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Massachusetts · County tornado history

Worcester County, Massachusetts tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 50 tornadoes in Worcester County, Massachusetts from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.5 years. That ranks it 1 of 13 counties in Massachusetts with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on July 16, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
50
Since 2000
16
Strongest
F4, June 9, 1953
Most recent
EF0, July 16, 2023
Peak month
July (17)
Per 1,000 sq mi
32
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Worcester County

July has brought the most, 17 of 50. About 72% touched down between 12 pm and 6 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 11
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 25
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 9
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 4
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Worcester County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 9, 1953 F4 (the Worcester tornado) 34.9 mi 900 yd 94 1228
June 1, 2011 EF3 37.6 mi 880 yd 3 200
October 3, 1970 F3 35.4 mi 60 yd 1
June 9, 1953 F3 28 mi 667 yd 17
June 22, 1981 F3 7.1 mi 167 yd 3
August 10, 1979 F2 9.7 mi 30 yd 2 2
August 9, 1972 F2 9.7 mi 10 yd 1
November 21, 1956 F2 0.1 mi 17 yd
July 5, 1957 F2 0.5 mi 20 yd
October 12, 1962 F2 4.1 mi 133 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Worcester County was the Worcester tornado, an F4 on June 9, 1953. It killed 94 people and injured 1,228 along its 34.9-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
July 16, 2023 EF0 2 mi 250 yd
August 23, 2021 EF0 0.1 mi 50 yd
August 19, 2021 EF0 0.5 mi 35 yd
August 19, 2021 EF0 4.6 mi 50 yd
October 23, 2018 EF0 1 mi 100 yd
October 23, 2018 EF1 0.8 mi 350 yd
August 4, 2018 EF1 0.5 mi 300 yd 1
July 26, 2018 EF1 1 mi 100 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Worcester County as relatively moderate, with a score of 82 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.38 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $5,058,546 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Worcester County had?

50 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 16 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Worcester County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on July 16, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Worcester County?

An F4 on June 9, 1953, the Worcester tornado, with a 34.9-mile path.

When is tornado season in Worcester County?

July has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.