Massachusetts sees a moderate amount of severe weather each year, with 200 confirmed tornadoes, 1,532 hailstorm events and 4,364 damaging-wind events recorded by the National Weather Service since 1950. The state ranks among the lowest in the country for tornado frequency, and averages 2.7 tornadoes per year over the 75-year record. Massachusetts’s severe-weather record is dominated by winter storms, nor’easters and infrequent but occasionally damaging summer tornadoes. The interactive map below plots every significant severe-weather event in Massachusetts from the official NOAA Storm Events Database (1950 through September 2025).
Use the map to find your county, click any marker for the date, magnitude, and casualty details of that event, and switch between tornadoes, hail and wind using the chips. For the national view across all 50 states, see our NOAA Storm Reports interactive map. For tornado tracks specifically, see the US Tornado Tracks map; for hail size and frequency, the US Hailstorms map.
Massachusetts Severe Weather by the Numbers (1950–2025)
- 200 tornadoes recorded between 1950 and 2025
- 48 violent tornadoes rated F2/EF2 or stronger
- 105 direct tornado deaths and 1,562 direct injuries
- 1,532 hailstorm events recorded by the NWS
- 4,364 damaging-wind events on record
- 2.7 tornadoes per year on average across the 75-year record
- July is the peak severe-weather month, accounting for roughly 33% of Massachusetts tornadoes
- 152 total direct deaths from all severe-weather event types tracked by the NWS
When Massachusetts Severe Weather Happens
Massachusetts tornado activity is most concentrated in July, which accounts for about 33% of all recorded events. The state’s overall severe-weather season is more spread out across the year than in the central United States.
- July: 66 tornadoes (33%) — peak month
- August: 50 tornadoes (25%)
- June: 32 tornadoes (16%)
- May: 15 tornadoes (7.5%)
- September: 14 tornadoes (7%)
- October: 12 tornadoes (6%)
Top 10 Massachusetts Counties by Tornado Frequency
Tornado activity in Massachusetts is geographically broad, but a handful of counties have logged many times the state average. The combination of population density (more spotters and damage reports), county land area and local climatology drives the rankings below.
| County | Tornadoes since 1950 |
|---|---|
| Worcester | 48 |
| Franklin | 25 |
| Middlesex | 20 |
| Berkshire | 19 |
| Hampden | 19 |
| Norfolk | 15 |
| Bristol | 13 |
| Essex | 12 |
| Plymouth | 10 |
| Hampshire | 9 |
The Deadliest Tornadoes in Massachusetts History
Massachusetts has lost 105 lives to tornadoes since the National Weather Service began systematic tornado record-keeping in 1950. The single deadliest event killed 90 people in Worcester County in 1953, rated F4 on the Fujita scale.
| Date | Location | Rating | Direct deaths | Direct injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 9, 1953 | Worcester County | F4 | 90 | 1,228 |
| August 28, 1973 | Berkshire County | F4 | 4 | 36 |
| May 29, 1995 | Berkshire County (near N. Egremont) | F4 | 3 | 24 |
| June 1, 2011 | Hampden County (near Westfield) | EF3 | 3 | 200 |
| August 10, 1979 | Worcester County | F2 | 2 | 2 |
| September 7, 1958 | Plymouth County | F0 | 1 | 1 |
| October 3, 1970 | Middlesex County | F3 | 1 | 0 |
| August 9, 1972 | Norfolk County | F1 | 1 | 6 |
Massachusetts Tornado Strength Distribution
Most Massachusetts tornadoes are weak: roughly 76% are rated F0/EF0 or F1/EF1. Violent tornadoes (F2+/EF2+) account for around 24.1% of rated tornadoes in the state.
- F0/EF0 (weak): 53 tornadoes — 26.6% of rated events
- F1/EF1: 98 tornadoes — 49.2% of rated events
- F2/EF2 (strong): 35 tornadoes — 17.6% of rated events
- F3/EF3: 10 tornadoes — 5% of rated events
- F4/EF4 (violent): 3 tornadoes — 1.5% of rated events
Record-Setting Severe Weather in Massachusetts
Largest hailstone: 4.00 inches in diameter, observed in Berkshire County near East Windsor on June 1, 2011. The three largest hailstones on record in Massachusetts measured 4.00″, 3.50″, 3.00″.
Highest measured wind gust: 76 knots (87 mph) recorded in Hampshire County near Easthampton on October 7, 2020. Most damaging-wind events in Massachusetts are estimated rather than measured because anemometers are sparse across the rural areas where supercells most often produce destructive thunderstorm winds.
How Massachusetts Compares Nationally
Massachusetts ranks among the lowest in the country for tornado frequency, with severe-weather activity well below the central-US average.
- Tornadoes (top 5): Texas (9,908), Kansas (4,890), Oklahoma (4,856), Florida (3,779), Iowa (3,417).
- Massachusetts tornado total: 200 — ranked 37th nationally.
- Massachusetts hail total: 1,532 hail events on record since 1950.
- Massachusetts wind total: 4,364 damaging-wind events on record since 1950.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many tornadoes does Massachusetts have on average per year?
Massachusetts averages 2.7 tornadoes per year over the 1950–2025 period. Counts vary widely year to year, but the long-term mean over 75 years of NWS records is a reliable benchmark for typical activity.
What was the deadliest tornado in Massachusetts history?
The June 9, 1953 tornado, rated F4 on the Fujita scale, killed 90 people and injured 1,228 in Worcester County. It remains the single deadliest tornado in the Massachusetts modern record.
Where in Massachusetts are tornadoes most common?
The single county with the most tornadoes on record is Worcester County with 48 events. The three most active counties overall are Worcester, Franklin, Middlesex.
How does Massachusetts compare to its neighbors?
Massachusetts shares a severe-weather climate with New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island. Severe storms regularly cross state lines, so the same supercells, hail cores and wind events often appear in Massachusetts’s neighbors’ records on the same date.
How recent is the data on this map?
The map and statistics on this page are pulled from NOAA’s official Storm Events Database, which currently runs from January 1950 through September 2025. New records typically appear in the database within 30–90 days of the event date, once damage surveys and ratings are complete.
Compare Massachusetts to Neighboring States
Severe weather doesn’t stop at state lines. The same supercell systems that produce Massachusetts tornadoes regularly cross into neighboring states. Compare Massachusetts’s storm history to its land neighbors:
- New Hampshire severe storm history — ranked 44th nationally, Northeast nor’easter corridor
- Vermont severe storm history — ranked 47th nationally, Northeast nor’easter corridor
- New York severe storm history — ranked 30th nationally, Great Lakes severe-weather and lake-effect winters
- Connecticut severe storm history — ranked 43rd nationally, Northeast nor’easter corridor
- Rhode Island severe storm history — ranked 50th nationally, Northeast nor’easter corridor
Explore the national NOAA Storm Reports map · US Tornado Tracks map · US Hailstorms map
