Connecticut, 2013

Coastal Flood in Connecticut, February 27, 2013

February 27, 2013 · NWS OKX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A complex low pressure system tracking northeast through the Ohio Valley and Northeast United States produced strong onshore winds across the region Tuesday Night into Wednesday morning on February 27th. These onshore winds piled 2 to 3 feet of surge along the southwest CT coast during the Wednesday morning high tide cycle, with widespread minor to locally moderate coastal flooding.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

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 complex low pressure system tracking northeast through the Ohio Valley and Northeast United States produced strong onshore winds across the region Tuesday Night into Wednesday morning on February 27th. These onshore winds piled 2 to 3 feet of surge along the southwest CT coast during the Wednesday morning high tide cycle, with widespread minor to locally moderate coastal flooding.

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 Feb 27, 10:20 AM EST, 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 27, 10:20 AM EST, 40 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 27, 10:01 AM EST, 59 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Feb 27, 9:07 AM EST, 1 hour 53 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 27, 9:42 AM EST, 1 hour 18 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 27, 9:43 AM EST, 1 hour 17 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 27, 9:58 AM EST, 1 hour 2 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 27, 10:40 AM EST, 20 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Feb 27, 10:52 AM EST, 8 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 coastal flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Coastal Flood, Southern Fairfield

When
February 27, 11:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Southern Fairfield forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
41.285, -73.339 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Two to three feet of inundation was experienced in the parking lot of the Birdseye Marina in Stratford, along the Housatonic River on the morning of February 27th. In the same area, a car became stranded on the exit 30 on ramp to I-95, due to 2 to 3 feet of inundation. Additionally, the storm tide reached 10.7 feet MLLW at the Stamford Hurricane Barrier, which is .6 ft over the start of damages for the immediate protect area of the East Branch of the Stamford Harbor.

Coastal Flood, Southern New Haven

When
February 27, 11:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Southern New Haven forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
41.443, -72.965 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The NOS tidal gauge in New Haven recorded a water level of 9.22 feet MLLW during the morning high tide cycle on February 27th. This is .02 foot above the threshold for moderate coastal flooding established by the National Weather Service.

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

More

Every storm in Connecticut in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Connecticut, February 2013

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 435542, 435543.