Tornadoes · United States · Connecticut

Tornadoes in Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut

19 tornadoes have crossed Capitol Planning Region since 1950, 3rd of the 7 counties in Connecticut with a tornado on record, an average of one every 4.0 years. They have killed 4 people and injured 561. 1 was rated F4 or EF4 and above.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

Now

Tornadoes
19
Deaths
4
Injuries
561
F4 and above
1
Worst on record
F4, October 3, 1979

The deadliest in Capitol Planning Region

  1. F4, Capitol Planning Region County, ConnecticutOctober 3, 19793 killed, 500 injured
  2. F3, South Central Connecticut Planning Region and Capitol Planning Region counties, ConnecticutMay 24, 19621 killed, 50 injured

The strongest

  1. F4, Capitol Planning Region County, ConnecticutOctober 3, 1979F4, 11.3 mi (18 km)
  2. F3, South Central Connecticut Planning Region and Capitol Planning Region counties, ConnecticutMay 24, 1962F3, 11.6 mi (19 km)
  3. F2, Northwest Hills Planning Region and Capitol Planning Region counties, ConnecticutAugust 21, 1951F2, 43.9 mi (71 km)
  4. F2, Capitol Planning Region County, ConnecticutSeptember 6, 1973F2, 3.3 mi (5 km)
  5. F2, Capitol Planning Region County, ConnecticutJuly 5, 1984F2, 3.0 mi (5 km)
  6. F2, Capitol Planning Region County, ConnecticutMay 10, 1954F2, 0.8 mi (1 km)
  7. F2, Capitol Planning Region County, ConnecticutAugust 31, 1973F2, 0.1 mi (0 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 16 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Capitol Planning Region. Each year links to every tornado in Connecticut that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20132EF1
20101EF1
20091EF1
20011F0
19941F0
19921F0
19841F2
197913500F4
197331F2
197011F1
19621150F3
19591F1
19571F1
19551F1
19541F2
195119F2

Every tornado that crossed Capitol Planning Region

19 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
July 1, 20131:45 PM EDTEF0Capitol Planning Region0.950$25,000
July 1, 20131:28 PM EDTEF1Capitol Planning Region2.1200$5.0 million
July 21, 20104:15 PM EDTEF1Capitol Planning Region1.725$565,000
June 26, 20094:50 PM EDTEF1Capitol Planning Region1.740$750,000
June 23, 20013:18 PM EDTF0Capitol Planning Region0.380$20,000
June 29, 19942:16 PM EDTF0Capitol Planning Region0.550
August 4, 19923:05 PM EDTF0Capitol Planning Region1.210
July 5, 19845:57 PM EDTF2Capitol Planning Region3.0200
October 3, 19793:00 PM EDTF4Capitol Planning Region11.31,4003500$50 million to $500 million
September 6, 197311:00 AM EDTF2Capitol Planning Region3.310$500,000 to $5 million
August 31, 19736:30 PM EDTF2Capitol Planning Region0.110$5,000 to $50,000
June 28, 19732:45 PM EDTF1Capitol Planning Region0.2231$500 to $5,000
October 3, 19705:00 PM CDTF1Hampden to MA6.4171$5,000 to $50,000
May 24, 19625:30 PM GMT-4F3South Central Connecticut Planning Region11.6120150$500,000 to $5 million
May 30, 19594:30 PM GMT-4F1Capitol Planning Region0.210$500 to $5,000
June 19, 19574:00 PM GMT-4F1Capitol Planning Region0.3367$50,000 to $500,000
October 24, 19556:35 PM GMT-4F1Capitol Planning Region0.5200$500 to $5,000
May 10, 19541:55 PM GMT-4F2Capitol Planning Region0.817$500 to $5,000
August 21, 19516:15 PM GMT-4F2Northwest Hills Planning Region43.91009$50,000 to $500,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Capitol Planning RegionThe forecast for Capitol Planning RegionThe live radar over Capitol Planning RegionEvery county in Connecticut

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.