304
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
22
Direct injuries
$937K
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Sussex County, New Jersey: 304 recorded events between 1974 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 78. That places the county #437 nationally and #10 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Sussex County, New Jersey: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Sussex County is the 2020s, when 103 of the county's 304 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Sussex County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 64.5% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #437 for this hazard and #10 within New Jersey, putting it in the 86.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Sussex County with 93 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 16, 1997 | COLESVILLE | 60 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 6, 1997 | BRANCHVILLE | 0 | 0 | 11 | $0 |
| Aug 4, 2001 | AUGUSTA | 50 | 0 | 6 | $0 |
| Sep 7, 1998 | STILLWATER | 57 | 0 | 5 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 8, 2025 | SUSSEX | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2025 | SOUTH OGDENSBURG | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2025 | ANDOVER JCT | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2025 | FRANKFORD PLAIN | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2025 | FRANKFORD PLAIN | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2025 | SPARTA JCT | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2025 | NEWTON | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2025 | MIDDLEVILLE | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2025 | BALEVILLE | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2025 | SWARTSWOOD | 50 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Sussex County
- Hail 52
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A severe thunderstorm knocked down numerous trees in Sparta Township on and around West Mountain Road, Grandview Terrace and Sterling Hill Road. One property lost between fifteen and twenty trees and also suffered roof damage to its home. About 150 homes lost power. Power was fully restored by 3 p.m. EDT that afternoon.
A couple of severe thunderstorms caused wind damage across Sussex County, hitting the southeast half the hardest. The combination of damaging winds and lightning caused about 12,000 homes and businesses to lose power. Twenty-one of the twenty-four municipalities within the county reported power outages. Trees were reported down in Branchville, Fredon, Franklin, Green, Newton, Stillwater and Walpack. Wires were also reported knocked down on U.S. Route 206 and New Jersey State Route 94 in Newton. Trees fell on vehicles in Newton, Franklin and Green Township. In Green Township, a woman was trapped in her vehicle when live power lines came down on it. A deck was damaged in Franklin Borough and a boat was damaged in Stillwater Township. Power was not fully restored in the county until the 24th. No wind related injuries were reported.
Many trees were reported snapped near Vernon due to what was likely a strong microburst. Power outages were also reported. Time estimated from radar and public damage report. Wind speeds estimated at around 70 mph but may have been higher. This storm earlier produced a measured 64 mph wind gust with another microburst.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Sussex County, New Jersey?
304 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Sussex County between 1974 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Sussex County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Sussex County measured 78.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Sussex County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Sussex County, New Jersey.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-jersey/sussex-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.