High Wind — Hartford, Connecticut

1996-02-25 · Hartford, Connecticut

Wider weather episode

A deep low pressure system over northern Maine combined with a strong high pressure area centered over South Carolina to produce a "tight pressure gradient" and a period of very powerful and damaging west to northwest winds. Two people were killed and three injured when a large tree was blown down and crushed their car as they travelled along a street in Farmington in Hartford County at about 2:45 PM. In the city of Hartford, several people narrowly escaped serious injury when a large tree fell and crushed part of the van in which they were riding and which stopped at an intersection. There were scattered reports of property damage as tree limbs and even some trees fell onto homes. A large tree limb broke off the oldest tree in Glastonbury and crashed through the roof of an historic house. A large plate glass window blew out of a store in Enfield. Structural damage was reported to several buildings in Wethersfield. About 120,000 electric utility customers lost power statewide and this was considered the tenth greatest power outage in the state. It was the worst since Hurricane Gloria in 1985. Winds frequently gusted over 50 mph and a peak gust to 66 mph was recorded by a spotter in Wethersfield, while the National Weather Service recorded a peak gust to 63 mph at the Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5552404. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.