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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Randolph, 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

36 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Randolph, New Jersey since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 51 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
3

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
33

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
51

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
2

no recorded deaths

What the records show for Randolph

The strongest storm to pass near Randolph was Gloria in 1985, a Category 1 hurricane with 87 mph winds when its centre passed 68 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 37 miles. The record near Randolph begins with an unnamed storm in 1861; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 49 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1870s, with 4 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 36 systems, 5 have come since 2000. Of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site, 87% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Randolph. The highest rating among the 51 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 28, 1973, came within 5 miles. Of the 51, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 9 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on June 26, 2023. Of the 455 New Jersey cities, 60% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Randolph. 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 Randolph.

Compare Randolph's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Randolph

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Randolph, New Jersey, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021IdaSep 249 miTropical storm (43 mph)Category 4
2020IsaiasAug 426 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
2020FayJul 1147 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
2011IreneAug 2834 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
2008HannaSep 746 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1999FloydSep 1658 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 4
1996BerthaJul 1335 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1985GloriaSep 2768 miCategory 1 (87 mph)Category 4
1976BelleAug 1068 miTropical storm (72 mph)Category 3
1972AgnesJun 2246 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 1
1971DoriaAug 2832 miTropical storm (60 mph)Tropical storm
1968Unnamed 1968 stormSep 1169 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1961Unnamed 1961 stormSep 1566 miTropical storm (62 mph)Tropical storm
1960BrendaJul 3047 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1955DianeAug 1924 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1952AbleSep 112 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 2
1949Unnamed 1949 stormAug 2971 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 4
1934Unnamed 1934 stormJun 1944 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1929Unnamed 1929 stormOct 361 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 3032 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 1
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 45 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 1
1903Unnamed 1903 stormSep 1636 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 2
1900Unnamed 1900 stormOct 1459 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1899Unnamed 1899 stormNov 124 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 2
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2922 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2437 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 3
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1160 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 2219 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 2473 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 2359 miCategory 1 (82 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 573 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 2939 miTropical storm (67 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2642 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1866Unnamed 1866 stormOct 3027 miTropical storm (60 mph)Tropical storm
1863Unnamed 1863 stormSep 1918 miTropical storm (51 mph)Tropical storm
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 2845 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1

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

By decade

  • 2020s3
  • 2010s5
  • 2000s1
  • 1990s13
  • 1980s15
  • 1970s10(2 EF3+)
  • 1960s1
  • 1950s3
Strongest tornadoes near Randolph, New Jersey
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
May 28, 1973F38 mi0.4 mi0 / 12
May 28, 1973F35 mi0.4 mi0 / 0
Oct 26, 1981F216 mi0.8 mi0 / 0
Jul 20, 1981F27 mi3.6 mi0 / 0
Apr 14, 1974F214 mi0.5 mi0 / 0
Feb 2, 1973F223 mi0.3 mi0 / 0
Jun 26, 2023EF18 mi1.38 mi0 / 0
Oct 31, 2019EF19 mi4.87 mi0 / 0
May 28, 2019EF17 mi1.25 mi0 / 0
Jul 25, 2016EF118 mi3.49 mi0 / 0
Sep 7, 1998F120 mi0.2 mi0 / 0
Sep 11, 1997F122 mi0.3 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 51, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Randolph

The Storm Prediction Center has 51 hail reports within 10 miles of Randolph since 1975, made on 44 separate days. Of these, 24 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 June 22, 2024. June has the most reports, 15.

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

Weather by month in Randolph

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Boonton 1 SE, NJ, 10 miles east of Randolph at 280 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 38°F and 21°F. June is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 49.3 inches over 83 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (26.6 of 49.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 36 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (14); a normal September there has highs of 77°F and 4.7 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 16 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 124 nights a year. That 49.3 inches is more than at 31 of the 51 New Jersey stations used on this site (61%). Succasunna, 4 miles west, has its own station (Andover Aeroflex Airport, NJ): 48.8 inches a year, 0.5 less than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 85°F.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Boonton 1 SE, NJ
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"
Jan38213.76
Feb40222.86
Mar48294.27
Apr61393.67
May71494.08
Jun81594.98
Jul85644.78
Aug84623.77
Sep77544.76
Oct64424.56
Nov53334.16
Dec42264.48
Year624249.383

Averages for 1991–2020 at Boonton 1 SE, NJ (280 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.

New Jersey weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Randolph

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 337 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Randolph: 255 thunderstorm wind reports, 32 flash floods, 27 floods, 14 lightning strikes and 9 heavy rain events. They killed 2 people and injured 10, and the NWS estimated $18.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on March 7, 2022. August has had the most flash floods, 10 of 32. Of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 120 have had fewer than Randolph.

  • June 18, 2018: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Randolph — 1 killed, 1 injured.

  • August 16, 1997: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Randolph — 1 killed.

  • July 26, 2012: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Randolph — 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 Randolph's ZIP code 07869 have filed 28 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $822,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2011, with 10. 54% 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, 81 have fewer than Randolph.

Morris County, which includes Randolph, 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 Randolph