NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Allentown, NJ
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
48 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Allentown, New Jersey since 1851, 9 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 70 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 9
- Tropical storms
- 39
- Tornadoes
- 70
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Allentown
The strongest storm to pass near Allentown was an unnamed storm in 1944, a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds when its centre passed 74 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 36 miles. The record near Allentown begins with an unnamed storm in 1856; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 5 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 5 systems, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 48 systems, 9 have come since 2000. Allentown has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 69% of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site. The highest rating among the 70 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on July 29, 2021, came within 19 miles. The deadliest, an F0 on October 27, 2003, killed 1 person. Of the 70, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 35 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on June 14, 2024. Allentown has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 82% of the 455 New Jersey cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 62 times since 1964, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 455 New Jersey cities, 51% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Allentown.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Allentown
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 2 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | FayJul 10 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 8 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 43 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 7 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 15 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 51 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | HenriSep 24 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | BelleAug 10 | 59 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 22 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 64 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | DianeAug 19 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 14 | 74 mi | Category 2 (105 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 3 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 8 | 68 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 17 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 43 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 16 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 14 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 24 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 54 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 36 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 24 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 5 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 26 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 20 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Allentown: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Allentown
By decade
- 2020s20(1 EF3+)
- 2010s9
- 2000s6
- 1990s11(1 EF3+)
- 1980s9
- 1970s3(1 EF3+)
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s6
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2021 | EF3 | 19 mi | 3.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 18, 1990 | F3 | 24 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Sep 26, 1977 | F3 | 15 mi | 5.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 24, 1960 | F3 | 6 mi | 12.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 1, 2023 | EF2 | 16 mi | 1.59 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 1, 2023 | EF2 | 10 mi | 2.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 21, 2023 | EF2 | 7 mi | 5.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | EF2 | 17 mi | 6.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 4, 2020 | EF2 | 21 mi | 20.77 mi | 0 / 18 |
| May 27, 2001 | F2 | 18 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1998 | F2 | 21 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 17, 1988 | F2 | 10 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 70, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Allentown
The Storm Prediction Center has 62 hail reports within 10 miles of Allentown since 1964, made on 42 separate days. Of these, 32 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently August 16, 1996. The most recent report is from April 1, 2023. July has the most reports, 19.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Allentown
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hightstown 2 W, NJ, 7 miles north of Allentown at 100 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 21°F. July is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 47.6 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (25.2 of 47.6 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 48 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (20); a normal September there has highs of 78°F and 4.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 26 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 114 nights a year. Snowfall averages 23.7 inches a year, most of it in February. That 47.6 inches is more than at 21 of the 51 New Jersey stations used on this site (41%). Wrightstown, 7 miles south, has its own station (Philadelphia/Mt Holly WFO, NJ): 46.0 inches a year, 1.6 less than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 87°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Newbold, PA, 9 miles west, averaged 80°F in July and 37°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from July. Sea level at the Philadelphia tide gauge, 34 miles from Allentown, has risen 1.24 ± 0.04 inches per decade from 1900 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 12.4 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 73 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 21 | 3.5 | 7 | 5.8 | 37 |
| Feb | 43 | 23 | 2.6 | 6 | 8.0 | 38 |
| Mar | 51 | 30 | 4.3 | 7 | 4.6 | 45 |
| Apr | 63 | 39 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.6 | 54 |
| May | 73 | 48 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 | 64 |
| Jun | 82 | 58 | 4.6 | 8 | 0.0 | 73 |
| Jul | 87 | 63 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.0 | 80 |
| Aug | 85 | 61 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 | 78 |
| Sep | 78 | 54 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 | 72 |
| Oct | 66 | 42 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 | 61 |
| Nov | 55 | 33 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.3 | 49 |
| Dec | 46 | 27 | 4.2 | 7 | 4.4 | 39 |
| Year | 64 | 42 | 47.6 | 80 | 23.7 | 58 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hightstown 2 W, NJ (100 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Newbold, PA, from NOAA Tides & Currents. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Allentown
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 290 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Allentown: 234 thunderstorm wind reports, 21 flash floods, 15 floods, 12 lightning strikes and 8 heavy rain events. They killed 1 person and injured 16, and the NWS estimated $46.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on July 22, 2019. July has had the most flash floods, 8 of 21. Of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 66 have had fewer than Allentown.
July 16, 2025: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Allentown — 1 killed, 14 injured.
July 2, 2014: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Allentown — 1 injured, $1.0 million damage.
July 23, 2008: lightning strike 6 miles from the centre of Allentown — 1 injured.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Monmouth County, which includes Allentown, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 hurricanes, 4 floods, 4 snowstorms, 3 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Hurricane Ida, on September 5, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Monmouth County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively High for inland flooding, coastal flooding and heat waves; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes; Relatively Low for tornadoes; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $281.6 million a year, the 3rd highest of 21 New Jersey counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $109.6 million (39%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Allentown
- Robbinsville, NJ3 mi
- Chesterfield, NJ4 mi
- Cream Ridge, NJ5 mi
- Wrightstown, NJ7 mi
- East Windsor, NJ7 mi
- Hamilton, NJ7 mi
- Bordentown, NJ8 mi
- New Egypt, NJ8 mi
- Millstone Township, NJ8 mi
- Jb Mdl, NJ8 mi
- Columbus, NJ9 mi
- Princeton Junction, NJ9 mi
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