NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Morristown, 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
38 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Morristown, New Jersey since 1851, 6 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 58 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 6
- Tropical storms
- 32
- Tornadoes
- 58
- 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 Morristown
The strongest storm to pass near Morristown was Gloria in 1985, a Category 1 hurricane with 87 mph winds when its centre passed 62 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 31 miles. The record near Morristown begins with an unnamed storm in 1861; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 44 miles away. The 1870s and the 1890s were the busiest decades, with 4 systems each. Of the 38 systems, 5 have come since 2000. Of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site, 64% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Morristown. The highest rating among the 58 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on September 26, 1977, came within 24 miles. Of the 58, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 13 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 16. The most recent tornado was on June 26, 2023. Morristown has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 59% of the 455 New Jersey cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 51 times since 1975, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 455 New Jersey cities, 61% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Morristown.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Morristown
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaSep 2 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | FayJul 11 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 7 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 62 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1976 | BelleAug 10 | 63 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 22 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | DianeAug 19 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 17 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | overhead | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 74 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1903 | Unnamed 1903 stormSep 16 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 14 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 73 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 31 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 11 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 22 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 24 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 65 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 5 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 26 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 39 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 Morristown: 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 Morristown
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s6
- 2000s4
- 1990s16
- 1980s13
- 1970s12(3 EF3+)
- 1960s2
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 1977 | F3 | 24 mi | 5.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 28, 1973 | F3 | 13 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 12 |
| May 28, 1973 | F3 | in town | 0.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 26, 1981 | F2 | 21 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 20, 1981 | F2 | 12 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 1974 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 2, 1973 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 1962 | F2 | 24 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 26, 2023 | EF1 | 6 mi | 1.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 31, 2019 | EF1 | 4 mi | 4.87 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 28, 2019 | EF1 | 13 mi | 1.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 25, 2016 | EF1 | 17 mi | 3.49 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 58, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Morristown
The Storm Prediction Center has 51 hail reports within 10 miles of Morristown since 1975, made on 40 separate days. Of these, 30 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on July 11, 1995. The most recent report is from August 6, 2024. June and July have the most reports, 11 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Morristown
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Canoe Brook, NJ, 8 miles southeast of Morristown at 180 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 40°F and 22°F. August is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 50.4 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (27.2 of 50.4 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 38 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (15); a normal September there has highs of 78°F and 4.6 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 117 nights a year. Snowfall averages 24.0 inches a year, most of it in February. That 50.4 inches is more than at 35 of the 51 New Jersey stations used on this site (69%). Cedar Knolls, 3 miles northeast, has its own station (Boonton 1 SE, NJ): 49.3 inches a year, 1.1 less than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 22 | 3.5 | 6 | 5.8 |
| Feb | 42 | 23 | 3.0 | 5 | 8.4 |
| Mar | 50 | 31 | 4.2 | 7 | 4.6 |
| Apr | 62 | 41 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.4 |
| May | 72 | 50 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 60 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 66 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 64 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 78 | 56 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 66 | 44 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 54 | 35 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.7 |
| Dec | 44 | 28 | 4.4 | 7 | 4.1 |
| Year | 63 | 43 | 50.4 | 80 | 24.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Canoe Brook, NJ (180 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 Morristown
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 401 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Morristown: 279 thunderstorm wind reports, 61 flash floods, 36 floods, 16 lightning strikes and 9 heavy rain events. They killed 2 people and injured 10, and the NWS estimated $61.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on July 1, 2013. August has had the most flash floods, 27 of 61. Of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 205 have had fewer than Morristown.
June 18, 2018: thunderstorm wind in Morristown — 1 killed, 1 injured.
NWS: “One person died and One other person critically injured when a tree fell onto a moving car traveling on Ford Road. Person died on June 22, 2018.”
August 16, 1997: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Morristown — 1 killed.
July 26, 2012: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Morristown — 3 injured, $25,000 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 Morristown's ZIP code 07960 have filed 106 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $1.9 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Irene in 2011: 30 claims (28% of all) and $1.1 million, then Flooding in 1996 with 10. 63% 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, 216 have fewer than Morristown.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irene2011 | 30 | $1.1 million |
| Flooding1996 | 10 | $83,000 |
Morris County, which includes Morristown, has been named in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 22 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 hurricanes, 8 severe storms, 5 snowstorms, 4 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Hurricane Ida, on September 5, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Morris County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $208.1 million a year, the 5th highest of 21 New Jersey counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $158.1 million (76%), 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 Morristown
- Cedar Knolls, NJ3 mi
- Morris Plains, NJ3 mi
- Whippany, NJ4 mi
- Madison, NJ4 mi
- Florham Park, NJ5 mi
- Mendham, NJ6 mi
- Parsippany, NJ6 mi
- Randolph, NJ6 mi
- Chatham, NJ6 mi
- Denville, NJ6 mi
- East Hanover, NJ7 mi
- Bernardsville, NJ7 mi
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