Hurricanes In New Jersey

There have been 115 hurricanes or tropical storms that affected the U.S. state of New Jersey. Due to its location, few hurricanes have hit the state directly, though numerous hurricanes have passed near or through New Jersey in its history. About every 10 years, hurricanes approach the coastline close enough to send waves over barrier islands' dunes and into back bays. According to an estimate by meteorologist George Prouflis, the chances for a direct hit by a hurricane on the Jersey shore each year is 1 in 200.

New Jersey has seen the remnants of several once-powerful hurricanes, some resulting in heavy damage. Nine storms dropped over of rainfall in the state, including a hurricane in 1940 that interacted with a cold front and dropped of rainfall in Ewan. Numerous hurricanes that remained offshore have each drowned small numbers of swimmers.

List of tropical cyclones

Most of the following are tropical cyclones that passed through the state after weakening from their peak.

Pre–1900

In the 19th century, two hurricanes struck the coastline, each in 1804 and in 1821; both caused minor damage. The most significant storm of the century was the Gale of 1878, which produced hurricane-force winds across western New Jersey. The hurricane caused severe damage and 11 deaths.

*1278–1438 – Sedimentary layers indicate a powerful hurricane hit the state's coastline during this time period.Abstract
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*October 9, 1804 – The Storm of October 1804 struck near Atlantic City as a strong Category 2 or weak Category 3 hurricane, sinking or beaching many ships in the Mid–Atlantic. The hurricane later produces a snow storm in New England.
*August 23, 1806 – A ship off Barnegat Island sunk during the 1806 Great Coastal hurricane, killing 21 people.
*September 22, 1815 – The Great September Gale of 1815 caused heavy damage along the New Jersey coastline while remaining offshore, though exact totals are unknown.
*August 9, 1817 – A tropical storm moved through the western portion of the state.
*September 3, 1821 – An estimated Category 4 hurricane hits near Cape May. Accompanied by a five-foot storm surge, damage is great in the small town, though is only moderate along the coastline due to the sparse population. No known deaths are associated with the hurricane in the state.
*August 30, 1839 – An offshore hurricane forced the floating light in Sandy Hook to break loose and set adrift.
*October 3, 1841 – An offshore hurricane dropped rain and snow in New Brunswick.
*October 13, 1846 – The Great Havana Hurricane of 1846 passed near or over the state, destroying many houses, downing many trees, and drowning several livestock.
*July 18, 1850 – A tropical storm passed to the west of the state, causing heavy rain and crop damage in Burlington.
*August 25, 1850 – A hurricane passing south of Cape May dropped over of rain in New Brunswick.
*September 8, 1850 – An offshore hurricane produced high winds and of rain in Newark.
*September 28, 1861 – A strong tropical storm passed over the state.
*September 19, 1863 – A moderate tropical storm crossed the state.
*October 30, 1866 – A moderate tropical storm brushed the northeastern portion of the state before entering New York.
*October 26, 1872 – A tropical storm moves across New Jersey with winds of .
*August, 1873 – Though it never made landfall on the United States, the Great Nova Scotia Cyclone approached the state, prompting the U.S. Army Signal Corps to issue a hurricane warning from Cape May to New Haven, Connecticut.
*September 29, 1874 – A tropical storm moved through the state.
*October 23, 1878 – The Gale of 1878 struck North Carolina and moved into the Mid-Atlantic, producing winds of up to in Cape May. The hurricane causes high tides and strong flooding, destroying several houses along the coastline, and washing out several railroad lines. Strong winds destroyed around 150 houses in Camden. The hurricane killed eight people in the state.
*September 12, 1882 – A tropical storm passing south of the state caused strong winds and damage along the coastline.
*September 24, 1882 – A weak tropical storm paralleled the coastline.
*June 23, 1886 – A tropical depression crossed the state.
*September 10, 1889 – A hurricane stalled offshore the state and lashed the coastline with high winds, beach erosion, and severe storm tides.
*August 24, 1893 – A hurricane passed just east of the state before making landfall near New York City. The hurricane produced strong winds and rainfall along the coastline.

1900–1949

Hurricane activity was above average during this time period. A hurricane in 1903 hit near Atlantic City, causing heavy damage near the shore. The most severe hurricane in the time period was the 1944 Great Atlantic Hurricane. Though it did not make landfall, it brought strong winds and waves to the coastline, destroying hundreds of homes.
*September 16, 1903 – A hurricane made landfall on Atlantic City with winds of hurricane, making it the most recent hurricane to directly strike the state. Dubbed by the Atlantic City Press as the ''Vagabond hurricane'', the storm gathered media interest from Philadelphia and New York, with one newspaper offering $200,000 (1903 USD) to aid the survivors. When the reporters arrived at the coast, they are disappointed at the lack of damage, which was confined to loose boards along the boardwalk. The storm's strong surf destroyed several boats along the coastline, including 34 in Waretown.
*August 4, 1915 – A tropical depression crossed the northern portion of the state, though damage totals are unknown.
*August 23, 1933 – A hurricane made landfall in the Outer Banks and moved through Pennsylvania. Its large circulation produced heavy rainfall and hurricane-force wind gusts in Atlantic City, where damage reached $3 million (1933 USD). High waves killed two people.
*September 19, 1936 – An offshore, Category 2 hurricane flooded much of Long Beach Island and caused severe beach erosion along the coast. About of sand near the Barnegat Lighthouse was lost, threatening the foundation of the lighthouse.
*September 21, 1938 – The New England Hurricane of 1938 passed to the east of the state, causing strong winds of up to 100 mph (160 km) and powerful waves along the coastline. The bridge to Brigantine collapsed, leaving the city marooned. The Fall tomato crop was ruined, and half of the apple harvest was destroyed.
*August 20, 1939 – Tuckerton received of precipitation from a former hurricane. The storm caused major flooding in the Pine Barrens, washing away a historic village and derailing a train in Chatsworth.
*September 1, 1940 – A hurricane interacting with a cold front dropped of rainfall in Ewan, making it the wettest tropical cyclone in state history. Flooding damage totaled $4 million (1940 USD), and there were four deaths.
*August 1, 1944 – A tropical storm hit Cape May after passing through the Delmarva Peninsula, causing severe beach erosion and high tides.
*September 13–September 14, 1944 – The " Great Atlantic hurricane" paralleled the coastline, causing severe flooding, a storm surge of up to , and intense waves of up to in height. Along the entire coastline, strong winds gusting to destroyed hundreds of homes and damaged thousands, while the ferocious waves washed away fishing piers and boardwalks. Rainfall from the storm reached near New Brunswick. The hurricane caused $25 million (1944 USD) in damage and nine deaths in the state.

1950–1979

Several tropical cyclones affected the state during the time period, though Hurricane Donna was the most severe. Paralleling the coastline offshore, the hurricane caused heavy damage near the coastline from high waves and winds. In addition, Hurricane Belle was predicted to strike the state, though it passed to the east with only minor effects.
*August 20, 1950 – Offshore Hurricane Able dropped in Marlboro Township.
*September 1, 1952 – Tropical Depression Able moved across the northern portion of the state, dropping of rainfall in Oak Ridge.
*August 14, 1953 – Offshore Hurricane Barbara dropped of rainfall near Cape May. Slick roads caused a deadly traffic accident on the New Jersey Turnpike.
*August 31, 1954 – Hurricane Carol caused gusty winds along the coastline and moderate damage.
*September 10, 1954 – Hurricane Edna skirted the coastline, producing tropical storm force winds of up to 65 mph and dropping 4 inches of rain in Long Branch.
*October 15, 1954 – Hurricane Hazel passed well to the west of New Jersey, producing very high winds but only sporadic rainfall. Wind gusts peak at 92 mph in Teterboro