Connecticut, 1997

Hail and Damaging Winds in Connecticut, August 3, 1997

August 3, 1997 · NWS OKX · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

A line of severe thunderstorms moved southeast over the area. High winds downed trees in Danbury and downed power lines in North Branford.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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 line of severe thunderstorms moved southeast over the area. Thunderstorms produced high winds and hail.High winds downed trees in Danbury and downed power lines in North Branford. They also caused a tree to fall onto and damage a car in Middletown.Lightning struck a house on Milici Circle in Meriden. It caused considerable damage. The lightning created a large hole in the upper portion of the house, numerous cracks in the walls of two bedrooms and dislodged several lighting fixtures. It also destroyed more than a third of the chimney, causing chunks of brick to fall onto the deck and destroying additional furniture.

The radar

The Brookhaven radar (KOKX), 76 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:16 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Fairfield

When
August 3, 4:15 PM EST
Where
Fairfield County, Danbury
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
41.380, -73.470

Thunderstorm Wind, Middlesex

When
August 3, 4:30 PM EST
Where
Middlesex County, Middletown
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
41.550, -72.650

Hail, Middlesex

When
August 3, 4:30 PM EST
Where
Middlesex County, Middletown
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
41.550, -72.650

Thunderstorm Wind, New Haven

When
August 3, 4:45 PM EST
Where
New Haven County, North Branford
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
41.320, -72.770

Lightning, New Haven

When
August 3, 4:45 PM EST
Where
New Haven County, Meriden
Coordinates
41.362, -72.844 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

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: 5610565, 5610566, 5610567, 5610568, 5610569.