Meriden, CT Tornado History — 58 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Meriden, CT had?
Meriden has had 58 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 5 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Meriden?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Meriden was an EF0 on June 21, 2024.
When is tornado season in Meriden?
July is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Meriden, with 20 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 Meriden
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 19 total, averaging 0.9 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 Meriden
4 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Meriden since 1950, across 2 events. 680 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 Meriden
About Tornadoes in Meriden
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.
Meriden lies in New Haven County, in the central Connecticut lowland where the Quinnipiac Valley runs beneath the traprock ridges of the Hanging Hills, and its tornado history is more eventful than southern New England's reputation implies. Most of the tornadoes near the city have arrived in high summer — June, July, and August — though October and November storms have struck as well.
An F4 tornado struck on October 3, 1979, killing 3 people, injuring 500, and carving an 11.3-mile path as much as 1,400 yards wide, with property damage of $275 million. On July 10, 1989, an F4 injured 40 people along a 3-mile track, while an F2 that same day injured 70 more across a 5-mile path. Earlier still, an F3 on May 24, 1962 killed 1 person and injured 50 along an 11.6-mile track, and August 21, 1951 brought both an F2 and an F3 in a single day.
Recent activity has continued at lower intensities: two EF1 tornadoes touched down on May 15, 2018, an EF0 and an EF1 followed on August 27, 2020, a pair of EF0s arrived on November 13, 2021 — strikingly late in the season for Connecticut — and an EF0 touched down on June 21, 2024.