Massachusetts, 2003High Wind in Massachusetts, October 15, 2003
October 15, 2003 · NWS BOX · 12 events in 12 counties and zones
High winds brought down trees, large limbs, and power lines across much of the Bay State, cutting power to about 36,000 customers throughout the state, most of which were in the Merrimack Valley. Three injuries were directly attributed to the high winds.
Every event with a place to put it; 12 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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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 3
- Property damage
- $250,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 12
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.
High winds brought down trees, large limbs, and power lines across much of the Bay State, cutting power to about 36,000 customers throughout the state, most of which were in the Merrimack Valley. Most of the wind damage occurred along the Route 2 corridor, from Franklin County across northern Worcester County, and into western Middlesex and Essex Counties.Three injuries were directly attributed to the high winds. An Allston man was seriously injured when a large tree pinned him on the roof of a garage. In Haverhill, a 9-year-old boy was struck by a falling tree limb while playing outside. A lineman was also struck by a falling tree limb in Andover, but his injuries were not life-threatening.Peak winds gusts between 50 and 55 mph were widely reported, but gusts as high as 63 mph were reported at Blue Hill Observatory in Milton and as high as 60 mph in Beverly and East Falmouth.
High Wind, Barnstable
- When
- October 15, 3:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Barnstable forecast zone
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.684, -70.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Eastern Essex
- When
- October 15, 3:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Essex forecast zone
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $15,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Eastern Franklin
- When
- October 15, 3:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Franklin forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $15,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.583, -72.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Eastern Norfolk
- When
- October 15, 3:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Norfolk forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Northern Worcester
- When
- October 15, 3:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Northern Worcester forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $30,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.351, -71.908 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Southeast Middlesex
- When
- October 15, 3:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Southeast Middlesex forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $15,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Southern Worcester
- When
- October 15, 3:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Southern Worcester forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.351, -71.908 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Suffolk / Also Part of Norfolk
- When
- October 15, 3:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Suffolk / Also Part of Norfolk forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.264, -71.125 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Western Essex
- When
- October 15, 3:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Essex forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Injuries
- 2 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Western Franklin
- When
- October 15, 3:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Franklin forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $15,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.583, -72.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Western Middlesex
- When
- October 15, 3:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Middlesex forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Western Norfolk
- When
- October 15, 3:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Norfolk forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- High Wind in New York, October 15, 2003$3.0 million · 65 kt wind · 16 events
- High Wind in New York, October 15, 20031 injured · $1.0 million · 60 kt wind · 18 events
- Strong Wind in New Jersey, October 15, 20031 injured · $500,000 · 21 events
- High Wind in Pennsylvania, October 15, 2003$700,000 · 60 kt wind · 7 events
- Strong Wind in Pennsylvania, October 15, 2003$400,000 · 10 events
- Lightning Strike in Puerto Rico, October 15, 2003$300,000 · 1 event
- High Wind in New York, October 15, 2003$110,000 · 62 kt wind · 12 events
- Strong Wind in Connecticut, October 15, 2003$100,000 · 1 event
- High Wind in New York, October 15, 2003$100,000 · 1 event
- High Wind in New York, October 15, 2003$50,000 · 50 kt wind · 5 events
- Strong Wind in Virginia, October 15, 2003$44,000 · 5 events
- Strong Wind in Maryland, October 15, 2003$32,000 · 10 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5372372, 5372373, 5372374, 5372375, 5372376, 5372377, 5372378, 5372379, 5372380, 5372381, 5372382, 5372383.