NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Califon, 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
32 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Califon, New Jersey since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 38 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 30
- Tornadoes
- 38
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Califon
The strongest storm to pass near Califon was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 1 hurricane with 86 mph winds when its centre passed 48 miles away. The record near Califon begins with an unnamed storm in 1861; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 45 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1870s, with 4 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 32 systems, 5 have come since 2000. Of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site, 93% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Califon. The highest rating among the 38 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on October 18, 1990, came within 17 miles. Of the 38, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 13 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on May 6, 2025. Of the 455 New Jersey cities, 80% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Califon. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 42 times since 1983, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 455 New Jersey cities, 71% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Califon.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Califon
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 2 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | FayJul 11 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 7 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 22 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | DianeAug 19 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 16 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 14 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 48 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 52 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 5 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 26 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Califon: 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 Califon
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s6
- 2000s2
- 1990s9(1 EF3+)
- 1980s6
- 1970s6(2 EF3+)
- 1960s2
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 18, 1990 | F3 | 17 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 8 |
| May 28, 1973 | F3 | 10 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 12 |
| May 28, 1973 | F3 | 18 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 26, 1981 | F2 | 11 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 20, 1981 | F2 | 12 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 20, 1981 | F2 | 19 mi | 4.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 1974 | F2 | 7 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 2, 1973 | F2 | 9 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 2025 | EF1 | 22 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 26, 2023 | EF1 | 13 mi | 1.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 31, 2019 | EF1 | 18 mi | 4.87 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 28, 2019 | EF1 | 15 mi | 1.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 38, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Califon
The Storm Prediction Center has 42 hail reports within 10 miles of Califon since 1983, made on 32 separate days. Of these, 14 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently August 17, 2003. The most recent report is from September 8, 2023. July has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Califon
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Somerville Somerset Airport, NJ, 10 miles southeast of Califon at 105 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 39°F and 21°F. August is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.2 inches; the year adds up to 45.5 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (25.2 of 45.5 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 32 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (11); a normal September there has highs of 78°F and 3.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 23 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 124 nights a year. That 45.5 inches is more than at 10 of the 51 New Jersey stations used on this site (20%). Glen Gardner, 5 miles west, has its own station (Flemington 5 NNW, NJ): 50.9 inches a year, 5.4 more than here, and the same July average high, 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 21 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Feb | 43 | 22 | 2.2 | 6 |
| Mar | 51 | 30 | 3.9 | 7 |
| Apr | 63 | 39 | 3.6 | 7 |
| May | 73 | 48 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Jun | 81 | 58 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Jul | 86 | 63 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Aug | 84 | 61 | 5.2 | 7 |
| Sep | 78 | 54 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Oct | 66 | 42 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Nov | 55 | 33 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Dec | 44 | 26 | 3.9 | 7 |
| Year | 64 | 41 | 45.5 | 77 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Somerville Somerset Airport, NJ (105 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. 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 Califon
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 305 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Califon: 225 thunderstorm wind reports, 32 flash floods, 23 floods, 17 heavy rain events and 8 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 8, and the NWS estimated $284.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on March 7, 2022. Of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 120 have had fewer than Califon.
July 18, 1997: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Califon — 3 injured.
August 8, 2007: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Califon — 1 injured, $60,000 damage.
NWS: “Lightning struck the shed of a Tewksbury Township home. A male in a nearby house complained of hearing loss after the lightning struck.”
July 18, 1997: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Califon — 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Califon's ZIP code 07830 have filed 68 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $1.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Irene in 2011: 24 claims (35% of all) and $1.2 million, then Flooding in 1996 with 10. 72% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 395 New Jersey cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 176 have fewer than Califon.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irene2011 | 24 | $1.2 million |
| Flooding1996 | 10 | $75,000 |
Hunterdon County, which includes Califon, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 hurricanes, 7 severe storms, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Hurricane Ida, on September 5, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Hunterdon County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $68.5 million a year, the 17th highest of 21 New Jersey counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $49.9 million (73%), 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 Califon
- Long Valley, NJ5 mi
- Glen Gardner, NJ5 mi
- High Bridge, NJ5 mi
- Lebanon, NJ6 mi
- Port Murray, NJ6 mi
- Clinton, NJ8 mi
- Annandale, NJ8 mi
- Chester, NJ8 mi
- Whitehouse Station, NJ8 mi
- Hampton, NJ8 mi
- Washington, NJ10 mi
- Hackettstown, NJ10 mi
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