National Storms

Massachusetts tornado history

From 1950 through 2025, 201 tornadoes touched Massachusetts, according to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center, the 36th most of the 48 contiguous states and DC. The National Weather Service rated 4 of them F4/EF4 or stronger; along their paths they killed 112 people and injured 2,063. The deadliest, on June 9, 1953, was rated F4 and killed 94 (Worcester County). From 2016 to 2025, Massachusetts averaged 4 tornadoes a year.

201tornadoes since 1950
362016–2025
10F3/EF3 or stronger
112deaths
2,063injuries
Sep 6, 2025latest in final record

Map of every Massachusetts tornado path since 1950

Rating: 012345 unknown or preliminaryLines run from the start to the end point of each path; dots mark where each tornado touched down.

All 201 paths. Zoom in to your county; click a path for its date and rating.

1951: 2 F21953: 1 F31953: 1 F41954: 2 F11955: 2 F11955: 2 F21956: 7 F11956: 3 F21957: 6 F11957: 1 F21958: 2 F01958: 6 F11958: 4 F21960: 1 F01961: 2 F01961: 1 F21962: 1 F11962: 1 F21963: 1 F01963: 3 F11963: 4 F21964: 2 F01964: 3 F11965: 1 F01965: 2 F11965: 1 F21966: 1 F01966: 4 F21967: 1 F21968: 1 F01968: 5 F11969: 1 F11970: 5 F11970: 1 F21970: 1 F31971: 5 F11971: 1 F31972: 1 F01972: 6 F11972: 3 F21973: 1 F01973: 1 F11973: 1 F41974: 1 F31975: 2 F21976: 1 F11977: 2 F11978: 1 F01979: 1 F11979: 1 F21979: 1 F41981: 1 F31983: 2 F01984: 3 F11985: 1 F11986: 3 F11989: 2 F01989: 5 F11990: 3 F01991: 1 F11992: 2 F01995: 1 F41997: 2 F01997: 4 F11997: 2 F22000: 1 F12001: 1 F02001: 1 F12002: 1 F12004: 1 F02004: 1 F12005: 1 F02006: 1 F22007: 1 EF02008: 1 EF12011: 1 EF02011: 2 EF12011: 1 EF32012: 1 EF02013: 2 EF02014: 1 EF02014: 1 EF12014: 1 EF22015: 2 EF02016: 1 EF12017: 2 EF12018: 2 EF02018: 5 EF12019: 3 EF12020: 2 EF02021: 6 EF02023: 4 EF02023: 4 EF12024: 2 EF12025: 5 EF019501957196419711978198519921999200620132020max 12
Tornadoes per year in Massachusetts by rating, 1950–2025. Colors: F/EF0 (yellow) to F/EF5 (black); gray = unknown rating.

Source: National Storms (nationalstorms.com), CC BY 4.0, data from NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports.

Most recent tornadoes in Massachusetts

DateRatingPath lengthDeaths / injuriesStarted in
Sep 6, 2025EF02.4 mi0 / 0Middlesex County, MA
Sep 6, 2025EF00.6 mi0 / 0Worcester County, MA
Sep 6, 2025EF00.1 mi0 / 0Worcester County, MA
Sep 6, 2025EF00.1 mi0 / 0Worcester County, MA
Sep 6, 2025EF00.2 mi0 / 0Worcester County, MA
Jun 26, 2024EF10.6 mi0 / 0Bristol County, MA
Jun 26, 2024EF18.6 mi0 / 0Providence County, RI → MA
Sep 13, 2023EF00.1 mi0 / 0Bristol County, MA
Aug 18, 2023EF10.3 mi0 / 0Norfolk County, MA
Aug 18, 2023EF00.1 mi0 / 0Norfolk County, MA
Aug 18, 2023EF17.6 mi0 / 0Bristol County, MA → RI
Aug 8, 2023EF01.2 mi0 / 0Barnstable County, MA
Aug 8, 2023EF10.9 mi0 / 0Plymouth County, MA
Jul 29, 2023EF10.2 mi0 / 0Norfolk County, MA
Jul 16, 2023EF02.0 mi0 / 0Worcester County, MA
Sep 1, 2021EF00.1 mi0 / 0Barnstable County, MA
Aug 23, 2021EF00.1 mi0 / 0Middlesex County, MA
Aug 23, 2021EF00.1 mi0 / 0Worcester County, MA
Aug 23, 2021EF00.8 mi0 / 0Middlesex County, MA
Aug 19, 2021EF00.5 mi0 / 0Worcester County, MA
Aug 19, 2021EF04.6 mi0 / 0Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT → MA
Oct 7, 2020EF00.5 mi0 / 0Norfolk County, MA
Aug 2, 2020EF08.4 mi0 / 0Berkshire County, MA
Jul 23, 2019EF12.8 mi0 / 0Barnstable County, MA
Jul 23, 2019EF10.3 mi0 / 0Barnstable County, MA

Deadliest tornadoes in Massachusetts

DateRatingPath lengthDeaths / injuriesStarted in
Jun 9, 1953F434.9 mi94 / 1,228Worcester County, MA
Aug 28, 1973F49.8 mi4 / 36Columbia County, NY → MA
Jun 1, 2011EF337.6 mi3 / 200Hampden County, MA
May 29, 1995F411.5 mi3 / 24Berkshire County, MA
Oct 3, 1979F411.3 mi3 / 500Capitol Planning Region, CT → MA
Aug 10, 1979F29.7 mi2 / 2Worcester County, MA
Aug 9, 1972F14.9 mi1 / 6Norfolk County, MA
Oct 3, 1970F335.4 mi1 / 0Worcester County, MA
Sep 7, 1958F00.1 mi1 / 1Plymouth County, MA

F4, EF4, F5 and EF5 tornadoes in Massachusetts

DateRatingPath lengthDeaths / injuriesStarted in
May 29, 1995F411.5 mi3 / 24Berkshire County, MA
Oct 3, 1979F411.3 mi3 / 500Capitol Planning Region, CT → MA
Aug 28, 1973F49.8 mi4 / 36Columbia County, NY → MA
Jun 9, 1953F434.9 mi94 / 1,228Worcester County, MA

The 50 strongest Massachusetts tornadoes, ranked by rating, deaths and path length: Strongest tornadoes in Massachusetts history

Longest tornado paths in Massachusetts

DateRatingPath lengthDeaths / injuriesStarted in
Jun 1, 2011EF337.6 mi3 / 200Hampden County, MA
Oct 3, 1970F335.4 mi1 / 0Worcester County, MA
Jun 9, 1953F434.9 mi94 / 1,228Worcester County, MA
Jun 9, 1953F328.0 mi0 / 17Worcester County, MA
Jul 1, 1971F125.2 mi0 / 1Middlesex County, MA
Jun 18, 1970F118.7 mi0 / 0Berkshire County, MA
Aug 16, 1970F116.7 mi0 / 0Franklin County, MA → NH → VT
May 29, 1995F411.5 mi3 / 24Berkshire County, MA
Oct 3, 1979F411.3 mi3 / 500Capitol Planning Region, CT → MA
Aug 11, 1966F210.7 mi0 / 0Northwest Hills Planning Region, CT → MA

For tornadoes that crossed into another state, the path length, deaths and injuries are for the whole path.

Tornadoes by county

CountyTornadoes since 19502016–2025StrongestDeaths along pathsMost recent
Worcester County5614F4/EF4100Sep 6, 2025
Franklin County261F2/EF20Feb 25, 2017
Middlesex County254F4/EF496Sep 6, 2025
Hampden County211F4/EF46Aug 2, 2020
Berkshire County191F4/EF47Aug 2, 2020
Norfolk County164F3/EF31Aug 18, 2023
Essex County150F3/EF30Aug 15, 1991
Bristol County145F3/EF30Jun 26, 2024
Hampshire County131F3/EF30Feb 25, 2017
Plymouth County111F2/EF21Aug 8, 2023
Barnstable County86F1/EF10Aug 8, 2023
Dukes County20F2/EF20Jul 11, 1958
Suffolk County10F2/EF20Jul 28, 2014

Cities with 5 or more tornadoes within 10 miles

Agawam Town Amesbury Amherst Town Attleboro Barnstable Town Braintree Town Brockton Cambridge Chelsea Chicopee Easthampton Everett Fitchburg Framingham Franklin Town Gardner Greenfield Haverhill Holyoke Lawrence Leominster Lowell Lynn Malden Marlborough Medford Melrose Methuen New Bedford Newburyport Newton North Adams North Attleborough Town Northampton Palmer Town Peabody Pittsfield Randolph Town Revere Salem Somerville Southbridge Town Springfield Waltham Watertown West Springfield Town Westfield Woburn Worcester

Tornadoes in Massachusetts by year

YearTornadoesF/EF012345UnknownDeathsInjuries
20255500000000
20242020000000
20238440000000
20216600000000
20202200000000
20193030000000
20187250000001
20172020000001
20161010000000
20152200000000
20143111000002
20132200000000
20121100000000
2011412010003200
20081010000000
20071100000000
20061001000000
20051100000000
20042110000000
20021010000000
20012110000000
20001010000000
19978242000000
199510000100324
19922200000004
19911010000000
19903300000000
19897250000001
19863030000000
19851010000000
19843030000000
19832200000000
19811000100003
1979301101005503
19781100000000
19772020000002
19761010000000
19752002000000
19741000100001
197331100100436
1972101630000111
19716050100003
19707051100011
19691010000000
19686150000005
19671001000000
19665104000001
19654121000000
19645230000000
19638134000000
19622011000003
19613201000000
19601100000000
195812264000012
19577061000000
1956100730000014
19554022000000
19542020000000
195320001100941,245
19512002000000

More for Massachusetts: strongest tornadoes · damaging wind history · hail history · all states

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center (SPC) Severe Weather Database (SVRGIS) tornado file, 1950–2025, and SPC preliminary storm reports for 2026 (data through November 6, 2026). Ratings are the ones the National Weather Service assigned: Fujita (F) scale before Feb 1, 2007, Enhanced Fujita (EF) after. Paths are drawn as straight lines from the start to the end point SPC records; real paths curve. City and county boundaries: US Census Bureau.