Somerset County, New Jersey severe weather history spans 619 recorded events between 1960 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 52.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #542 nationally and #7 in New Jersey.
619
Recorded events
7
Direct deaths
121
Direct injuries
$765.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Somerset County, New Jersey severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Somerset County, New Jersey severe weather history averages 9.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 194 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 11 events fall before 1990 and 608 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Somerset County, New Jersey record is flash flood, responsible for 7 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $489.2M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Somerset County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 323 | 0 | $5.0M | 74 | 1976–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 88 | 7 | $489.2M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 88 | 0 | $266.0M | 0 | 2002–2025 |
| Hail | 43 | 0 | $100K | 1.75 | 1978–2025 |
| Lightning | 37 | 0 | $2.5M | 0 | 1998–2021 |
| Heavy Rain | 34 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2017 |
| Tornado | 4 | 0 | $2.5M | F3 | 1960–2023 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2023 |
Decade by decade
Somerset County, New Jersey severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
6 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 5 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-10-18 | EF3 | 0 | 8 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-06-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2016-07-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1960-11-29 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-10-27 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-09-07 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Somerset County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2021 | Flash Flood | BRANCHBURG PARK | 3 | 0 | $25.0M |
| Sep 16, 1999 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 2 | 100 | $358.0M |
| Sep 1, 2021 | Flash Flood | BRANCHBURG PARK | 2 | 0 | $75.0M |
| Oct 18, 1990 | Tornado | 0 | 8 | $2.5M | |
| Aug 13, 2001 | Lightning | BRANCHBURG PARK | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Jun 22, 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | HARLINGEN | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Sep 7, 1998 | Lightning | BOUND BROOK | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 18, 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | MIDDLE BUSH | 0 | 2 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Widespread flash flooding occurred in the northern half of Somerset County with numerous roads closures. There were three flood related fatalities in northern Somerset County, all in Bridgewater Township. There were approximately 1200 water rescues in the entire county. Many buildings and homes were either damaged or destroyed by the flood waters. Most waterways in the county overflowed their banks, including the Raritan River, the Millstone River, Green Brook, Stony Brook and Middle Brook.
Widespread flash flooding occurred in the southern half of Somerset County with numerous road closures. There were two flood related fatalities in southern Somerset County, both in Hillsborough Township. There were approximately 1200 water rescues in the entire county. Many buildings and homes were either damaged or destroyed by the flood waters. Most waterways in the county overflowed their banks, including the Raritan River, the Millstone River, Green Brook, Stony Brook and Middle Brook.
A lightning strike and ensuing fire damaged twelve units of a condominium on Fisher Drive in Franklin Township. Six of the units were deemed uninhabitable due to fire, smoke and water damage. One resident was hospitalized after she became light-headed. It took about 60 firefighters two hours to get the fire under control. Damages were estimated.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
349,846
Population (ACS)
$552K
Median home value
30
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5, 2021 | Hurricane | REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IDA | DR |
| Sep 2, 2021 | Hurricane | REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IDA | EM |
| Mar 25, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jun 8, 2018 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
| Mar 14, 2016 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Griggstown 148
- Green Brook 120
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Somerset County, New Jersey?
619 events are on record between 1960 and 2026, causing 7 direct deaths and $765.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Somerset County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 323 recorded events — 52.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Somerset County?
6 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 5 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Somerset County?
30 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Somerset County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Somerset County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Somerset County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 91 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Somerset County, New Jersey severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Salem County 281
- Sussex County 471
- Union County 435
- Passaic County 394
- Warren County 467
- Ocean County 792
Cite this page
“Somerset County, New Jersey.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-jersey/somerset-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.