Bristol, CT Tornado History — 62 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Bristol, CT had?
Bristol has had 62 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 5 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Bristol?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Bristol was an EF0 on June 21, 2024.
When is tornado season in Bristol?
July is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Bristol, with 21 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Bristol
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 20 total, averaging 1.0 per year over this window.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Bristol
4 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Bristol since 1950, across 2 events. 685 injuries have been reported across all events. 1979 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F4 on October 3, 1979, which caused 3 fatalities along a 11.3-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Bristol
About Tornadoes in Bristol
This overview was written July 29, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Bristol lies in western Hartford County, in the hill country west of the Connecticut River valley, and the area around it has seen tornadoes ranging from brief touchdowns to genuinely violent storms. On October 3, 1979, an F4 tornado carved an 11.3-mile path as much as 1,400 yards wide, killing three people, injuring 500, and causing $275 million in property damage. A decade later, on July 10, 1989, another F4 injured 40 people and did $275 million in damage, with F2 tornadoes the same day adding dozens more injuries. Earlier storms hit hard as well: an F3 on May 24, 1962 killed one person and injured 50 along an 11.6-mile track, and an F2 on August 21, 1951 stayed on the ground for 43.9 miles, injuring nine.
Most of the area's tornadoes have arrived in the warm months from May through August, but the edges of the calendar have produced them too — F2 and F1 tornadoes struck on October 24, 1955, and an EF0 touched down as late in the year as November 13, 2021. More recent activity includes EF1 tornadoes on May 15, 2018, an EF0 and an EF1 on August 27, 2020, and an EF0 that passed through the area on June 21, 2024.