NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Great Meadows, 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
30 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Great Meadows, New Jersey since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 40 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 28
- Tornadoes
- 40
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Great Meadows
The strongest storm to pass near Great Meadows was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 1 hurricane with 86 mph winds when its centre passed 54 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1878, whose centre came within 43 miles. The record near Great Meadows begins with an unnamed storm in 1861; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 57 miles away. Of the 30 systems, 5 have come since 2000. Of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site, 93% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Great Meadows. The highest rating among the 40 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on May 31, 1998, came within 24 miles. Of the 40, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 12 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, 77% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Great Meadows. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 22 times since 1966, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 455 New Jersey cities, 95% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Great Meadows.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Great Meadows
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 2 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | FayJul 11 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 7 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 22 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | DianeAug 19 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 16 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 14 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 54 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 43 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 26 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Great Meadows: 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 Great Meadows
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s4
- 2000s3
- 1990s8(1 EF3+)
- 1980s6
- 1970s10(3 EF3+)
- 1960s2
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1998 | F3 | 24 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 21, 1976 | F3 | 16 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 28, 1973 | F3 | 10 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 12 |
| May 28, 1973 | F3 | 22 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2009 | EF2 | 16 mi | 4.58 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Oct 26, 1981 | F2 | 2 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 20, 1981 | F2 | 8 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 20, 1981 | F2 | 12 mi | 4.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 5, 1979 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 1974 | F2 | 6 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 2, 1973 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 2025 | EF1 | 16 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 40, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Great Meadows
The Storm Prediction Center has 22 hail reports within 10 miles of Great Meadows since 1966. Of these, 7 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 July 1, 1990. The most recent report is from September 8, 2023. July has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Great Meadows
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Belvidere Brg, NJ, 10 miles west of Great Meadows at 263 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 18°F. July and October are the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 48.3 inches over 82 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (26.6 of 48.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 30 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (10); a normal September there has highs of 76°F and 4.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 14 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 135 nights a year. Snowfall averages 23.3 inches a year, most of it in January. That 48.3 inches is more than at 25 of the 51 New Jersey stations used on this site (49%). Hackettstown, 4 miles southeast, has its own station (Andover Aeroflex Airport, NJ): 48.8 inches a year, 0.5 more than here, and the same July average high, 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 18 | 3.2 | 6 | 9.9 |
| Feb | 40 | 19 | 2.7 | 6 | 5.2 |
| Mar | 48 | 26 | 3.6 | 7 | 3.5 |
| Apr | 61 | 36 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.3 |
| May | 71 | 46 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 79 | 56 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 61 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 83 | 59 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 76 | 52 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 64 | 40 | 4.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 52 | 30 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.4 |
| Dec | 41 | 24 | 4.1 | 7 | 4.0 |
| Year | 61 | 39 | 48.3 | 82 | 23.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Belvidere Brg, NJ (263 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 Great Meadows
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 278 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Great Meadows: 233 thunderstorm wind reports, 23 flash floods, 9 floods, 7 heavy rain events and 6 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 15, and the NWS estimated $14.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on May 13, 2000. September has had the most flash floods, 8 of 23. Of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 74 have had fewer than Great Meadows.
September 7, 1998: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Great Meadows — 5 injured.
July 18, 1997: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Great Meadows — 3 injured.
July 3, 2014: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Great Meadows — 3 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
Warren County, which includes Great Meadows, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 hurricanes, 8 severe storms, 4 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storm and Flooding, on August 11, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Warren 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 $57.3 million a year, the 19th highest of 21 New Jersey counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $37.5 million (65%), 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 Great Meadows
- Hackettstown, NJ4 mi
- Blairstown, NJ6 mi
- Oxford, NJ6 mi
- Port Murray, NJ7 mi
- Budd Lake, NJ8 mi
- Belvidere, NJ9 mi
- Columbia, NJ9 mi
- Long Valley, NJ9 mi
- Andover, NJ10 mi
- Stanhope, NJ10 mi
- Netcong, NJ10 mi
- Washington, NJ10 mi
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