178
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$3.5M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Union County, New Jersey: 178 recorded events between 1983 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 80. That places the county #1,232 nationally and #16 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Union County, New Jersey: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Union County is the 2020s, when 60 of the county's 178 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 Union County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 40.9% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,232 for this hazard and #16 within New Jersey, putting it in the 60.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Union County with 70 recorded events, while Feb 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 3, 2025 | PLAINFIELD | 60 | 2 | 0 | $15K |
| Nov 16, 1989 | 0 | 1 | 1 | $0 | |
| Jul 14, 2016 | WINFIELD | 52 | 0 | 2 | $1K |
| May 15, 2018 | CRANFORD | 52 | 0 | 1 | $3K |
| Apr 19, 2002 | SPRINGFIELD | 55 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Oct 18, 1990 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2026 | ELIZABETHPORT | 62 | $0 |
| Aug 13, 2025 | ELIZABETHPORT | 53 | $0 |
| Jul 25, 2025 | ELIZABETHPORT | 55 | $0 |
| Jul 25, 2025 | HILLSIDE | 55 | $10K |
| Jul 25, 2025 | LORRAINE | 56 | $0 |
| Jul 25, 2025 | VAUXHALL | 55 | $1K |
| Jul 25, 2025 | KENILWORTH | 55 | $5K |
| Jul 25, 2025 | BALTUSROL | 55 | $20K |
| Jul 25, 2025 | NEW PROVIDENCE | 55 | $1K |
| Jul 3, 2025 | SCOTCH PLAINS | 60 | $10K |
Other hazards here
More from Union County
- Flash Flood 140
- Flood 45
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A microburst occurred along a line approximately 1/4 to 1/2 mile to the right of, and approximately one minute before, the tornado which tracked from near Garfield Road in Berkley Heights to near Evergreen Road in Summit New Jersey. Dozens of trees and power lines were downed along the path of this microburst, including some onto cars and houses. At its widest point, the microburst was about 500 yards wide, and lasted for just under 5 miles.
The National Weather Service in New York, NY confirmed a microburst in New Providence in Union County, New Jersey on June 28, 2016.||The microburst occurred along Central Avenue, within roughly 1/8 of a mile in either direction from the intersection with South Street and had a maximum width along the 1/4 mile path of 50 yards. The microburst lasted only around 2 minutes and had a maximum estimated wind speed of 70 mph. Most of the downed trees and tree limbs showed signs of rot and decay. There was some siding observed to be peeled back along one home. A car was also flipped onto its roof near Central Avenue as well.
Trees and power lines were down at the intersection of Midway and Hunter Avenues just northwest of Fanwood. One of the wires fell on a vehicle. The occupant of the vehicle got out of the vehicle and was electrocuted, resulting in a fatality.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Union County, New Jersey?
178 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Union County between 1983 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Union County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Union County measured 80.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Union 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 Union County, New Jersey.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-jersey/union-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.