crossing the Connecticut River before dissipating. Nearly the entire tobacco crop in the area was destroyed, at a loss in the millions of dollars. Another tornado may have struck East Hartford a few weeks earlier.[7]
- A tornado touched down outside of Ellington, destroying barns and downing trees before lifting near Burnside.[1]
- A tornado passed from Norwalk to near Ridgefield, causing damage to trees and roofs in a path 50 to 300 feet wide. Some buildings were completely destroyed.[8]
- A violent tornado swept through the village of Huntington. One man was killed when his house was torn from its foundation. Several barns were destroyed; one "completely disappeared".[9]
- A tornado cut a three-mile path through New Milford, uprooting trees and damaging roofs.[10]
- A tornado produced F2 damage while passing just south of Terryville and just north of Bristol.[1]
- A tornado destroyed a church in Plainville and a garage in Bristol.[1]
1950-1999
- An F2 touched down near Ridgefield at the unusual hour of 7:30AM, injuring 3 people.[12][13]
- An F2 touched down briefly in eastern Tolland County.[12]
- A long-tracked F2 touched down in southwestern Litchfield County, passing more than 40 miles well into Hartford County. Another tornado, an F3 (some sources say F2), touched down in northern Middlesex County, unroofing a factory. Nine people were injured in the first tornado, with another eight injured in the second.[12][1]
- An F3 (some sources say F2) hit Windsorville at 9:30AM, destroying a house and some sheds, injuring two. Additionally, an F2 touched down in northwestern Hartford County that afternoon. [12][1]
- An F1 touched down in central Hartford County, while an F2 touched down near Waterbury.[12]
- An F0 briefly touched down in southeastern Hartford County.[12]
- An F1 touched down in southern Hartford County.[12]
- An F1 briefly touched down in northeastern Litchfield County.[12]
- An F2 injured two in central Tolland County.[12]
- An F2 touched down in northwestern Litchfield County.[12]
- An F1 briefly touched down near Hartford.[12]
- An F0 briefly touched down in southeastern New Haven County.[12]
- An F1 briefly touched down in western Tolland County.[12]
- An F3 tracked through northern New Haven and southern Hartford Counties. The tornado produced "near-F4 damage" in parts of Waterbury and Southington, with more than 200 buildings destroyed and another 600 damaged. One person was killed, with another 50 injured, along its 11-mile path.[12][1]
- An F2 touched down briefly in eastern Litchfield County.[12]
- An F2 tracked six miles through northern Tolland County.[12]
- An F2 touched down in northern Litchfield County, passing east-northeast into Massachusetts.[12]
- An F1 briefly touched down near Danbury.[12]
- An F1 touched down in southern Tolland County.[12]
- An F1 briefly touched down in northern Litchfield County.[12]
- An F1 injured one in northern Hartford County.[12]
- An F3 (some sources say F2) touched down in Waterbury, unroofing a factory and damaging some houses. Two people were injured.[12][1]
- An F1 tracked almost ten miles across northern Litchfield County.[12]
- An F1 touched down in southern Litchfield County.[12]
- An F2 touched down in southeastern Litchfield County.[12]
- An F1 injured one person in western Hartford County.[12]
- An F1 touched down in northwestern Litchfield County.[12]
- An F2 briefly touched down in central Hartford County.[12]
- An F2 touched down in eastern Hartford County, damaging houses in Manchester, Vernon, and Talcottville.[12][1]
- Three tornadoes briefly touched down, an F1 in Greenwich, an F2 in southwestern Hartford county, and another F1 in southern Tolland County.[12]
- An F1 tracked five miles southeast through southern Litchfield County.[12]
- An F1 tracked five miles through central Litchfield County.[12]
- An F1 touched down near New Milford.[12]
- An F2 touched down in northern Litchfield County.[12]
- An extremely destructive F4 tornado, one of the worst in Connecticut history, killed three and injured 500 in northern Hartford County. The tornado struck without warning, tearing through Bradley International Airport, destroying more than a dozen airplanes, and narrowly missing a Boeing 727 which was attempting to land. Around 100 homes were completely levelled. Most of the $200+ million in damage was done in Windsor Locks and Suffield. This was the sixth most damaging tornado in US history.
- An F1 tracked through central New Haven County.[12]
- An F0 struck Middlesex County.[12]
- An F2 tracked from Bristol to Farmington, injuring one and damaging many houses and cars.[12][1]
- An F1 tracked ten miles across central Windham County.[12]
- An F1 touched down in extreme eastern Windham County, passing into Rhode Island.[12]
- At least three tornadoes caused more than $100 million in damage in Litchfield and New Haven Counties. The first tornado, possibly a family of three tornadoes, destroyed Cathedral Pines Forest, and caused F2 damage to trees and homes in Cornwall, Milton, and Bantam, injuring 4 people.[1]
- The second tornado, also an F2, unroofed or severely damaged 50 homes and injured 70 people on a path through Watertown, Oakville, and northern Waterbury.
- The final tornado was one of the worst in Connecticut history, cutting a five mile path through Hamden. An F4, one of two in Connecticut history, it destroyed almost 400 structures, and injured 40 people. Miraculously, no one was killed by these devastating tornadoes, though a girl was killed when straight-line winds blew a tree onto her tent.
- An F0 struck near New Fairfield.[12]
- An F1 briefly touched down in southern Windham County.[12]
- An F0 briefly touched down in western Windham County.[12]
- A strong microburst accompanied by an F0 struck Avon. Many trees were downed, but there was very little property damage.[15]
- An F1 tracked two miles from South Britain to Southbury. Many trees were downed, and several homes sustained minor damage.[16]
- An F0 struck the town of Prospect. A tractor-trailer was thrown 200 yards through the air, but no injuries were reported.[17]
- An F1 touched down just north of downtown Waterbury, causing significant damage to Wilby High School.[18]
- An F1 touched down briefly near Washington.[20]
- Two F1 tornadoes touched down briefly in Killingworth and Lyme, and an F0 briefly touched down in Chester.[21]
2000-
- An F1 touched down in Ellington. It tossed several large trailers through the air and damaged a cow barn.[22]
- An isolated supercell produced three tornadoes in the state. The first, an F1, hit a golf course in Washington, demolishing a storage building and a tennis court, and injuring one person. The second tornado, rated an F2, touched down in Torrington near Torrington Middle School, damaging the roof and destroying bleachers and a storage shed. The final tornado, an F0, produced minor damage to the East Hartland fire station.[23][24]
- An F0 tracked ten miles across southern Litchfield County, touching down seven times along its path from New Milford to Roxbury. [25]
- An F1 touched down in Brookfield, followed by a brief, F0 touchdown in Southbury along Interstate 84.[26]
- An F0 touched down briefly in Lanesville. In Montville, a waterspout formed over Gardner Lake, causing F1 damage to trees, houses, and cars upon crossing onto land.[28][29]
- A tornado which produced F2 damage across the border in New York entered Greenwich at 4:01PM, producing some F1 damage on the north side of town. It may have briefly touched down a second time just north of the Merritt Parkway.[30]
- A skipping tornado, rated EF1, tracked 4-5 miles from Bethel to Newtown. Widespread wind damage also affected other parts of the state.[31]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad Grazulis, Thomas P (July). Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
{{cite book}}: Check date values in:|year=(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ a b THE HURRICANES OF THE PAST. New York Times (1857-Current file); August 131878; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2003) pg. 2
- ^ The Tornado Project. "Worst" Tornadoes Retrieved on 2007-07-02.
- ^ A CONNECTICUT HURRICANE. New York Times (1857-Current file); September 161876; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2003) pg. 5
- ^ FURIOUS STORM IN CONNECTICUT. Special Dispatch to the New-York Times. New York Times (1857-Current file); August 191877; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2003) pg. 7
- ^ TERRIFIC STORM IN CONNECTICUT. New York Times (1857-Current file); July 151881; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2003) pg. 5
- ^ GREAT DAMAGE ELSEWHERE. New York Times (1857-Current file); August 261885; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2003) pg. 1
- ^ TORNADO IN CONNECTICUT. Special to The New York Times. New York Times (1857-Current file); September 281899; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2003) pg. 1
- ^ TORNADO IN CONNECTICUT Special to The New York Times. New York Times (1857-Current file); September 171901; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2003) pg. 7
- ^ TORNADO HITS CONNECTICUT. New York Times (1857-Current file); August 291911; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2003) pg. 2
- ^ TUESDAY'S STORM The Hartford Courant (1887-1922); September 21920; ProQuest Historical Newspapers Hartford Courant (1764 - 1922) pg. 10
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au Data from the Storm Prediction Center archives, which are accessible through SeverePlot, free software created and maintained by John Hart, lead forecaster for the SPC.
- ^ a b http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~storms
- ^ Tornado touches down in Trumbull Tornado swipes at Trumbull; CHRIS SHERIDAN, Courant Staff Writer. Hartford Courant. Hartford, Conn.: August 51992. pg. d.1
- ^ http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~194063
- ^ http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~194158
- ^ http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~194164
- ^ http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~252538
- ^ http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~252547
- ^ http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~313753
- ^ http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~313794
- ^ http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~382976
- ^ http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~417482
- ^ http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~417484
- ^ http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~417489
- ^ http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~451859
- ^ http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~451866
- ^ http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~451873
- ^ http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~451884
- ^ National Weather Service, Upton, New York (2006-07-14). "Public Information Statement" (Text file). Retrieved 2007-06-02.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ National Weather Service, Upton, New York (2007-05-18). "Public Information Statement" (Text file). Retrieved 2007-06-02.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Associated Press (2007-05-28). "Small twister hits Somers". Connecticut Post. p. A7. Retrieved 2007-06-01.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Storm Prediction Center (2007-06-01). "20070528's Storm Reports". Retrieved 2007-06-02.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)