NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Cape May, NJ
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
61 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Cape May, New Jersey since 1851, 12 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 15 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 12
- Tropical storms
- 49
- Tornadoes
- 15
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Cape May
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 2 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | FayJul 10 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 8 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | SandyOct 29 | 39 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2005 | Twenty-TwoOct 14 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 29 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2004 | GastonAug 31 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 15 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1992 | DanielleSep 26 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1986 | CharleyAug 18 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 36 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | HenriSep 24 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1976 | BelleAug 10 | 61 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 50 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 11 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 21 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 14 | 61 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 3 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 8 | 64 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 12 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 17 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 30 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 9 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 16 | 13 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 14 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 24 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 28 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 30 | 67 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 55 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 25 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 23 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 12 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 10 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 18 | 45 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 26 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 2 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 20 | 25 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 Cape May: 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 Cape May
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s2
- 2000s1
- 1990s2
- 1980s1
- 1970s5
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 27, 1971 | F2 | in town | 28.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 1956 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 9, 2021 | EF1 | 20 mi | 0.94 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 1, 2021 | EF1 | 21 mi | 4.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 4, 2020 | EF1 | 23 mi | 4.24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2019 | EF1 | 18 mi | 6.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 27, 2011 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.61 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 16, 1995 | F1 | 10 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 6, 1979 | F1 | 15 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 19, 1975 | F1 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 3, 2003 | F0 | 12 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 13, 1998 | F0 | 20 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 15, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
How to read this page
A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Cape May while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.
Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.
Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.