Connecticut, 2002Tornadoes and Hail in Connecticut, May 31, 2002
May 31, 2002 · NWS OKX · 7 events in 3 counties and zones
2 tornado, 2 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 funnel cloud, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 7
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 forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS New York, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 31, 2:05 PM EST, 4 hours 19 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 31, 2:05 PM EST, 4 hours 19 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
305 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2002
SCTRD TRW...GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL PSBL THROUGH THIS EVE. COLD FRONT
PASSES TO THE E AFTER MIDNIGHT. HI PRES THEN BUILDS IN RESULTING IN
FAIR WX OVER THE WEEKEND.
MARINE...SCA UP FOR ROUGH SEAS S OF LONG ISL. SEAS EXPECTED TO
BUILD TO AROUND 5 FT THIS EVE.
.OKX...
CT...NONE.
NJ...NONE.
NY...NONE.
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVIS FOR ROUGH SEAS...ANZ350-353-355.
NONE.
EKH
Event by event
2 tornado, 2 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Tornado, Fairfield
- When
- May 31, 6:24 PM EST
- Where
- Fairfield County, Brook Field
- Rating
- F1
- Path length
- 0.5 mi
- Path width
- 75 yd
- Reported by
- METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
- Coordinates
- 41.483, -73.417
A professional Meteorologist confirmed the occurrence of an F1 tornado in Brookfield at about 7:24 pm EDT on Friday, May 31st. The tornado touched down on the west side of Hillandale Road, about 800 feet from the intersection of Long Meadow Hill Road and Hillandale Road. The tornado moved east across this intersection toward Signal Hill Road. It moved across the property on 17 Signal Hill Road, then dissipated in a wooded area behind this property.There was evidence of rotation in 2 locations: Large trees were twisted off at their bases and trees and debris fell in a counter clockwise pattern at the intersection of Long Meadow Hill Road and Hillandale Road, where the tornado was estimated at F1 strength. Trees on the southern side of the path were downed to the east and were snapped toward the north along the northern side of the path. At 17 Signal Hill Road, trees were also lying in a counter clockwise direction.Most damage occurred to trees, fences, and smaller buildings.
Tornado, New Haven
- When
- May 31, 6:40 PM EST
- Where
- New Haven County, Southbury
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 0.2 mi
- Path width
- 10 yd
- Reported by
- METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
- Coordinates
- 41.483, -73.217
A professional Meteorologist confirmed the occurrence of an F0 tornado in Southbury at about 7:40 pm EDT on Friday, May 31st. His findings were supported by eyewitness reports.Tornadic damage was observed along Interstate 84 near Exit 14, which intersects with Route 172, Britain Road. Many large trees were snapped and uprooted, which also blocked traffic. The tornado touched down just south of Interstate 84, then moved just north of due east across the highway, which damaged trees and vegetation.Specifically, the tornado "wobbled" along I-84 for up to 200 yards, then "snaked" across the highway into the center median area, where it topped a tree and flattened shrubs and bushes. It snaked back to the south side of the east bound land, flattening additional trees and shrubs. After traveling up to another 150 yards, the tornado snaked across the highway and center median, flattening more trees and shrubs before roping out on the westbound lane.
Hail, New London
- When
- May 31, 6:50 PM EST
- Where
- New London County, Franklin
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.600, -72.150
Thunderstorm Wind, New Haven
- When
- May 31, 7:02 PM EST
- Where
- New Haven County, Derby
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 41.333, -73.083
A severe thunderstorm produced high winds that downed 3 trees on Prospect Street in Derby.
Funnel Cloud, New Haven
- When
- May 31, 7:02 PM EST
- Where
- New Haven County, Derby
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 41.362, -72.844 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Hail, Fairfield
- When
- May 31, 7:15 PM EST
- Where
- Fairfield County, Greenwich
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.017, -73.633
Thunderstorm Wind, New Haven
- When
- May 31, 7:25 PM EST
- Where
- New Haven County, Guilford
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.283, -72.683
As a line of severe thunderstorms moved southeast, it produced high winds that downed trees and power lines in Guilford.
- Tornado
- A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- 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.
- Funnel Cloud
- A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, May 31, 20021 death · 54 injured · $10 million · 1 in hail · 7 events
- Heat in Missouri, May 31, 20022 deaths · 1 event
- Tornado in New York, May 31, 20027 injured · $600,000 · F1 · 1 event
- Rip Current in North Carolina, May 31, 20021 death · 1 event
- Tornadoes and Hail in New York, May 31, 2002$616,000 · F1 · 30 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Ohio, May 31, 2002$336,000 · 1.75 in hail · 18 events
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in New Hampshire, May 31, 2002$150,000 · 50 kt wind · 24 events
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Maine, May 31, 20021 injured · $60,000 · F1 · 9 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in California, May 31, 2002$300,000 · 50 kt wind · 5 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, May 31, 2002$190,000 · 55 kt wind · 6 events
- Hail in Iowa, May 31, 2002$128,000 · 2 in hail · 6 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Ohio, May 31, 2002$72,000 · 1.5 in hail · 14 events
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: 5296942, 5297031, 5297034, 5297032, 5297033, 5297035, 5297036.