Franklin County, Massachusetts Hurricane History
Since 1861, 17 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Franklin County, Massachusetts — about one every 9.7 years. Of those, 3 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Irene (2011), which passed 22 miles away on 28 August 2011.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentIrene (2011) — 22 mi away, 28 August 2011
- Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1938) — 86 kt (99 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1876) — 4.8 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles9 of 17
- Peak monthSeptember — 9 storms (53% of all)
- Most active year1893 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1960s and 1990s — 3 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1861–2011
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irene (2011) | 28 Aug 2011 | 22.1 mi | TS / TD | 49 kt |
| Floyd (1999) | 17 Sep 1999 | 41.9 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Bertha (1996) | 14 Jul 1996 | 48.7 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Beryl (1994) | 18 Aug 1994 | 47.1 mi | TS / TD | 15 kt |
| Gloria (1985) | 27 Sep 1985 | 14.4 mi | Cat 1 | 71 kt |
| Belle (1976) | 10 Aug 1976 | 9.8 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Doria (1971) | 28 Aug 1971 | 9.9 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1968) | 11 Sep 1968 | 11.8 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1961) | 15 Sep 1961 | 48.8 mi | TS / TD | 57 kt |
| Brenda (1960) | 30 Jul 1960 | 33.3 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Able (1952) | 2 Sep 1952 | 11.5 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1938) | 21 Sep 1938 | 23.8 mi | Cat 1 | 73 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 29 Aug 1893 | 13.7 mi | TS / TD | 53 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 24 Aug 1893 | 28.5 mi | TS / TD | 62 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1876) | 19 Sep 1876 | 4.8 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1874) | 30 Sep 1874 | 35.9 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1861) | 28 Sep 1861 | 40.4 mi | TS / TD | 50 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fred (2021) | Post-tropical | 19 Aug 2021 | 8.2 mi | 25 kt |
| Florence (2018) | Post-tropical | 18 Sep 2018 | 44.9 mi | 25 kt |
| Chris (1988) | Post-tropical | 30 Aug 1988 | 44.2 mi | 20 kt |
| Gracie (1959) | Post-tropical | 1 Oct 1959 | 18.3 mi | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1945) | Post-tropical | 19 Sep 1945 | 22.0 mi | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1934) | Post-tropical | 9 Sep 1934 | 30.4 mi | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1924) | Post-tropical | 1 Oct 1924 | 21.6 mi | 55 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1900) | Post-tropical | 14 Oct 1900 | 32.7 mi | 30 kt |
How Franklin County, Massachusetts compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Franklin County, Massachusetts ranks #909 — more exposed than 58.8% of them. Within Massachusetts it ranks #13 of 14, against a state average of 24.3 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1938) passed 24 miles away on 21 September 1938 as a hurricane, reaching 86 kt (99 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Gloria (1985) passed 14 miles away on 27 September 1985 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1893) passed 28 miles away on 24 August 1893 as a hurricane, reaching 65 kt (75 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Bertha (1996) passed 49 miles away on 14 July 1996 as a tropical storm, reaching 60 kt (69 mph) while within 50 miles.
15 of the 17 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 9.7 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 17 storms spread over the 165 years from 1861 to 2025. 1 separate year saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 45 years, between 1893 and 1938. It has been 14 years since the last one; 2 of the 15 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Franklin County, Massachusetts?
3 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Franklin County, Massachusetts at hurricane strength since 1861. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 17.
When was the last hurricane in Franklin County, Massachusetts?
Gloria (1985), on 27 September 1985, passing 14 miles away — 41 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Irene (2011) in 2011.
What was the strongest storm to affect Franklin County, Massachusetts?
Unnamed Storm (1938), which reached 86 kt (99 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 24 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Franklin County, Massachusetts?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 9.7 years — 17 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
Franklin County, Massachusetts borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. Worcester County, Massachusetts has 26 on record.