Coastal Flood, Southern Fairfield
- When
- August 20, 11:00 PM EST to August 21, 2:00 PM EST
- Where
- Southern Fairfield forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.285, -73.339 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Coastal Flood in Connecticut, August 20 to 21, 1997
A low pressure system developed over the lower Midwest on Wednesday, August 20th. East to southeast winds increased over the area during Wednesday evening.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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 low pressure system developed over the lower Midwest on Wednesday, August 20th. As it slowly intensified, it moved east-northeast across Pennsylvania, passing just south of Long Island during Thursday morning.East to southeast winds increased over the area during Wednesday evening. Sustained wind speeds reached 44 knots at the Ambrose Light Tower at 3 am on August 21st and 29 knots from 11 pm on August 20th through 4 am on the 21st at Bouy 44025 (about 20 miles south of Fire Island Inlet). Over land, wind speeds ranged from 15 to 25 mph with gusts over 30 mph.Strong east to southeast winds combined with astronomical high tides caused tidal piling that resulted in moderate coastal flooding across parts of coastal Connecticut during two high tide cycles. Tides averaged 1 1/2 to 2 feet above normal.Street flooding was reported in Milford (Southern New Haven County) and along other parts of the coast. This storm also brought heavy rain to the area. Rainfall amounts generally ranged from 1 to 2 inches with isolated higher amounts.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
2 coastal flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Coastal Flood, Southern New Haven
- When
- August 20, 11:00 PM EST to August 21, 2:00 PM EST
- Where
- Southern New Haven forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.443, -72.965 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
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
- Heavy Rain in Connecticut, August 20 to 21, 1997
- Flash Flood in New Jersey, August 20 to 21, 1997
- Damaging Winds in Utah, August 20, 1997
- Flash Flood in New Jersey, August 20 to 21, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, August 20, 1997
- Flash Flood in New Jersey, August 20 to 21, 1997
- Flash Flood in New Jersey, August 20 to 21, 1997
- Damaging Winds in Texas, August 20, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, August 20, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, August 20, 1997
- Damaging Winds in North Carolina, August 20, 1997
- Flood in Michigan, August 20 to 22, 1997
More
Every storm in Connecticut in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Connecticut, August 1997
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5610688, 5610689.