NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit High Bridge, 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
33 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of High Bridge, New Jersey since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 50 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 31
- Tornadoes
- 50
- 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 High Bridge
The strongest storm to pass near High Bridge was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 1 hurricane with 86 mph winds when its centre passed 52 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1878, whose centre came within 51 miles. The record near High Bridge begins with an unnamed storm in 1861; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 43 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1870s, with 4 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 33 systems, 6 have come since 2000. Of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site, 93% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than High Bridge. The highest rating among the 50 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on October 18, 1990, came within 15 miles. Of the 50, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 17 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 10. The most recent tornado was on May 6, 2025. Of the 455 New Jersey cities, 62% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than High Bridge. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 34 times since 1983, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 455 New Jersey cities, 78% have more hail reports within 10 miles than High Bridge.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near High Bridge
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 2 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | FayJul 11 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 7 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 22 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | DianeAug 19 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 11 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 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 16 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 14 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 17 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 | 52 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 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 51 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 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 26 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 52 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 High Bridge: 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 High Bridge
By decade
- 2020s9
- 2010s6
- 2000s2
- 1990s10(1 EF3+)
- 1980s7
- 1970s9(2 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 18, 1990 | F3 | 15 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 8 |
| May 28, 1973 | F3 | 15 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 12 |
| May 28, 1973 | F3 | 22 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | EF2 | 23 mi | 6.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 26, 1981 | F2 | 14 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 20, 1981 | F2 | 17 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 20, 1981 | F2 | 18 mi | 4.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 1974 | F2 | 11 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 2, 1973 | F2 | 5 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 1962 | F2 | 24 mi | 16.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 6, 2025 | EF1 | 21 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 26, 2023 | EF1 | 17 mi | 1.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 50, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in High Bridge
The Storm Prediction Center has 34 hail reports within 10 miles of High Bridge since 1983, made on 29 separate days. Of these, 13 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. June has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in High Bridge
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Flemington 5 NNW, NJ, 7 miles south of High Bridge at 265 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 38°F and 21°F. July is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 50.9 inches over 83 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (26.3 of 50.9 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 33 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (11); a normal September there has highs of 77°F and 4.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 21 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 124 nights a year. Snowfall averages 27.1 inches a year, most of it in February. That 50.9 inches is more than at 43 of the 51 New Jersey stations used on this site (84%). Califon, 5 miles northeast, has its own station (Somerville Somerset Airport, NJ): 45.5 inches a year, 5.4 less than here, and the same July average high, 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 21 | 3.9 | 7 | 6.2 |
| Feb | 41 | 22 | 3.1 | 6 | 9.4 |
| Mar | 50 | 29 | 4.5 | 7 | 5.7 |
| Apr | 63 | 39 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.9 |
| May | 72 | 49 | 4.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 81 | 58 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 63 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 61 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 77 | 54 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 65 | 42 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 53 | 33 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.4 |
| Dec | 43 | 26 | 4.7 | 7 | 4.5 |
| Year | 63 | 41 | 50.9 | 83 | 27.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Flemington 5 NNW, NJ (265 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 High Bridge
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 278 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of High Bridge: 183 thunderstorm wind reports, 38 flash floods, 28 floods, 21 heavy rain events and 8 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $269.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on March 7, 2022. July has had the most flash floods, 11 of 38. Of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 136 have had fewer than High Bridge.
September 7, 1998: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of High Bridge — 2 injured, $49,000 damage.
August 8, 2007: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of High Bridge — 1 injured, $60,000 damage.
July 18, 1997: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of High Bridge — 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 High Bridge's ZIP code 08829 have filed 15 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $170,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 67% 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, 30 have fewer than High Bridge.
Hunterdon County, which includes High Bridge, 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 High Bridge
- Clinton, NJ2 mi
- Annandale, NJ3 mi
- Glen Gardner, NJ3 mi
- Lebanon, NJ4 mi
- Hampton, NJ4 mi
- Califon, NJ5 mi
- Pittstown, NJ7 mi
- Asbury, NJ7 mi
- Whitehouse Station, NJ8 mi
- Port Murray, NJ8 mi
- Washington, NJ8 mi
- Long Valley, NJ10 mi
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