Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit West Milford, NJ

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Wanaque Raymond Dam, NJ, 6 miles southeast of West Milford at 245 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 38°F and 20°F. June is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 48.5 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (26.6 of 48.5 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 35 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (14); a normal September there has highs of 76°F and 4.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 14 days a year, almost all from May to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 121 nights a year. That 48.5 inches is more than at 26 of the 51 New Jersey stations used on this site (51%). Newfoundland, 5 miles southwest, has its own station (Charlotteburg Rsvr, NJ): 52.3 inches a year, 3.8 more than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 84°F.

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 181 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of West Milford: 120 thunderstorm wind reports, 29 flash floods, 15 floods, 13 lightning strikes and 4 heavy rain events. They killed 4 people and injured 11, and the NWS estimated $208.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on August 21, 2011. July has had the most flash floods, 11 of 29. Of the 455 New Jersey cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 109 have had fewer than West Milford.

Flood insurance policyholders in West Milford's ZIP code 07480 have filed 112 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $1.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Irene in 2011: 28 claims (25% of all) and $849,000, then Hurricane Floyd in 1999 with 19 and Flooding in 1984 with 18. 73% 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, 222 have fewer than West Milford.