NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Montague, 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
24 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Montague, New Jersey since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 21 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 22
- Tornadoes
- 21
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Montague
The strongest storm to pass near Montague was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 1 hurricane with 84 mph winds when its centre passed 55 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1878, whose centre came within 32 miles. The record near Montague begins with an unnamed storm in 1861; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 4 miles away. Of the 24 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site, 93% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Montague. The highest rating among the 21 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 31, 1998, came within 8 miles. Of the 21, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 7 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on July 23, 2010. Of the 455 New Jersey cities, 96% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Montague. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 45 times since 1994, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 455 New Jersey cities, 68% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Montague.
Compare Montague's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Montague
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 23 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | DianeAug 19 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 16 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 55 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 32 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 26 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Montague: 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 Montague
By decade
- 2010s2
- 2000s5
- 1990s7(1 EF3+)
- 1980s5(1 EF3+)
- 1970s1
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1998 | F3 | 8 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 14, 1988 | F3 | 12 mi | 7.2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 23, 2010 | EF2 | 15 mi | 25.72 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2009 | EF2 | 6 mi | 6.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1998 | F2 | 20 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1998 | F2 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 16, 1974 | F2 | 19 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 23, 2010 | EF1 | 23 mi | 3.51 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 1, 2006 | F1 | 18 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 11, 1997 | F1 | 23 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 28, 1996 | F1 | 24 mi | 1.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 16, 1989 | F1 | 15 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 21, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Montague
The Storm Prediction Center has 45 hail reports within 10 miles of Montague since 1994, made on 23 separate days. Of these, 25 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently June 28, 2020. The most recent report is from April 22, 2023. June has the most reports, 19.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Montague
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Matamoras, PA, 7 miles north of Montague at 459 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 34°F and 16°F. June is the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 47.3 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 (26.2 of 47.3 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 24 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (9); a normal August there has highs of 81°F and 4.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 9 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 151 nights a year. Snowfall averages 40.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 47.3 inches is more than at 20 of the 51 New Jersey stations used on this site (39%). Matamoras, PA, 6 miles northeast, has its own station (Port Jervis, NY): 47.2 inches a year, 0.1 less than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 16 | 3.1 | 7 | 11.6 |
| Feb | 37 | 17 | 2.9 | 5 | 9.7 |
| Mar | 46 | 25 | 3.9 | 7 | 6.8 |
| Apr | 59 | 34 | 3.9 | 7 | 1.9 |
| May | 70 | 45 | 3.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 78 | 55 | 5.4 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 82 | 59 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 57 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 74 | 51 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 62 | 39 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 50 | 29 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.8 |
| Dec | 40 | 23 | 4.0 | 7 | 10.0 |
| Year | 59 | 37 | 47.3 | 82 | 40.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Matamoras, PA (459 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 Montague
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 165 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Montague: 141 thunderstorm wind reports, 15 flash floods, 4 heavy rain events, 3 lightning strikes and 2 floods. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $1.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on February 25, 2017. July has had the most flash floods, 8 of 15. Of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 39 have had fewer than Montague.
August 16, 1997: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Montague — 1 killed.
July 23, 2012: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Montague — 2 injured.
April 19, 2013: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Montague — $1.0 million 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 Montague's ZIP code 07827 have filed 13 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1981, and were paid $171,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 8% 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, 19 have fewer than Montague.
Sussex County, which includes Montague, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 hurricanes, 7 severe storms, 4 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Hurricane Ida, on September 5, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Sussex County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very 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 $58.7 million a year, the 18th highest of 21 New Jersey counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $27.3 million (47%), 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.