Connecticut, 2000

Hail and Lightning Strike in Connecticut, May 10, 2000

May 10, 2000 · NWS OKX · 4 events in 3 counties and zones

These and other thunderstorms were accompanied by frequent and intense lightning strikes that resulted in significant power outages. In Fairfield County, 1500 outages were reported in Bethel and 1000 outages were reported in Monroe.

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

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The toll

Deaths
1
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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.

As a line of severe thunderstorms moved north, it produced nickel-size hail in New London and penny-size hail in Middletown.These and other thunderstorms were accompanied by frequent and intense lightning strikes that resulted in significant power outages. In Fairfield County, 1500 outages were reported in Bethel and 1000 outages were reported in Monroe. In New Haven County, Meriden firefighters were called to a Reservoir Avenue home to fight a fire ignited by lightning. In Middlesex County, lightning struck a house, which ignited a fire and killed an 80 year old woman in Middletown.As a severe thunderstorm moved northeast, it produced nickel-size hail in Guilford.

The radar

The Brookhaven radar (KOKX), 84 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:45 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Hail, New London

When
May 10, 10:48 AM EST
Where
New London County, New London
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.350, -72.100

Hail, Middlesex

When
May 10, 11:20 AM EST
Where
Middlesex County, Middletown
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.550, -72.650

Lightning, Middlesex

When
May 10, 11:20 AM EST
Where
Middlesex County, Middletown
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates
41.451, -72.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, New Haven

When
May 10, 6:34 PM EST
Where
New Haven County, Guilford
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.283, -72.683

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.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Lightning, Middlesex2000-05-1080FemalePermanent HomeDirect

What these are

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 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Connecticut, May 2000

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: 5139542, 5139543, 5139545, 5139544.