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Mercer County, New Jersey severe weather history spans 536 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 50.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #762 nationally and #11 in New Jersey.
536
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
22
Direct injuries
$193.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Mercer County, New Jersey severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Mercer County, New Jersey severe weather history averages 7.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 157 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 41 events fall before 1990 and 495 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Mercer County, New Jersey record is flash flood, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $93.3M 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 Mercer County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 269 | 0 | $2.3M | 69 | 1955–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 74 | 2 | $93.3M | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Hail | 63 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1974–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 42 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2022 |
| Lightning | 38 | 0 | $1.8M | 0 | 1997–2020 |
| Flood | 31 | 2 | $91.0M | 0 | 1998–2018 |
| Tornado | 18 | 0 | $4.6M | F2 | 1958–2024 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2001 |
Decade by decade
Mercer 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
16 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 11 touched down inside it and 5 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960-06-24 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 12.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-02-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-07-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1988-08-17 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1962-05-24 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 16.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1958-06-13 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2021-07-29 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-09-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-07-31 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1989-11-16 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 5.0 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Mercer County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2021 | Flash Flood | TITUSVILLE | 2 | 0 | $50.0M |
| Aug 28, 2011 | Flood | HOPEWELL | 2 | 0 | $75.0M |
| Sep 16, 1999 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 5 | $32.0M |
| Oct 4, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | LAWRENCEVILLE | 0 | 3 | $250K |
| Jul 5, 1990 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 3 | $0 | |
| May 24, 2004 | Lightning | CLARKSVILLE | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 14, 2003 | Lightning | ETRA | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 1, 2001 | Lightning | PRINCETON | 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 Mercer County with numerous road closures and nearly 100 water rescues. There were two flood related fatalities in the county, both in Hopewell Township. Many waterways overflowed their banks including the Assunpink Creek, Stony Brook and the Delaware River (with a highly unusual quick response to the runoff).
Multiple roads were flooded and impassable including US 1, Route 571, Washington and Alexander roads. Water rescues ongoing in Princeton. Canal Pointe Blvd also was closed due to flooding/ Several people were trapped in cars and needed to be rescued.
A lightning strike and ensuing fire gutted a Wyckoff Mill Condominium building on Powell Court in Hightstown Borough. The lightning struck the roof of the building and started a fire. Seven families were displaced. The fire reached three alarms and fifteen fire companies from seven townships battled the blaze. It took about two hours to get the fire under control. One firefighter hurt his back.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively High
FEMA NRI risk rating
385,864
Population (ACS)
$378K
Median home value
28
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 |
| Mar 14, 2016 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
| Oct 30, 2012 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Mercer County, New Jersey?
536 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 4 direct deaths and $193.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Mercer County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 269 recorded events — 50.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Mercer County?
16 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 11 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Mercer County?
28 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Mercer County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Mercer County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Mercer County as relatively high risk, placing it in the 95 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Mercer 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
- Hunterdon County 582
- Middlesex County 611
- Hudson County 260
- Monmouth County 730
- Gloucester County 553
- Morris County 650
Cite this page
“Mercer County, New Jersey.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-jersey/mercer-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.