Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut Hurricane History

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

Since 1861, 26 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut — about one every 6.3 years. Of those, 5 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Fay (2020), which passed 40 miles away on 11 July 2020.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

6.3

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 · 1Cat 2 · 1Cat 1 · 4TS / TD · 20

The 26 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 3.

Key facts

Most recentFay (2020) — 40 mi away, 11 July 2020
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1938) — 105 kt (121 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1874) — 10.8 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1938) — 28.4 miles
Passes within 25 miles14 of 26
Peak monthSeptember — 12 storms (46% of all)
Most active year1893 — 2 storms
Most active decade1960s — 4 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi1
Record span1861–2020

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, September is the most active month, with 12 of the 26 recorded storms (46%). The primary season runs July to September, accounting for 88% of all activity. The 1960s was the most active decade on record, with 4 storms. 1 of the 26 storms was major hurricane (Category 3 or stronger) while within 50 miles.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	0	0	0	1	3	8	12	2	0	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1860s 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.

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

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Fay (2020)	11 Jul 2020	40.0 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Irene (2011)	28 Aug 2011	11.5 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Hanna (2008)	7 Sep 2008	29.0 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Floyd (1999)	17 Sep 1999	24.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Bertha (1996)	13 Jul 1996	15.6 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Beryl (1994)	18 Aug 1994	27.7 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Gloria (1985)	27 Sep 1985	20.7 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Belle (1976)	10 Aug 1976	19.8 mi	TS / TD	56 kt
Agnes (1972)	22 Jun 1972	34.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Doria (1971)	28 Aug 1971	14.3 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1968)	11 Sep 1968	22.1 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1961)	15 Sep 1961	38.8 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Donna (1960)	12 Sep 1960	49.1 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Brenda (1960)	30 Jul 1960	21.8 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Diane (1955)	19 Aug 1955	43.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Able (1952)	1 Sep 1952	30.2 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1938)	21 Sep 1938	28.4 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	9 Sep 1934	23.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	10 Oct 1894	46.8 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	29 Aug 1893	44.0 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	24 Aug 1893	15.2 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	22 Aug 1888	13.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1874)	30 Sep 1874	10.8 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	26 Oct 1872	26.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1863)	19 Sep 1863	23.0 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	28 Sep 1861	19.3 mi	TS / TD	53 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 10 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 8 most recent.

Storm	Status	Closest approach	Distance	Wind
Henri (2021)	Remnant low	23 Aug 2021	13.0 mi	23 kt
Gordon (2000)	Post-tropical	20 Sep 2000	43.3 mi	25 kt
Chris (1988)	Post-tropical	30 Aug 1988	9.7 mi	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	Post-tropical	19 Sep 1945	13.2 mi	28 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	Post-tropical	19 Jun 1934	46.1 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	27.9 mi	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	Post-tropical	4 Aug 1915	6.7 mi	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1900)	Post-tropical	14 Oct 1900	24.1 mi	32 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1861–2025. 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 Western Connecticut 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, Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut ranks #602 — more exposed than 72.7% of them. Within Connecticut it ranks #7 of 9, against a state average of 27.7 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1938) passed 28 miles away on 21 September 1938 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Donna (1960) passed 49 miles away on 12 September 1960 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Gloria (1985) passed 21 miles away on 27 September 1985 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1894) passed 47 miles away on 10 October 1894 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.

23 of the 26 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 6.3 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 26 storms spread over the 165 years from 1861 to 2025. 2 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 40 years, between 1894 and 1934. It has been 5 years since the last one; 9 of the 23 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut?

5 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut at hurricane strength since 1861. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 26.

When was the last hurricane in Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut?

Gloria (1985), on 27 September 1985, passing 21 miles away — 41 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Fay (2020) in 2020.

What was the strongest storm to affect Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut?

Unnamed Storm (1938), which reached 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 28 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 6.3 years — 26 storms over the 165 years from 1861 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, Connecticut has 29 on record.

Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, Connecticut29 storms within 50 mi Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut25 storms within 50 mi Westchester County, New York24 storms within 50 mi Putnam County, New York22 storms within 50 mi