Skip to content

NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit South Orange, 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 South Orange, New Jersey since 1851, 8 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 60 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
8

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
36

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
60

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
2

1 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near South Orange

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of South Orange, New Jersey, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021IdaSep 236 miTropical storm (44 mph)Category 4
2021ElsaJul 965 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
2020IsaiasAug 444 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
2020FayJul 1138 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
2013AndreaJun 865 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2011IreneAug 2816 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
2008HannaSep 730 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1999FloydSep 1640 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1996BerthaJul 1318 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1985GloriaSep 2750 miCategory 1 (87 mph)Category 4
1985HenriSep 2473 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1976BelleAug 1051 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 3
1972AgnesJun 2221 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1971DoriaAug 2814 miTropical storm (53 mph)Tropical storm
1968Unnamed 1968 stormSep 1151 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1961Unnamed 1961 stormSep 1548 miTropical storm (62 mph)Tropical storm
1960DonnaSep 1265 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 4
1960BrendaJul 3029 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1955DianeAug 1915 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1952AbleSep 128 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 2
1938Unnamed 1938 stormSep 2171 miCategory 3 (121 mph)Category 5
1934Unnamed 1934 stormSep 863 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 2
1934Unnamed 1934 stormJun 1930 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 3014 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1763 miTropical storm (55 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 410 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1564 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 1
1903Unnamed 1903 stormSep 1648 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 2
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1665 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
1900Unnamed 1900 stormOct 1441 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1899Unnamed 1899 stormNov 141 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 2
1897Unnamed 1897 stormSep 2467 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 1062 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2939 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2419 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 3
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1143 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 2231 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 2457 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 558 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 2922 miTropical storm (67 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2625 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1866Unnamed 1866 stormOct 309 miTropical storm (60 mph)Tropical storm
1863Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19overheadTropical storm (51 mph)Tropical storm
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 2827 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 South Orange: 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 Orange

By decade

  • 2020s4
  • 2010s11
  • 2000s4
  • 1990s12
  • 1980s14
  • 1970s10(2 EF3+)
  • 1960s1
  • 1950s4
Strongest tornadoes near South Orange, New Jersey
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Sep 26, 1977F323 mi5.9 mi0 / 0
May 28, 1973F313 mi0.4 mi0 / 0
Aug 8, 2007EF211 mi5.87 mi0 / 9
Jul 20, 1981F225 mi3.6 mi0 / 0
Jul 15, 1970F221 mi2 mi0 / 0
Aug 7, 1962F216 mi2.5 mi0 / 0
Sep 6, 1956F223 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Sep 16, 2010EF122 mi4 mi1 / 1
Jun 26, 2023EF116 mi1.38 mi0 / 0
Oct 31, 2019EF17 mi4.87 mi0 / 0
May 28, 2019EF125 mi1.25 mi0 / 0
Jul 25, 2016EF124 mi3.49 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 60, 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 South Orange 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