Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut Hurricane History

No active tropical cyclones are within 500 miles of Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut as of Thursday, 10 September 2026. Official forecasts at nhc.noaa.gov.

Since 1851, 31 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut — about one every 5.6 years. Of those, 9 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Elsa (2021), which passed 32 miles away on 9 July 2021.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

5.6

Avg. years between

Years since the last

Storm tracks within 50 miles

TS / TDCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5

Each line is one storm track, coloured by the strongest category it reached while within 50 miles. The dashed ring marks that 50-mile radius; hairlines are one-degree graticule. Source: NOAA NHC HURDAT2.

How strong they get

Cat 3 · 3Cat 2 · 2Cat 1 · 4TS / TD · 22

The 31 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 3 of them reached Cat 3.

Key facts

Most recentElsa (2021) — 32 mi away, 9 July 2021
Strongest stormCarol (1954) — 100 kt (115 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1872) — 6.3 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1938) — 22.7 miles
Passes within 25 miles14 of 31
Peak monthSeptember — 16 storms (52% of all)
Most active year1861 — 2 storms
Most active decade1960s and 1990s — 4 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi3
Record span1851–2021

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut, September is the most active month, with 16 of the 31 recorded storms (52%). The primary season runs July to September, accounting for 84% of all activity. The 1960s and 1990s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 4 storms. 3 of the 31 storms were major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger) while within 50 miles.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	0	0	1	0	3	7	16	3	1	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1850s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 10 storms in 1950–1987 against 6 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
2	3	2	2	2	1	0	0	2	1	2	4	2	2	4	1	0	1

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Elsa (2021)	9 Jul 2021	31.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Hanna (2008)	7 Sep 2008	12.9 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Floyd (1999)	17 Sep 1999	13.0 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Bertha (1996)	13 Jul 1996	14.5 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Beryl (1994)	18 Aug 1994	31.7 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Bob (1991)	19 Aug 1991	48.8 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Gloria (1985)	27 Sep 1985	31.2 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Henri (1985)	24 Sep 1985	31.1 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Belle (1976)	10 Aug 1976	24.1 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Doria (1971)	28 Aug 1971	48.3 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1968)	11 Sep 1968	26.8 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1961)	15 Sep 1961	13.6 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Donna (1960)	12 Sep 1960	9.6 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Brenda (1960)	30 Jul 1960	24.2 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Diane (1955)	19 Aug 1955	44.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Carol (1954)	31 Aug 1954	26.9 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	15 Sep 1944	36.0 mi	Cat 2	88 kt
Unnamed Storm (1938)	21 Sep 1938	22.7 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	9 Sep 1934	12.0 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1908)	30 May 1908	26.9 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1897)	24 Sep 1897	17.3 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	10 Oct 1894	16.8 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	22 Aug 1888	18.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	24 Sep 1882	29.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1874)	30 Sep 1874	23.4 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	27 Oct 1872	6.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1869)	8 Sep 1869	41.1 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	3 Nov 1861	29.8 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	28 Sep 1861	27.6 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1858)	16 Sep 1858	25.6 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	19 Oct 1851	42.9 mi	TS / TD	47 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 15 systems passed within 50 miles after losing tropical characteristics. These are excluded from the counts above because they were no longer tropical cyclones at their closest approach — but several were highly damaging, so they are listed here. Showing the 9 most recent.

Storm	Status	Closest approach	Distance	Wind
Ida (2021)	Post-tropical	2 Sep 2021	48.7 mi	40 kt
Henri (2021)	Remnant low	24 Aug 2021	4.9 mi	20 kt
Andrea (2013)	Post-tropical	8 Jun 2013	31.7 mi	40 kt
Barry (2007)	Post-tropical	4 Jun 2007	43.8 mi	35 kt
Gordon (2000)	Post-tropical	20 Sep 2000	14.4 mi	25 kt
Chris (1988)	Post-tropical	30 Aug 1988	27.7 mi	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	Post-tropical	19 Sep 1945	41.6 mi	26 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	Post-tropical	20 Jun 1934	35.0 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1904)	Post-tropical	15 Sep 1904	42.1 mi	72 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1851–2025. Tracks are recorded every six hours and are interpolated to one-hour steps before distances are measured, so closest-approach figures are not distorted by the sampling interval. Distances are measured to the county's Census internal point, not to its nearest boundary, so a storm listed at 55 miles may still have crossed the coastline — see Methodology. Records before about 1900 are sparser and less precise than modern ones, and storms that stayed at sea were less likely to be recorded at all.

How Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut ranks #493 — more exposed than 77.7% of them. Within Connecticut it ranks #1 of 9, against a state average of 27.7 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 3 Carol (1954) passed 27 miles away on 31 August 1954 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1938) passed 23 miles away on 21 September 1938 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1869) passed 41 miles away on 8 September 1869 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Bob (1991) passed 49 miles away on 19 August 1991 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.

29 of the 31 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 5.6 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 31 storms spread over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025. 3 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 26 years, between 1908 and 1934. It has been 4 years since the last one; 16 of the 27 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut?

9 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 31.

When was the last hurricane in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut?

Bob (1991), on 19 August 1991, passing 49 miles away — 35 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Elsa (2021) in 2021.

What was the strongest storm to affect Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut?

Carol (1954), which reached 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 27 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 5.6 years — 31 storms over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut has 31 on record.

South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut31 storms within 50 mi Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut31 storms within 50 mi Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut28 storms within 50 mi Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut25 storms within 50 mi