Middlesex County, New Jersey severe weather history spans 611 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 44.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #559 nationally and #8 in New Jersey.
611
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
95
Direct injuries
$146.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Middlesex County, New Jersey severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Middlesex County, New Jersey severe weather history averages 8.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 185 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 27 events fall before 1990 and 584 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Middlesex County, New Jersey record is flash flood, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $91.4M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Middlesex County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 273 | 0 | $3.0M | 70 | 1955–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 120 | 2 | $91.4M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Hail | 62 | 0 | $10K | 1.75 | 1967–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 61 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2022 |
| Lightning | 45 | 0 | $675K | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Flood | 32 | 1 | $51.1M | 0 | 1998–2023 |
| Tornado | 8 | 0 | $35K | F1 | 1977–2003 |
| Wildfire | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2001 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2021 |
Decade by decade
Middlesex 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
10 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 10 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-09-26 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 5.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2001-05-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-07-31 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-10-05 | EF1 | 0 | 8 | 12.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-10-27 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-09-08 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-06-09 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-08-29 | EF0 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-11-16 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1987-07-14 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Middlesex County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2021 | Flash Flood | MIDDLESEX | 2 | 0 | $50.0M |
| Apr 15, 2007 | Flood | WOODBRIDGE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 16, 1999 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 72 | $28.0M |
| Oct 5, 1985 | Tornado | 0 | 8 | $0 | |
| Sep 6, 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | PARLIN | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Jul 21, 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | MORGAN | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 24, 2011 | Lightning | PLAINSBORO | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 14, 2023 | Lightning | MENLO PARK | 0 | 1 | $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 Middlesex County with numerous road closures and over 500 water rescues. A total of three flood related fatalities were reported in the county, one in South Plainfield, one in Piscataway Township, and one in Woodbridge Township. There was significant damage to structures and vehicles, mainly in the northern part of the county. Many waterways overflowed their banks, including the Lawrence Brook.
New Jersey State Route 18 was closed in New Brunswick along the Raritan River. The park by the river was flooded in Piscataway. Four roadways were closed in Plainsboro. Spring Lake flooded the Elks Lodge in South Plainfield. Damage was estimated at $100,000. The Bound Brook at Middlesex (along the county line with Somerset County) was above its 9 foot flood stage from 627 p.m. EST on the 13th through 605 p.m. EDT on the 14th. It crested at 13.15 feet at 430 a.m. EDT on the 14th. Event precipitation totals were 5.63 inches in South Brunswick, 5.25 inches in Metuchen and 5.14 inches in Piscataway.
A severe thunderstorm downed numerous trees and power lines in South Brunswick Township. Most of the wind damage occurred around the Monmouth Junction and Dayton sections of the township. Downed trees damaged at least one home in the Woodland Estates section of the township. Downed trees damaged vehicles at the East Garden Apartment Complex. Trees were knocked down around the Crossroads Middle School. Trees were knocked down along County Route 522 (Monmouth Junction Road). Both Major and Georges Roads were closed because of downed trees. About 5,000 homes and businesses lost power from the afternoon severe thunderstorms in the area.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively High
FEMA NRI risk rating
871,290
Population (ACS)
$463K
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 |
| 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 Middlesex County, New Jersey?
611 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $146.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Middlesex County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 273 recorded events — 44.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Middlesex County?
10 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 10 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Middlesex County?
30 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Middlesex County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Middlesex County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Middlesex County as relatively high risk, placing it in the 98 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Middlesex 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
- Mercer County 536
- Monmouth County 730
- Hunterdon County 582
- Morris County 650
- Hudson County 260
- Ocean County 792
Cite this page
“Middlesex County, New Jersey.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-jersey/middlesex-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.