NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Clayton, 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
44 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Clayton, New Jersey since 1851, 6 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 53 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 6
- Tropical storms
- 38
- Tornadoes
- 53
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Clayton
The strongest storm to pass near Clayton was Gloria in 1985, a Category 1 hurricane with 93 mph winds when its centre passed 62 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Sandy in 2012, whose centre came within 1 mile. The record near Clayton begins with an unnamed storm in 1856; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 19 miles away. The busiest decade was the 2020s, with 5 systems. Of the 44 systems, 11 have come since 2000. Of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site, 64% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Clayton. The strongest of the 53 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF3 on September 1, 2021; its path came within 8 miles. Of the 53, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 16 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Of the 455 New Jersey cities, 54% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Clayton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 45 times since 1987, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 455 New Jersey cities, 68% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Clayton.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Clayton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 2 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | FayJul 10 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 8 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 1 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | JeanneSep 29 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 15 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1992 | DanielleSep 26 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 62 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | DianeAug 19 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 21 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 3 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 17 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 33 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 16 | 15 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 14 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 59 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 63 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 23 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 5 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 26 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 20 | 62 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 Clayton: 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 Clayton
By decade
- 2020s6(1 EF3+)
- 2010s8
- 2000s2
- 1990s12
- 1980s12
- 1970s6
- 1960s3
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2021 | EF3 | 8 mi | 12.37 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Aug 21, 1993 | F2 | 14 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 10, 1990 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 1989 | F2 | 20 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 17, 1988 | F2 | 21 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 5, 1979 | F2 | 23 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jul 13, 1975 | F2 | 13 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 14, 1960 | F2 | 8 mi | 15.6 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jul 14, 1958 | F2 | 19 mi | 9.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 16, 2025 | EF1 | 4 mi | 8.09 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 10, 2023 | EF1 | 13 mi | 0.66 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 1, 2023 | EF1 | 18 mi | 0.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 53, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Clayton
The Storm Prediction Center has 45 hail reports within 10 miles of Clayton since 1987, made on 31 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on May 24, 1999. The most recent report is from April 4, 2025. August has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Clayton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Woodstown Pittsgrov 4E, NJ, 9 miles southwest of Clayton at 98 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 43°F and 25°F. July is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 46.7 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (25.7 of 46.7 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 44 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (16); a normal September there has highs of 80°F and 4.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 35 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 104 nights a year. Snowfall averages 13.3 inches a year, most of it in January and February. That 46.7 inches is more than at 17 of the 51 New Jersey stations used on this site (33%). Pitman, 6 miles northwest, has its own station (Philadelphia International Airport, PA): 44.2 inches a year, 2.5 less than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 89°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Philadelphia, PA, 19 miles north, averaged 80°F in July and 38°F in February over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from July. Sea level at the Philadelphia tide gauge, 19 miles from Clayton, 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 | 43 | 25 | 3.2 | 6 | 5.0 | 38 |
| Feb | 47 | 26 | 3.1 | 5 | 5.0 | 38 |
| Mar | 55 | 33 | 3.9 | 8 | 1.4 | 45 |
| Apr | 67 | 42 | 3.2 | 7 | 0.2 | 54 |
| May | 76 | 51 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 | 63 |
| Jun | 84 | 61 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 | 73 |
| Jul | 89 | 66 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.0 | 80 |
| Aug | 86 | 64 | 4.6 | 5 | 0.0 | 79 |
| Sep | 80 | 58 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 | 74 |
| Oct | 69 | 47 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.0 | 65 |
| Nov | 57 | 37 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.1 | 54 |
| Dec | 48 | 30 | 4.4 | 7 | 1.6 | 43 |
| Year | 67 | 45 | 46.7 | 75 | 13.3 | 59 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Woodstown Pittsgrov 4E, NJ (98 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Philadelphia, 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 Clayton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 287 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Clayton: 194 thunderstorm wind reports, 36 flash floods, 23 floods, 21 heavy rain events and 13 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $11.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on May 16, 2025. June has had the most flash floods, 13 of 36. Of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 126 have had fewer than Clayton.
April 2, 2005: flood 3 miles from the centre of Clayton — $5.0 million damage.
April 15, 2007: flood 6 miles from the centre of Clayton — $3.0 million damage.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Clayton — $500,000 damage.
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
Gloucester County, which includes Clayton, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 hurricanes, 5 severe storms, 5 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Hurricane Ida, on September 5, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Gloucester County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for coastal flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $77.0 million a year, the 16th highest of 21 New Jersey counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $40.0 million (52%), 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 Clayton
- Franklinville, NJ3 mi
- Glassboro, NJ3 mi
- Monroeville, NJ4 mi
- Pitman, NJ6 mi
- Sewell, NJ7 mi
- Williamstown, NJ7 mi
- Newfield, NJ8 mi
- Sicklerville, NJ8 mi
- Mullica Hill, NJ8 mi
- Pittsgrove, NJ8 mi
- Turnersville, NJ9 mi
- Mantua, NJ10 mi
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