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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Emerson, 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

45 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Emerson, New Jersey since 1851, 7 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 45 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
7

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
38

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
45

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
0

2 deaths in all

What the records show for Emerson

The strongest storm to pass near Emerson was an unnamed storm in 1938, a Category 3 hurricane with 119 mph winds when its centre passed 59 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 12 miles. The record near Emerson begins with an unnamed storm in 1861; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 47 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 5 systems, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 45 systems, 7 have come since 2000. Of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site, 46% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Emerson. The highest rating among the 45 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 5 times; the most recent, on August 8, 2007, came within 24 miles. The deadliest, an EF1 on September 16, 2010, killed 1 person. Of the 45, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 17 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on July 29, 2021. Of the 455 New Jersey cities, 70% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Emerson. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 103 times since 1986, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Emerson has more hail reports within 10 miles than 88% of the 455 New Jersey cities.

Compare Emerson's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Emerson

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Emerson, New Jersey, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021IdaSep 247 miTropical storm (44 mph)Category 4
2021ElsaJul 967 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
2020IsaiasAug 448 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 1
2020FayJul 1155 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
2013AndreaJun 868 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2011IreneAug 2810 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 3
2008HannaSep 734 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1999FloydSep 1737 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1996BerthaJul 1321 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1985GloriaSep 2744 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 4
1985HenriSep 2471 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1976BelleAug 1042 miTropical storm (70 mph)Category 3
1972AgnesJun 2216 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 1
1971DoriaAug 289 miTropical storm (59 mph)Tropical storm
1968Unnamed 1968 stormSep 1143 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1961Unnamed 1961 stormSep 1546 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1960DonnaSep 1261 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 4
1960BrendaJul 3028 miTropical storm (56 mph)Tropical storm
1955DianeAug 1928 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1952AbleSep 125 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 2
1938Unnamed 1938 stormSep 2159 miCategory 3 (119 mph)Category 5
1934Unnamed 1934 stormSep 954 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 2
1934Unnamed 1934 stormJun 1939 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 309 miTropical storm (67 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1763 miTropical storm (56 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 45 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 1
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1568 miCategory 1 (79 mph)Category 1
1903Unnamed 1903 stormSep 1666 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 2
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1665 miTropical storm (43 mph)Tropical storm
1900Unnamed 1900 stormOct 1439 miTropical storm (39 mph)Tropical storm
1899Unnamed 1899 stormNov 142 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 2
1897Unnamed 1897 stormSep 2465 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 1060 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2937 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2412 miCategory 1 (85 mph)Category 3
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1145 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 2220 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 2459 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 2375 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 562 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 2921 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2628 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1866Unnamed 1866 stormOct 301 miTropical storm (59 mph)Tropical storm
1863Unnamed 1863 stormSep 194 miTropical storm (49 mph)Tropical storm
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 2825 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 1

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Emerson: 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 Emerson

By decade

  • 2020s1
  • 2010s11
  • 2000s5
  • 1990s7
  • 1980s8
  • 1970s11
  • 1960s1
  • 1950s1
Strongest tornadoes near Emerson, New Jersey
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Aug 8, 2007EF224 mi3.92 mi0 / 9
Jul 12, 2006F211 mi10.1 mi0 / 6
Jul 15, 1970F27 mi2 mi0 / 0
Aug 7, 1962F24 mi2.5 mi0 / 0
Sep 6, 1956F26 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Sep 16, 2010EF118 mi4 mi1 / 1
Oct 31, 2019EF124 mi4.87 mi0 / 0
Oct 2, 2018EF119 mi4.28 mi0 / 0
Oct 2, 2018EF117 mi2.12 mi0 / 0
Oct 7, 2013EF13 mi1.25 mi0 / 0
Sep 8, 2012EF125 mi4.74 mi0 / 0
Jul 25, 2010EF18 mi0.87 mi0 / 7

The strongest 12 of 45, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Emerson

The Storm Prediction Center has 103 hail reports within 10 miles of Emerson since 1986, made on 57 separate days. Of these, 57 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on July 8, 2021. The most recent report is from August 3, 2024. July has the most reports, 38.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.

Weather by month in Emerson

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Teterboro Airport, NJ, 9 miles south of Emerson at 9 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 40°F and 26°F. July is the wettest at 4.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 46.4 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (24.2 of 46.4 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 45 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (20); a normal September there has highs of 78°F and 4.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 29 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 89 nights a year. That 46.4 inches is more than at 15 of the 51 New Jersey stations used on this site (29%). Westwood, 2 miles north, has its own station (Dobbs Ferry-Ardsley, NY): 51.3 inches a year, 4.9 more than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 87°F.

Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Kings Point, NY, 18 miles southeast, averaged 74°F in August and 38°F in February over 2021–2025. No month averaged 80°F. Sea level at the Kings Point tide gauge, 18 miles from Emerson, has risen 1.08 ± 0.04 inches per decade from 1931 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 10.8 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 62 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Teterboro Airport, NJ
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"Water °F
Jan40263.3640
Feb43272.8638
Mar51344.1742
Apr63444.0648
May73533.9857
Jun82634.3865
Jul87694.5671
Aug85674.3774
Sep78604.1672
Oct67483.7663
Nov56383.3554
Dec45314.1744
Year644746.47656

Averages for 1991–2020 at Teterboro Airport, NJ (9 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Kings Point, NY, 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.

New Jersey weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Emerson

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 810 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Emerson: 367 thunderstorm wind reports, 300 flash floods, 101 floods, 41 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 7 people and injured 28, and the NWS estimated $231.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 110 mph, on October 7, 2013. July has had the most flash floods, 88 of 300. Of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 376 have had fewer than Emerson.

  • May 14, 2017: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Emerson — 1 killed, 6 injured, $2,000 damage.

  • June 10, 2008: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Emerson — 1 killed, 1 injured, $500 damage.

  • May 15, 2018: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Emerson — 1 killed, $5,000 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

Flood insurance policyholders in Emerson's ZIP code 07630 have filed 21 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $198,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 48% 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, 57 have fewer than Emerson.

Bergen County, which includes Emerson, has been named in 32 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 hurricanes, 6 severe storms, 5 floods, 4 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Hurricane Ida, on September 5, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Bergen County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for coastal flooding and strong wind; Relatively High for tornadoes, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $321.8 million a year, the highest of 21 New Jersey counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $216.8 million (67%), 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 Emerson