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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Salem, NJ

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

44 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Salem, New Jersey since 1851, 4 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 67 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
4

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
40

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
67

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
3

1 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Salem

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Salem, New Jersey, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021IdaSep 219 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 4
2021ElsaJul 953 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
2020ZetaOct 2967 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 3
2020IsaiasAug 419 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 1
2020FayJul 1056 miTropical storm (51 mph)Tropical storm
2013AndreaJun 861 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2012SandyOct 3011 miTropical storm (71 mph)Category 3
2011IreneAug 2856 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
2008HannaSep 621 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
2006ErnestoSep 267 miTropical storm (43 mph)Category 1
2004JeanneSep 2965 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 3
1999FloydSep 1657 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 4
1996BerthaJul 1318 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1992DanielleSep 2624 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1971DoriaAug 2837 miTropical storm (55 mph)Tropical storm
1961Unnamed 1961 stormSep 1554 miTropical storm (60 mph)Tropical storm
1960BrendaJul 3038 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1955DianeAug 1845 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1955ConnieAug 1369 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1952AbleSep 153 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1944Unnamed 1944 stormAug 345 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1943Unnamed 1943 stormOct 172 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
1934Unnamed 1934 stormJun 1915 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1929Unnamed 1929 stormOct 251 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 3039 miTropical storm (71 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1763 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 441 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1539 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 1
1903Unnamed 1903 stormSep 1634 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 2
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1663 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
1899Unnamed 1899 stormNov 134 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 1072 miCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 2374 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2953 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1131 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 2348 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 2364 miCategory 1 (87 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 433 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 2924 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2622 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1866Unnamed 1866 stormOct 3063 miTropical storm (66 mph)Tropical storm
1863Unnamed 1863 stormSep 1923 miTropical storm (54 mph)Tropical storm
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 2836 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 1
1856Unnamed 1856 stormAug 2071 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm

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

By decade

  • 2020s7(1 EF3+)
  • 2010s5
  • 2000s6
  • 1990s13(1 EF3+)
  • 1980s12
  • 1970s15
  • 1960s7(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s2
Strongest tornadoes near Salem, New Jersey
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Sep 1, 2021EF313 mi12.37 mi0 / 2
Jul 27, 1994F322 mi4 mi0 / 11
Apr 28, 1961F311 mi0.3 mi0 / 0
Sep 5, 1979F222 mi4.1 mi1 / 4
Aug 4, 2020EF215 mi35.78 mi0 / 0
Sep 28, 2004F212 mi5 mi0 / 0
Sep 27, 1993F28 mi10 mi0 / 0
Oct 18, 1990F218 mi1 mi0 / 0
May 10, 1990F222 mi0.5 mi0 / 0
Jun 9, 1989F220 mi2 mi0 / 1
Aug 17, 1988F212 mi1.5 mi0 / 0
May 15, 1981F221 mi1.5 mi0 / 2

The strongest 12 of 67, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Salem while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

Other cities in New Jersey