Learn the Weather

One of the most powerful storms ever to strike New England. The Category 3 hurricane made landfall on Long Island and tore through Connecticut with little warning, as forecasters had not predicted a direct hit. Storm surge inundated coastal communities from Greenwich to Stonington. Winds exceeded 120 mph in some areas, and the Farmington and Connecticut rivers flooded far inland. The storm reshaped the Connecticut coastline and remains a benchmark for hurricane preparedness in the region.

Back-to-back hurricanes saturated the ground, and when the remnants of Hurricane Diane stalled over the region, catastrophic flooding struck the Naugatuck and Mad River valleys. Putnam, Winsted, and Stroudsburg saw walls of water surge through downtown streets. The flooding was among the deadliest weather events in Connecticut history, and the disaster led directly to major flood-control infrastructure projects across the state.

A powerful nor'easter paralyzed southern New England for days. Hartford recorded 21 inches of snow while coastal areas saw even higher totals. Sustained winds of 40–50 mph created near-zero visibility and drifts exceeding 6 feet. Governor Ella Grasso ordered a driving ban — one of the first in state history — stranding thousands of motorists on highways. The storm set the standard by which all future CT blizzards are measured.

A rare multi-tornado outbreak struck Connecticut on a hot, humid summer afternoon. The most significant tornado tracked through Hamden and North Haven, reaching F4 intensity — one of the strongest ever recorded in New England. The storm carved a path of destruction through residential neighborhoods, toppling trees and damaging hundreds of structures. It remains one of the most studied tornado events in Connecticut meteorological history.

Irene made landfall as a tropical storm but delivered hurricane-force gusts and historic rainfall to Connecticut. The Farmington, Housatonic, and Connecticut rivers all crested well above flood stage. Inland communities that rarely flood — including Simsbury, Avon, and Woodstock — saw significant inundation. Power outages affected hundreds of thousands of residents for days, and the storm exposed vulnerabilities in the state's aging infrastructure.

An early-season nor'easter on October 29–30 dropped heavy, wet snow on trees still in full leaf — a rare and devastating combination. The weight of snow snapped thousands of trees across the state, triggering the largest non-hurricane power outage in Connecticut history. Some communities went without electricity for nearly two weeks. The storm prompted a major overhaul of utility infrastructure and emergency response protocols.

Sandy made landfall in New Jersey but its massive wind field — stretching over 900 miles — battered Connecticut with tropical-storm-force winds and a historic storm surge. Coastal communities from Greenwich to New London experienced significant flooding, with some areas seeing surge levels not recorded since the 1938 hurricane. The storm caused extensive damage to the shoreline and prompted a long-term reassessment of coastal resilience across the state.

A powerful nor'easter struck Connecticut just before Christmas, bringing blizzard conditions to much of the state. Wind gusts exceeded 60 mph along the coast, and snowfall totals ranged from 12 to 24 inches. The storm disrupted holiday travel and left tens of thousands without power. It served as a reminder that major winter storms remain a consistent threat to Connecticut well into the modern era.