Worcester County, Massachusetts Hurricane History
Since 1851, 26 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Worcester County, Massachusetts — about one every 6.7 years. Of those, 5 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Floyd (1999), which passed 5 miles away on 17 September 1999.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentFloyd (1999) — 5 mi away, 17 September 1999
- Strongest stormCarol (1954) — 93 kt (107 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordFloyd (1999) — 4.7 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles15 of 26
- Peak monthSeptember — 12 storms (46% of all)
- Most active year1861 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1960s — 4 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1851–1999
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floyd (1999) | 17 Sep 1999 | 4.7 mi | TS / TD | 49 kt |
| Bertha (1996) | 14 Jul 1996 | 14.8 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Beryl (1994) | 19 Aug 1994 | 21.8 mi | TS / TD | 15 kt |
| Gloria (1985) | 27 Sep 1985 | 23.9 mi | Cat 1 | 71 kt |
| Belle (1976) | 10 Aug 1976 | 30.3 mi | TS / TD | 39 kt |
| Doria (1971) | 28 Aug 1971 | 43.3 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1968) | 11 Sep 1968 | 42.2 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1961) | 15 Sep 1961 | 16.1 mi | TS / TD | 57 kt |
| Donna (1960) | 12 Sep 1960 | 19.5 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Brenda (1960) | 30 Jul 1960 | 19.0 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Carol (1954) | 31 Aug 1954 | 21.7 mi | Cat 2 | 87 kt |
| Able (1952) | 2 Sep 1952 | 23.9 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1923) | 19 Oct 1923 | 49.7 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1908) | 31 May 1908 | 27.2 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1897) | 24 Sep 1897 | 24.4 mi | TS / TD | 41 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1894) | 10 Oct 1894 | 19.7 mi | TS / TD | 53 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 29 Aug 1893 | 49.8 mi | TS / TD | 53 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1888) | 22 Aug 1888 | 29.3 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1876) | 19 Sep 1876 | 8.9 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1874) | 30 Sep 1874 | 6.1 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1872) | 27 Oct 1872 | 46.5 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1869) | 8 Sep 1869 | 31.3 mi | Cat 2 | 90 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1861) | 3 Nov 1861 | 31.2 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1861) | 28 Sep 1861 | 16.2 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1858) | 16 Sep 1858 | 21.1 mi | Cat 1 | 67 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1851) | 19 Oct 1851 | 27.7 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henri (2021) | Remnant low | 24 Aug 2021 | 41.8 mi | 20 kt |
| Fred (2021) | Post-tropical | 20 Aug 2021 | 25.6 mi | 25 kt |
| Hanna (2008) | Post-tropical | 7 Sep 2008 | 31.0 mi | 45 kt |
| Barry (2007) | Post-tropical | 4 Jun 2007 | 49.1 mi | 35 kt |
| Chris (1988) | Post-tropical | 30 Aug 1988 | 10.1 mi | 20 kt |
| Gracie (1959) | Post-tropical | 2 Oct 1959 | 40.8 mi | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1945) | Post-tropical | 19 Sep 1945 | 20.6 mi | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1934) | Post-tropical | 9 Sep 1934 | 8.3 mi | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1878) | Post-tropical | 24 Oct 1878 | 37.4 mi | 53 kt |
How Worcester County, Massachusetts compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Worcester County, Massachusetts ranks #613 — more exposed than 72.2% of them. Within Massachusetts it ranks #8 of 14, against a state average of 24.3 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 2 Carol (1954) passed 22 miles away on 31 August 1954 as a hurricane, reaching 93 kt (107 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1869) passed 31 miles away on 8 September 1869 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Donna (1960) passed 19 miles away on 12 September 1960 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Gloria (1985) passed 24 miles away on 27 September 1985 as a hurricane, reaching 70 kt (81 mph) while within 50 miles.
24 of the 26 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 6.7 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 26 storms spread over the 175 years from 1851 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 29 years, between 1923 and 1952. It has been 26 years since the last one; 1 of the 23 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Worcester County, Massachusetts?
5 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Worcester County, Massachusetts at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 26.
When was the last hurricane in Worcester County, Massachusetts?
Gloria (1985), on 27 September 1985, passing 24 miles away — 41 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Floyd (1999) in 1999.
What was the strongest storm to affect Worcester County, Massachusetts?
Carol (1954), which reached 93 kt (107 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 22 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Worcester County, Massachusetts?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 6.7 years — 26 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
Worcester County, Massachusetts borders or sits close to 8 other counties with a published storm record. Providence County, Rhode Island has 28 on record.