KinwarnMassachusetts tornado warnings
The National Weather Service issued 77 tornado warnings, 1,093 severe thunderstorm warnings and 235 flash flood warnings for Massachusetts from 2016 to 2025, about 7.7, 109 and 24 a year. That ranks 35th of 52 states and territories for tornado warnings. Worcester County had the most of any county: 22 tornado warnings.
Massachusetts warnings and radar right now
Checking the National Weather Service for Massachusetts…
Massachusetts counties ranked by tornado warnings
Warnings that listed each county, 2016 to 2025, and tornadoes recorded in the county since 1950. A warning can list several counties, so the county numbers add up to more than the state total.
| County | Tornado warnings | Severe thunderstorm | Flash flood | Tornadoes since 1950 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester County | 22 | 393 | 68 | 54 |
| Middlesex County | 17 | 251 | 62 | 21 |
| Barnstable County | 16 | 58 | 8 | 8 |
| Bristol County | 13 | 174 | 50 | 14 |
| Dukes County | 10 | 24 | 2 | 2 |
| Hampshire County | 9 | 242 | 54 | 10 |
| Franklin County | 9 | 221 | 35 | 26 |
| Hampden County | 8 | 258 | 48 | 20 |
| Norfolk County | 8 | 198 | 49 | 15 |
| Plymouth County | 8 | 170 | 37 | 11 |
| Berkshire County | 7 | 214 | 23 | 19 |
| Essex County | 5 | 111 | 31 | 14 |
| Suffolk County | 1 | 112 | 33 | 1 |
| Nantucket County | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
Massachusetts warnings by year
Each warning counts once for the state, however many counties it covered. 2008 is the first full year the National Weather Service drew an outline around every warning.
Tornadoes since 1950
200 tornadoes have been recorded in Massachusetts since 1950, 3 of them rated 4 or 5 on the F or EF scale. They killed 109 people and injured 1,562. July had the most (66).
| Year | Tornado | Severe thunderstorm | Flash flood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 to Oct 19 | 2 | 60 | 11 |
| 2025 | 5 | 80 | 19 |
| 2024 | 2 | 108 | 14 |
| 2023 | 15 | 89 | 62 |
| 2022 | 2 | 78 | 8 |
| 2021 | 21 | 151 | 35 |
| 2020 | 8 | 156 | 13 |
| 2019 | 9 | 134 | 10 |
| 2018 | 13 | 100 | 37 |
| 2017 | 0 | 80 | 32 |
| 2016 | 2 | 117 | 5 |
| 2015 | 9 | 97 | 10 |
| 2014 | 8 | 129 | 46 |
| 2013 | 11 | 97 | 44 |
| 2012 | 4 | 100 | 19 |
| 2011 | 12 | 141 | 18 |
| 2010 | 3 | 135 | 3 |
| 2009 | 1 | 108 | 17 |
| 2008 | 3 | 288 | 14 |
What stands out in Massachusetts
2021 was the busiest year for tornado warnings in Massachusetts since 2008, with 21 tornado warnings. The busiest year for flash flood warnings was 2023, with 62.
Since 2008, 5 flash flood warnings for Massachusetts were raised to a flash flood emergency for at least part of the warned area: the Weather Service’s rarest warning, used when a severe threat to life is happening or about to happen.
4 severe thunderstorm warnings for Massachusetts carried the “destructive” tag (winds of 80 mph or more, or hail 2.75 inches or larger) since the tag started in August 2021. Only those severe thunderstorm warnings set off Wireless Emergency Alerts on phones.
3 tornadoes in Massachusetts since 1950 were rated F4 or EF4, the strongest recorded there. The most recent was on May 29, 1995.
National Weather Service warnings from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive through October 19, 2026; tornado ratings from the Storm Prediction Center and NOAA Storm Events.
States next to Massachusetts
Tornado warnings for each neighboring state, 2016 to 2025.
- New York 251 tornado warnings
- Connecticut 42 tornado warnings
- New Hampshire 33 tornado warnings
- Rhode Island 12 tornado warnings
- Vermont 10 tornado warnings
Get alerts for a home anywhere in Massachusetts.
Kinwarn for iPhone watches the exact addresses of the people you love and alerts you when a National Weather Service warning covers them. Alerts for 2 places are free. With Kinwarn Pro, Kinwarn also calls family for the most dangerous warnings.
Coming soon to the App Store · iPhoneKinwarn adds to official alerts. Keep Wireless Emergency Alerts on.
Massachusetts tornado warnings: questions people ask
How many tornado warnings does Massachusetts get a year?
About 7.7 a year: the National Weather Service issued 77 tornado warnings for Massachusetts from 2016 to 2025, 35th of 52 states and territories.
Which Massachusetts county gets the most tornado warnings?
Worcester County has the most: 22 tornado warnings listed it from 2016 to 2025, ahead of Middlesex County with 17. A warning can list several counties, so county counts add up to more than the state total.
Which Massachusetts city gets the most tornado warnings?
Barnstable Town has the most among cities and towns with 10,000 people or more: the outlines of 7 tornado warnings covered its center from 2016 to 2025.
When is tornado season in Massachusetts?
July and August: 58% of the 200 tornadoes recorded in Massachusetts since 1950 came in those two months.
About these numbers
Counts are National Weather Service warnings that listed a Massachusetts county, through October 19, 2026. How Kinwarn counts · Massachusetts data (CSV)
Cite: Kinwarn. “Massachusetts tornado warnings.” kinwarn.com/massachusetts. National Weather Service data through October 19, 2026.
Sources: IEM warning archive · NWS 2007 outlines · SPC tornado database · Census places · Census population estimates · NWS tornado alerts