Skip to content

NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit South Bound Brook, 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

45 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of South Bound Brook, New Jersey since 1851, 9 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 68 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
9

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
36

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
68

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
5

no recorded deaths

What the records show for South Bound Brook

The strongest storm to pass near South Bound Brook was Donna in 1960, a Category 2 hurricane with 98 mph winds when its centre passed 72 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 33 miles. The record near South Bound Brook begins with an unnamed storm in 1861; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 29 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 5 systems, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 45 systems, 8 have come since 2000. South Bound Brook has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 69% of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site. The highest rating among the 68 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on October 18, 1990, came within 14 miles. Of the 68, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 23 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on June 14, 2024. South Bound Brook has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 79% of the 455 New Jersey cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 66 times since 1967, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). South Bound Brook has more hail reports within 10 miles than 52% of the 455 New Jersey cities.

Compare South Bound Brook's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near South Bound Brook

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of South Bound Brook, New Jersey, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021IdaSep 229 miTropical storm (43 mph)Category 4
2021ElsaJul 966 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
2020IsaiasAug 437 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
2020FayJul 1113 miTropical storm (39 mph)Tropical storm
2013AndreaJun 866 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2012SandyOct 3069 miCategory 1 (76 mph)Category 3
2011IreneAug 2826 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
2008HannaSep 730 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1999FloydSep 1646 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 4
1996BerthaJul 1319 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1985GloriaSep 2758 miCategory 1 (89 mph)Category 4
1976BelleAug 1062 miCategory 1 (76 mph)Category 3
1972AgnesJun 2250 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 1
1971DoriaAug 2821 miTropical storm (61 mph)Tropical storm
1968Unnamed 1968 stormSep 1163 miTropical storm (62 mph)Tropical storm
1961Unnamed 1961 stormSep 1553 miTropical storm (62 mph)Tropical storm
1960DonnaSep 1272 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 4
1960BrendaJul 3034 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1955DianeAug 194 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1952AbleSep 129 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1934Unnamed 1934 stormSep 873 miCategory 1 (76 mph)Category 2
1934Unnamed 1934 stormJun 1925 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1929Unnamed 1929 stormOct 371 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 3022 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1766 miTropical storm (54 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 413 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 1
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1562 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 1
1903Unnamed 1903 stormSep 1630 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 2
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1668 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
1900Unnamed 1900 stormOct 1447 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1899Unnamed 1899 stormNov 137 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 2
1897Unnamed 1897 stormSep 2473 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 1066 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2938 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2433 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 3
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1144 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 2238 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 2457 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 2371 miCategory 1 (83 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 556 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 2926 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2627 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1866Unnamed 1866 stormOct 3022 miTropical storm (61 mph)Tropical storm
1863Unnamed 1863 stormSep 198 miTropical storm (51 mph)Tropical storm
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 2832 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 1

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

By decade

  • 2020s9
  • 2010s7
  • 2000s7
  • 1990s15(1 EF3+)
  • 1980s12
  • 1970s11(3 EF3+)
  • 1960s4(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s3
Strongest tornadoes near South Bound Brook, New Jersey
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Oct 18, 1990F314 mi0.5 mi0 / 8
Sep 26, 1977F38 mi5.9 mi0 / 0
May 28, 1973F323 mi0.4 mi0 / 12
May 28, 1973F317 mi0.4 mi0 / 0
Jun 24, 1960F321 mi12.9 mi0 / 0
Feb 21, 2023EF220 mi5.8 mi0 / 0
Jul 29, 2021EF224 mi6.31 mi0 / 0
May 27, 2001F218 mi1.5 mi0 / 0
Aug 17, 1988F223 mi4.5 mi0 / 0
Jul 20, 1981F224 mi3.6 mi0 / 0
Apr 14, 1974F224 mi0.5 mi0 / 0
Feb 2, 1973F218 mi0.3 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 68, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in South Bound Brook

The Storm Prediction Center has 66 hail reports within 10 miles of South Bound Brook since 1967, made on 47 separate days. Of these, 33 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 September 9, 2023. The most recent report is from September 6, 2025. July has the most reports, 24.

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

Weather by month in South Bound Brook

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Plainfield, NJ, 8 miles northeast of South Bound Brook at 90 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 24°F. July is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 48.7 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (25.7 of 48.7 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 45 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (18); a normal September there has highs of 79°F and 4.3 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 103 nights a year. Snowfall averages 21.4 inches a year, most of it in February. That 48.7 inches is more than at 28 of the 51 New Jersey stations used on this site (55%). Bound Brook, 1 mile northwest, has its own station (Somerville 4 NW, NJ): 46.8 inches a year, 1.9 less than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 88°F.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Plainfield, NJ
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"Snow in
Jan41243.875.1
Feb44263.158.3
Mar53324.385.3
Apr66423.670.1
May75514.070.0
Jun84604.370.0
Jul88665.370.0
Aug86644.060.0
Sep79584.360.0
Oct66464.360.0
Nov56363.560.2
Dec46294.272.4
Year654448.77821.4

Averages for 1991–2020 at Plainfield, NJ (90 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 South Bound Brook

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 545 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of South Bound Brook: 314 thunderstorm wind reports, 111 flash floods, 83 floods, 21 lightning strikes and 16 heavy rain events. They killed 13 people and injured 7, and the NWS estimated $211.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on July 1, 2013. July has had the most flash floods, 42 of 111. Of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 263 have had fewer than South Bound Brook.

  • September 1, 2021: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of South Bound Brook — 3 killed, $50.0 million damage.

  • September 1, 2021: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of South Bound Brook — 3 killed, $26.0 million damage.

  • September 1, 2021: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of South Bound Brook — 2 killed, $85.0 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 South Bound Brook's ZIP code 08880 have filed 93 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $6.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Ida in 2021: 26 claims (28% of all) and $3.8 million, then Hurricane Irene in 2011 with 25 and Hurricane Floyd in 1999 with 12. The year with the most claims was 2011, with 31. 91% 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, 203 have fewer than South Bound Brook.

Flood insurance claims in South Bound Brook by named event
EventClaimsPaid
Hurricane Ida202126$3.8 million
Hurricane Irene201125$1.1 million
Hurricane Floyd199912$562,000

Somerset County, which includes South Bound Brook, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 hurricanes, 6 severe storms, 5 floods, 4 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Hurricane Ida, on September 5, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Somerset 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 and coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $160.6 million a year, the 11th highest of 21 New Jersey counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $125.7 million (78%), 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 South Bound Brook