Coastal Flood, Southern Fairfield
- When
- December 7, 6:00 PM EST to December 8, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Southern Fairfield forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.285, -73.339 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Coastal Flood in Connecticut, December 7 to 8, 1996
A second coastal storm formed in less than 24 hours off the Mid-Atlantic Coast. The precipitation began around 6 pm on December 7th in the form of rain along the coast, but was mixed with snow further inland.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 6
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS OKX wrote it up.
A second coastal storm formed in less than 24 hours off the Mid-Atlantic Coast. As it moved northeast off the coast, it spread heavy precipitation across the local area.The precipitation began around 6 pm on December 7th in the form of rain along the coast, but was mixed with snow further inland. Heavy rain was concentrated over Fairfield and Southern New Haven Counties. Here are selected rainfall amounts:1.81 inches at Bridgeport1.13 inches at Danbury1.80 inches at New Haven.As the low moved east of the area, rain changed to snow everywhere. Snowfall amounts ranged from 0.5 inches at Bridgeport to 5.8 inches at Danbury. Thundersnows occurred at Norwich, where a spotter measured 3 inches. A pedestrian was struck in the blinding snow in Madison in Southern New Haven County.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
6 coastal flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Coastal Flood, Southern New Haven
- When
- December 7, 6:00 PM EST to December 8, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Southern New Haven forecast zone
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Coordinates
- 41.443, -72.965 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Coastal Flood, Northern Middlesex
- When
- December 7, 7:00 PM EST to December 8, 11:00 AM EST
- Where
- Northern Middlesex forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.451, -72.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Coastal Flood, Northern New London
- When
- December 7, 7:00 PM EST to December 8, 11:00 AM EST
- Where
- Northern New London forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.504, -72.101 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Coastal Flood, Southern Middlesex
- When
- December 7, 7:00 PM EST to December 8, 11:00 AM EST
- Where
- Southern Middlesex forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.451, -72.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Coastal Flood, Southern New London
- When
- December 7, 7:00 PM EST to December 8, 11:00 AM EST
- Where
- Southern New London forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.504, -72.101 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The people who died
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Flood, Southern New Haven | 1996-12-07 | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
What these are
- Coastal Flood
- Flooding of coastal land by the sea, from storm surge, onshore wind or high tides.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornado in Florida, December 7, 1996
- Heavy Snow in New Hampshire, December 7 to 8, 1996
- Winter Storm in Vermont, December 7 to 8, 1996
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in Massachusetts, December 7 to 8, 1996
- Flooding in Oregon, December 7 to 10, 1996
- Flood in California, December 7 to 10, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Connecticut, December 7 to 8, 1996
- Winter Storm in New York, December 7 to 8, 1996
- Winter Storm in Vermont, December 7 to 8, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Florida, December 7, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Florida, December 7, 1996
- Winter Storm in Maine, December 7 to 8, 1996
More
Every storm in Connecticut in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Connecticut, December 1996
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5582458, 5582460, 5582456, 5582457, 5582459, 5582461.