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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Springfield, 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

44 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Springfield, New Jersey since 1851, 8 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 59 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
8

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
36

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
59

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
3

no recorded deaths

What the records show for Springfield

The strongest storm to pass near Springfield was an unnamed storm in 1938, a Category 3 hurricane with 121 mph winds when its centre passed 74 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 22 miles. The record near Springfield begins with an unnamed storm in 1861; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 35 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 5 systems, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 44 systems, 7 have come since 2000. Springfield has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 53% of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site. The highest rating among the 59 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on September 26, 1977, came within 19 miles. Of the 59, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 18 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on June 26, 2023. Springfield has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 63% of the 455 New Jersey cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 72 times since 1967, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Springfield has more hail reports within 10 miles than 58% of the 455 New Jersey cities.

Compare Springfield's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Springfield

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Springfield, New Jersey, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021IdaSep 235 miTropical storm (44 mph)Category 4
2021ElsaJul 965 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
2020IsaiasAug 443 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
2020FayJul 1135 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
2013AndreaJun 866 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2011IreneAug 2818 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
2008HannaSep 730 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1999FloydSep 1641 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 4
1996BerthaJul 1319 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1985GloriaSep 2752 miCategory 1 (87 mph)Category 4
1985HenriSep 2474 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1976BelleAug 1053 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 3
1972AgnesJun 2236 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 1
1971DoriaAug 2815 miTropical storm (60 mph)Tropical storm
1968Unnamed 1968 stormSep 1154 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1961Unnamed 1961 stormSep 1549 miTropical storm (62 mph)Tropical storm
1960DonnaSep 1267 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 4
1960BrendaJul 3031 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1955DianeAug 1912 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1952AbleSep 129 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 2
1938Unnamed 1938 stormSep 2174 miCategory 3 (121 mph)Category 5
1934Unnamed 1934 stormSep 865 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 2
1934Unnamed 1934 stormJun 1929 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 3016 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1764 miTropical storm (55 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 411 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1563 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 1
1903Unnamed 1903 stormSep 1644 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 2
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1666 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
1900Unnamed 1900 stormOct 1442 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1899Unnamed 1899 stormNov 140 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 2
1897Unnamed 1897 stormSep 2469 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 1063 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2939 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2422 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 3
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1143 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 2232 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 2457 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 557 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 2923 miTropical storm (67 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2625 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1866Unnamed 1866 stormOct 3012 miTropical storm (60 mph)Tropical storm
1863Unnamed 1863 stormSep 192 miTropical storm (51 mph)Tropical storm
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 2828 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 Springfield: 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 Springfield

By decade

  • 2020s4
  • 2010s8
  • 2000s6
  • 1990s14
  • 1980s13
  • 1970s9(3 EF3+)
  • 1960s2
  • 1950s3
Strongest tornadoes near Springfield, New Jersey
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Sep 26, 1977F319 mi5.9 mi0 / 0
May 28, 1973F323 mi0.4 mi0 / 12
May 28, 1973F312 mi0.4 mi0 / 0
Aug 8, 2007EF217 mi3.92 mi0 / 9
May 27, 2001F223 mi1.5 mi0 / 0
Jul 20, 1981F223 mi3.6 mi0 / 0
Aug 7, 1962F221 mi2.5 mi0 / 0
Jun 26, 2023EF113 mi1.38 mi0 / 0
Oct 31, 2019EF16 mi4.87 mi0 / 0
May 28, 2019EF124 mi1.25 mi0 / 0
Jul 25, 2016EF120 mi3.49 mi0 / 0
Oct 7, 2013EF120 mi1.25 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 59, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Springfield

The Storm Prediction Center has 72 hail reports within 10 miles of Springfield since 1967, made on 44 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 6 days, most recently July 27, 2008. The most recent report is from September 8, 2023. July has the most reports, 23.

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

Weather by month in Springfield

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cranford, NJ, 2 miles south of Springfield at 80 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 40°F and 25°F. July is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 50.4 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (26.2 of 50.4 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 44 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (20); a normal September there has highs of 77°F and 4.3 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 28 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 111 nights a year. Snowfall averages 26.3 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%). Millburn, 2 miles northeast, has its own station (Canoe Brook, NJ): 50.4 inches a year, the same as here, and the same July average high, 86°F.

Water temperature at the NOAA tide station The Battery, NY, 16 miles east, averaged 74°F in August and 39°F in February over 2021–2025. No month averaged 80°F. Sea level at the Bergen Point tide gauge, 10 miles from Springfield, has risen 1.86 ± 0.13 inches per decade from 1981 to 2024, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 18.6 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 114 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Cranford, NJ
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"Snow inWater °F
Jan40253.777.041
Feb43273.368.239
Mar51334.475.042
Apr63434.170.349
May72534.280.058
Jun81624.570.066
Jul86685.370.073
Aug84664.170.074
Sep77594.360.072
Oct66474.460.065
Nov55383.660.156
Dec45314.575.746
Year634650.48126.357

Averages for 1991–2020 at Cranford, NJ (80 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station The Battery, NY, from NOAA Tides & Currents. 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 Springfield

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 740 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Springfield: 383 thunderstorm wind reports, 256 flash floods, 69 floods, 26 lightning strikes and 6 heavy rain events. They killed 19 people and injured 20, and the NWS estimated $91.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 104 mph, on June 10, 2008. July has had the most flash floods, 90 of 256. Of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 354 have had fewer than Springfield.

  • September 1, 2021: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Springfield — 4 killed.

  • July 3, 2025: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Springfield — 2 killed, $15,000 damage.

  • September 1, 2021: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Springfield — 2 killed.

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 Springfield's ZIP code 07081 have filed 422 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $9.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Irene in 2011: 137 claims (32% of all) and $4.5 million, then Hurricane Ida in 2021 with 74 and Hurricane Floyd in 1999 with 66. 81% 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, 319 have fewer than Springfield.

Flood insurance claims in Springfield by named event
EventClaimsPaid
Hurricane Irene2011137$4.5 million
Hurricane Ida202174$3.2 million
Hurricane Floyd199966$724,000
Flooding199622$250,000
April 2007 Nor'easter200718$133,000

Union County, which includes Springfield, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 hurricanes, 5 floods, 5 severe storms, 4 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Hurricane Ida, on September 5, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Union County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively High for inland flooding; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes, coastal flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $163.1 million a year, the 10th highest of 21 New Jersey counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $116.7 million (72%), 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 Springfield