There have been at least 182 confirmed
tornadoes in the
U.S. state of
New Jersey since 1950. On average, there are three tornadoes each year in the state. They have occurred in every month but December and January. The state's most active year was 1989, with 19 confirmed tornadoes. Most tornadoes in New Jersey have been weak and short-lived. However, an F2 twister in 1958 crossed 48.5 mi (78.1 km) of the southern portion of the state, the longest tracked event on record. It touched down in
Camden County and ended in
Ocean County. Ranked in intensity using the
Fujita scale or
Enhanced Fujita scale, there have been five F3 or EF3 twisters in the state since 1950, most recently in 2021. There have been at least three deadly tornadoes on record in the state, resulting in a collective 7 fatalities.
A tornado in 1835 hit
New Brunswick, killing five people. In 1941, a tornado in
Gloucester County killed a person. In 2003, a tornado in
Burlington County flung a tree limb onto three cars, killing one person.
Climatology
Each year, three tornadoes on average
touch down in New Jersey, most of them weak and short-lived. There were 19 confirmed tornadoes in 1989, the most in a year since the start of recordkeeping in the National Centers for Environmental Information. Several years, most recently in 2018, had no recorded tornadoes in the state. There is a possible undercount in unpopulated areas in
South Jersey, including around the
New Jersey Pine Barrens and in
Salem and
Cumberland counties.[1]
May 22, 1804: A small tornado touched down in
Flemington in Hunterdon County, which killed a person due to a falling tree. This marked the earliest recorded death in the state from a tornado. The tornado also touched down in Somerset and Middlesex counties.[2]
June 13, 1958: There were three tornadoes in the state. An F2 tornado touched down in near
Maple Shade in Camden County. It moved east across the state, until it eventually reached Barnegat Bay, where it became a waterspout. It crossed the bay and dissipated near
Lavallette in Ocean County. Its 48.5 mi (78.1 km) path made it the longest tracked tornado on record in the state. Its width was about 60 ft (18 m).[2][1][10]
February 2, 1973: Three tornadoes hit the state that day.[2]
May 28, 1973: Two F3 tornadoes struck Morris County.[1] A dozen homes were destroyed and 12 people were injured in
Flanders.[12] It was rated an
F3.[13]
August 2, 1994: The merger of thunderstorm spawned a rare westward-moving tornado in
Chesterfield Township in Burlington County. The F1 twister destroyed a barn and damaged a roof.[16]
August 17, 1994: The remnants of
Tropical Storm Beryl produced a tornado outbreak across the eastern United States, including an F1 that touched down in Hunterdon County near
Readington Township. It remained on the ground for about 1 mi (1.6 km), lifted for about 5 mi (8.0 km), then touched down again briefly.[17][18]
November 1, 1994: A brief F0 tornado hit
Loch Arbour in Monmouth County, damaging 13 houses at the cost of about $75,000. It also uprooted about a dozen trees.[19]
May 29, 1995: A thunderstorm spawned a tornado in Chesterfield Township in Burlington County, which previously produced a tornado in
Norristown, Pennsylvania, as well as a funnel cloud over the
Burlington Bristol Bridge. The Chesterfield tornado damaged four houses, and knocked down several trees.[20]
July 16, 1995: Two tornadoes struck down in the state, in Cape May County and Cumberland County.[11]
July 22, 1995: A severe thunderstorm spawned a brief F0 tornado in
Deptford Township in Gloucester County, damaging several homes and knocking down trees, which blocked a portion of
Route 47 for a few hours.[21]
October 21, 1995: An F0 briefly touched down in
Forked River in Ocean County, uprooting several trees and destroying the roof of a house.[22]
June 22, 1996: An F0 touched down for 2 mi (3.2 km) in the south side of
Trenton into
Hamilton Township. The tornado damaged the roof of an apartment building, displacing 30 people. About 16,000 people lost power related to the event.[23]
September 8, 1996: An F0 tornado touched down in
East Brunswick. It struck three nearby buildings, leaving 45 families homeless. The tornado was on the ground for 0.1 mi (0.16 km).[24]
August 13, 1997: An F0 tornado touched down in
Middletown Township in Monmouth County, which remained on the ground for 1.2 mi (1.9 km) before becoming a waterspout in
Sandy Hook Bay. With estimated wind gusts of 70 mph (110 km/h), the tornado knocked down several trees, including one that crushed three cars, one that fell onto a powerline and burned a car, and one that damaged a porch.[25]
September 11, 1997: A thunderstorm ahead of a cold front produced an F1 tornado in
West Milford in Passaic County, which was only on the ground for about 30 seconds, and about 0.3 mi (0.48 km). It knocked down about 150 trees, two of which fell onto houses, and four of which fell onto cars.[26]
September 2, 1998: A line of thunderstorms spawned an F0 tornado in
East Greenwich Township in Gloucester County, which downed a few trees, some of which fell onto homes. The tornado was on the ground for about 0.3 mi (0.48 km) before lifting.[27]
September 7, 1998: A line of thunderstorms ahead of a cold front spawned two tornadoes in Union County. An F0 was on the ground for 0.2 mi (0.32 km) in a populated section of
Plainfield. The tornado knocked down 95 trees and caused $1.5 million in damage. The other tornado, rated an F1, touched down in
Clark, with estimated winds of 110 mph (180 km/h). The tornado knocked down at least 150 trees along its 0.2 mi (0.32 km) path, causing $550,000 in damage.[28][29]
February 12, 1999: An unseasonably warm air mass, in conjunction with a cold front, produced a line of thunderstorms that spawned an F1 tornado in
Cherry Hill in Camden County. It damaged 13 homes, one of them severely, and a porch was destroyed. The tornado was only on the ground briefly, with a path of 0.5 mi (0.80 km) and a width of 120 ft (37 m). Damage was estimated at $100,000.[30]
August 20, 1999: A waterspout moved across
Long Beach Island in Ocean County, with a 0.4 mi (0.64 km) path and about 300 ft (91 m) wide. Wind gusts were estimated at 120 mph (190 km/h). The F2 tornado damaged about 35 buildings, including two homes and a motel that were condemned. Damage was estimated at $4.2 million. One person was injured by flying glass. The tornado knocked down two transmission lines, leaving about 3,100 buildings without power. Moving over water, the tornado became a waterspout again, sinking a boat in
Little Egg Harbor before dissipating.[31]
2000–2009
May 27, 2001: An F2 tornado touched down in
Manalapan Township in Monmouth County, which caused about $1 million worth of damage. With a diameter of about 200 ft (61 m), the tornado knocked down dozens of trees, and rolled a car 40 ft (12 m). It was on the ground for 1.5 miles (2.4 km).[9] Winds were estimated at 120 mph (190 km/h).[32]
July 5, 2001: A waterspout that formed over Patcong Creek moved across
Somers Point in Atlantic County, becoming an F1 tornado with a diameter of 300 ft (91 m). It crossed the Garden State Parkway and later moved into
Linwood. The tornado damaged six homes, left 400 people without power, and bent about 30 trees. Winds were estimated at 90 mph (140 km/h). The tornado was on the ground intermittently for 3.1 mi (5.0 km), until dissipating as a waterspout over Scull Bay. Damage was estimated at $15,000.[33]
July 3, 2003: An F0 tornado touched down briefly in
Goshen in Cape May County, associated with the remnants of
Tropical Storm Bill. The tornado was on the ground for 317 ft (97 m), with a width of about 100 ft (30 m).[11][18]
September 23, 2003: Three tornadoes struck the state that day, one each in Hunterdon County, Mercer County, and Burlington County.[11][34] The first was an EF1 in
Delaware Township in Hunterdon County, and was on the ground for 2.6 mi (4.2 km). Strong winds, estimated at 75 mph (120 km/h), knocked down trees and power lines. Around a dozen properties, including a farm, were damaged. An EF1 touched down in
Florence Township in Burlington County, resulting in a local state of emergency after causing $2.1 million in damage. A third EF1 tornado touched down in
Trenton and continued into
Lawrence Township. The tornado incurred about $1 million in damage, after its strong winds knocked down many trees, injuring two people. Downed power lines trapped a school bus. More than 50,000 people lost power in the state that day from the storms.[35][36][37]
October 27, 2003: A strong cold front spawned three F0 tornados in the state. One touched down in
Bedminster Township in Somerset County. It knocked down a few trees while it was briefly on the ground. Another touched down in
Hainesport Township in Burlington County, the first recorded tornado in Burlington County since 1994. With estimated winds of 70 mph (110 km/h), the tornado flung a tree limb onto three cars, killing one person, making it the first deadly tornado in the state since 1941. It was on the ground for about 0.5 mi (0.80 km) and had a width of 90 ft (27 m). The last tornado of the day touched down along the
Raritan River near
Highland Park in Middlesex County. Only on the ground briefly, the tornado damaged a boat and a few trees.[2][8]
July 27, 2004: A high end F1 tornado touched down in
Pemberton Township and continued into
Woodland Township in Burlington County. A roof was peeled off and the top floor of a building was damaged at the New Lisbon Developmental Center. Two workers in separate vans received minor injuries when one van was overturned and the other hit by a tree branch.[38]
September 28, 2004: The remnants of
Hurricane Jeanne spawned an F0 tornado in
Cherry Hill in Camden County, and was on the ground for 2.5 mi (4.0 km). Moving through a shopping center, the twister damaged 13 buildings and several cars, with monetary damage estimated at $100,000.[39][18]
June 2, 2006: An EF0 tornado formed from the merger of two thunderstorm cells in
East Greenwich Township in Gloucester County, with winds estimated at 65 mph (105 km/h). Fallen trees damaged 23 houses.[40]
July 29, 2009: An EF2 tornado touched down near
Wantage Township in Sussex County, downing numerous trees, partially collapsing two barns and damaging several others.[41][42]
August 9, 2011: A brief EF0 tornado touched down in
Millstone Township, and dissipated shortly after. No damage was reported.[45]
August 28, 2011:
Hurricane Irene spawned an EF0 tornado near
Robbinsville in Mercer County. Numerous trees were knocked down, and several electric poles were damaged.[46][47]
September 4, 2012: The remnants of
Hurricane Isaac produced an EF0 in
Mount Ephraim, only being on the ground for less than a minute. The tornado uprooted trees, downed power lines and damaged the roofs of several homes.[48][49]
July 1, 2013: An EF0 tornado touched down in
Berkeley Heights near the Passaic River just west of Garfield Street, passed northeast through
New Providence and dissipated in
Summit near Evergreen Road. The tornado caused extensive tree damage.[50][51]
August 13, 2013: An EF0 tornado touched down in
Manahawkin, snapping trees, downing power lines and damaging several church buildings.[52]
October 7, 2013: An EF1 tornado touched down near the town of
Paramus, moving northeast across Bergen County. The tornado damaged a cemetery and a golf course, and snapped and uprooted trees.[53]
July 14, 2016: An EF0 tornado touched down near
White Township in Warren County and moved along a path nearly 3 miles long, damaging a barn and a home, and shearing the tops of trees.[54]
July 25, 2016: An EF1 tornado touched down in
Readington Township in Hunterdon County and then moved east towards Somerset County. The tornado (thought at first to be a
microburst) broke several utility poles, threw vehicles up to 100 feet in the air, and downed trees and power lines. It later moved into
Branchburg.[55][56]
June 24, 2017: The remnants of
Tropical Storm Cindy spawned two EF0 tornadoes within six minutes of each other in
Howell Township in Monmouth County. The first touched down in a
Home Depot parking lot, and damaged two buildings and several trees. The tornado was on the ground for two minutes, with a length of 0.5 mi (0.80 km) and a width of 120 ft (37 m). The other tornado moved through Oak Glen Park, uprooting numerous hardwood trees before dissipating.[57][58]
May 28, 2019: An EF1 tornado touched down in
Stanhope and damaged the Lenape Valley Regional High school. Several trees were snapped or uprooted in this area. A small but anchored outbuilding was also lifted and flipped over. Further tree damage occurred at a residence across the street from the school. Damage then appeared to briefly abate, indicating the tornado likely lifted for a short time. However, a short distance further southeast, additional tornadic damage was observed with numerous trees snapped or uprooted and several homes and cars sustaining damage from falling trees on and around Unger Avenue. The tornado dissipated shortly afterwards.[59][60]
June 13, 2019: A warm front spawned a line of thunderstorms, which spawned an EF0 tornado near
Mullica Hill in Gloucester County; it damaged two properties while it was briefly on the ground. The same line of thunderstorm spawned an EF1 tornado in
Deptford Township, also in Gloucester County, which stayed on the ground intermittently for 1.5 mi (2.4 km), before lifting in
Gloucester Township in Camden County. The tornado damaged four properties and uprooted several trees. It had a width of 600 ft (180 m).[61][62]
July 6, 2019: A landspout briefly touched down as an EF0 tornado in
Mount Laurel. It overturned a car before passing over a warehouse, causing minor roof damage.[63][64]
July 11, 2019: An EF1 tornado touched down in an open area on a golf course in Mount Laurel, travelling discontinuously for more than a mile, snapping and uprooting numerous trees, and damaging several apartment buildings before dissipating.[65][66]
August 7, 2019: A cold front spawned three tornadoes in the state. An EF0 touched down in
Springfield Township in Union County, downing power lines, busting solar panels and damaging dozens of vehicles at a dealership. A rooftop air conditioning unit collapsed onto a sedan, and a section of the dealership's warehouse roof was torn wide open.[67][68] An EF0 briefly touched down in
Hightstown, which shattered the glass roof of a greenhouse. Flying glass injured a woman. The tornado was on the ground for 0.33 mi (0.53 km), with a width of 75 ft (23 m).[69] The third was an EF0 in
Millville in Cumberland County. It touched down briefly in a field of solar panels near the Millville City Sewer Department Facility, destroying several rows of panels. The tornado then moved into a wooded area, snapping at least one tree and damaging several others.[70]
October 31, 2019: A squall line spawned an EF1 tornado in
Harding Township in Morris County. It knocked down several trees and power lines, some of which fell onto houses. The tornado was on the ground intermittently for 4.87 mi (7.84 km) for five minutes, with a width of 450 ft (140 m).[71]
2020–present
April 21, 2020: A waterspout formed over
Barnegat Bay between Silver Bay and Kettle Creek, then moved ashore in
Normandy Beach as an EF0 tornado. Several boats and associated trailers were tossed and flipped, and one house was damaged. The tornado then became a waterspout as it emerged over the coastal waters, causing little or no additional damage.[72]
August 4, 2020:
Tropical Storm Isaias moved through the state and spawned two tornadoes. The first was a waterspout that came ashore near the end of
Corson's Inlet State Park near
Strathmere in Cape May County. After moving through marshy areas, the EF1 tornado crossed the Garden State Parkway, and proceeded to damage several homes, as well as a Coca Cola facility, in
Marmora. It was on the ground for 4.24 mi (6.82 km), with a width of 450 ft (140 m). Another waterspout developed in
Manahawkin Bay between
Ship Bottom and Brant Beach, which moved northwestward, crossing the Route 72 bridge. The tornado tracked right over the Long Beach Island Weatherflow weather station located north of Egg Island and west of Flat Island in Manahawkin Bay, which measured a 109 mph (175 km/h) wind gust, indicating it was an EF1 tornado. The tornado lifted shortly thereafter.[73]
July 9, 2021:
Tropical Storm Elsa moved along the New Jersey coast, and it spawned two tornadoes in the state that day. An EF1 tornado touched down in
Woodbine in Cape May County, which was on the ground for 0.94 mi (1.51 km). It destroyed the picnic shelter of a condonminium complex, and knocked down several trees, one into a house.[75] In
Little Egg Harbor in Ocean County, an EF0 tornado downed a few trees or limbs and damaged a few homes.[76]
July 17, 2021: An EF1 tornado touched down in
Mansfield Township in Burlington County just east of the Route 206 and Columbus-Jobstown road intersection. A narrow, discontinuous, path of tree damage spanned for 7.9 miles (12.7 km) and significant tree damage was observed. Additionally, numerous tree limbs were blown on powerlines on Monmouth Road near Tilghmans Corner. Afterwards, the tornado dissipated before the
Ocean County line.[77][78]
July 29, 2021: As part of a larger
tornado outbreak, a warm front spawned six tornadoes in the state that day. A short-lived EF0 tornado touched down in
Verona inside the Montclair Golf Club, which downed a few trees, one of which fell onto a home. An EF2 tornado began in
New Hope, Pennsylvania, which crossed the Delaware River and entered Mercer County, New Jersey near Washington Crossing; it knocked down hundreds of trees before lifting near
Trenton Mercer Airport. An EF1 touched down on Route 130 south of
Windsor near the
Assunpink Creek, which damaged trees and one building. Another EF1 tornado touched down in a heavily forested area in eastern
Woodland Township, which knocked down several trees and limbs along its path. An EF0 tornado touched down
Jackson Township, damaging several trees near
Success Lake. The same thunderstorm produced a tornado that touched down on the western coast of
Barnegat Bay, which crossed the bay and struck
Barnegat Light as an EF2; there, it damaged several houses and boats.[79][80][81][82][83][84]
September 1, 2021: The remnants of
Hurricane Ida spawned three tornadoes. An EF3 tornado touched down near
Harrisonville in Gloucester County, which caused widespread damage in and around the
Mullica Hill area and damage to trees and houses in
Wenonah. It was on the ground for 12.6 mi (20.3 km), with a maximum width of 1,200 ft (370 m), and estimated winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) before dissipating over
Deptford. The same supercell produced an EF1 tornado in
Burlington in Burlington County, which knocked down at least 30 trees, one of which fell onto a car. The tornado crossed the Delaware River and lifted in
Bristol, Pennsylvania. The supercell later produced an EF0 tornado in
Princeton, New Jersey, which downed a few trees in a parking lot.[86]
May 20, 2022: An EF0 tornado formed in
Monmouth County just after 5 PM along Line Road on the borders of
Aberdeen and
Hazlet before continuing easterly into a residential neighborhood between Sophia Drive and Carlow Way. Its estimated peak winds were 85 mph (137 km/h) with a path length of 0.8 mi (1.3 km) and a maximum width of 675 ft (206 m). It was on the ground for approximately one minute. One home sustained structural damage after a tree fell onto its roof, and other houses lost siding, roof shingles or gutters. Fences, utility poles, and power lines were also damaged. The tornado dissipated several blocks after crossing the
Garden State Parkway.[87]
June 9, 2022: An EF1 tornado occurred in
Blackwood at 4:59 AM, lasting approximately two minutes, damaging multiple homes and uprooting at least three trees. Its estimated peak winds were 90 mph (140 km/h) with a path length of 0.26 mi (0.42 km) and a maximum width of 180 ft (55 m).[88][89]
February 21, 2023: The National Weather Service reported a radar-indicated tornado in the
Hamilton Square,
Twin Rivers, and
Hightstown areas of Mercer County. NWS survey teams confirmed an EF2 tornado occurred at 3:35 PM, lasting approximately six minutes, traveled approximately 6 miles with an approximate width of 200 yards, damaging multiple residences and properties in
Lawrence Township and
West Windsor.[90][91][92]
April 1, 2023: NWS Mount Holly confirms at least seven tornadoes from this weather event. NWS is still investigating several of these tornados for path details.[93][94][95][96][97][98][99]
The Cinnaminson-Delran-Moorestown (Burlington County) tornado has been categorized as an EF1 with 100 mph winds, 600 yards wide and traveled 6 miles from Cinnaminson at 6:59pm to the Laurel Creek Golf Country Club area in Moorestown at 7:03pm.
The Jackson Township (Ocean County) tornado has been categorized as an EF2 with 130 mph winds, traveled 2.1 miles with a 200 yard wide path.
The Jackson-Howell (Ocean-Monmouth County) has been categorized as an EF2 with 120 mph winds, traveled 1.4 miles with a 150 yard wide path.
The Sea Girt (Monmouth County) tornado has been categorized as an EF2 with 120 mph winds, traveled 0.14 miles with a 50 yard wide path.
The Crosswicks (Burlington County) tornado has been categorized as an EF1 with 90 mph winds, traveled 2.8 miles with a 300 yard wide path.
The Allentown-Cream Ridge (Monmouth County) tornado has been categorized as an EF1 with 90 mph winds, traveled 4 miles with a 550 yard wide path.
The Mays Landing (Atlantic County) tornado has been categorized as an EF1 with 90 mph winds, traveled 0.9 miles with a 110 yard wide path.
The Palmyra/Riverton (Burlington County) has been categorized as an EF1 straight line wind with 100 mph winds, traveled 1 mile long with a 600 yard wide path.
June 16, 2023: National Weather Service confirmed an EF0 tornado touched down in Pemberton Township, Burlington County, NJ. Officials said the tornado had winds between 65 and 85 miles per hour. Traveled 3.4 miles with a 200 yard wide path.[100][101][102]
June 26, 2023: National Weather Service confirmed an EF1 tornado touched down near Bernardsville in Somerset County.[103][104]
July 16, 2023: National Weather Service confirmed an EF0 tornado touchdown Morris County.
^"Dreadful Tornado". New York Evening Star. June 20, 1835. Retrieved October 13, 2011. About 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon, a tornado passed over the town of Piscataway, about two miles from New Brunswick, which destroyed every house but two. ...
^"Tornado in New Jersey". Baltimore Sun. July 1, 1892. Retrieved October 13, 2011. At 1.20 afternoon a wind-storm, with all the of [sic] a tornado, struck this city from the south- west, doing great damage to property ...
^"A New Jersey Tornado. A Mighty Wind Creates Great Havoc in Elizabeth". Camden Democrat. August 2, 1899. Retrieved October 13, 2011. A tornado swept over this city yesterday afternoon, doing great damage. Houses, churches, factories and all buildings in the storm's path, which was three ...
^Constance L. Hayes (July 12, 2007).
"Unusually Fierce Winds Razed 100 Homes". New York Times. pp. B1-2. Retrieved October 11, 2011. In northern New Jersey, damage was reported along a seven-mile swath from Ringwood to Wyckoff. The area is 20 miles west of Fort Lee, where a tornado was confirmed by the weather service. 'People saw a funnel cloud,' said Police Chief James O'Connor of Oakland, a town east of Ringwood that was affected. 'One man said the sound of the wind was like a locomotive passing through his living room.' In Wyckoff, 'windows in stores and houses literally exploded, and about 15 utility poles snapped right in half,' the coordinator of emergency management, Robert Shannon, said. No injuries were reported in Bergen or Passaic Counties. About 150 houses in Bergen were damaged, at a cost estimated at $2 million by an official of the county emergency management agency, Lieut. Edward C. Sturm. The damage in Passaic was also estimated at $2 million ...
^"New Jersey Tornado Damages 5 Homes". New York Times. June 25, 1992. Retrieved October 13, 2011. A tornado touched down for 10 minutes last night in Washington Township, N.J., damaging five homes, knocking down several trees and cutting off power and phone service to more than a third of the town's 15,500 residents, the police said. No one was believed to have been injured in the storm, the police said. ...