Cape May County, New Jersey Hurricane History

No active tropical cyclones are within 500 miles of Cape May County, New Jersey as of Thursday, 10 September 2026. Official forecasts at nhc.noaa.gov.

Since 1856, 26 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Cape May County, New Jersey — about one every 6.5 years. Of those, 5 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Elsa (2021), which passed 9 miles away on 9 July 2021.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

6.5

Avg. years between

Years since the last

Storm tracks within 50 miles

TS / TDCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5

Each line is one storm track, coloured by the strongest category it reached while within 50 miles. The dashed ring marks that 50-mile radius; hairlines are one-degree graticule. Source: NOAA NHC HURDAT2.

How strong they get

Cat 2 · 1Cat 1 · 3TS / TD · 22

The 26 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 2.

Key facts

Most recentElsa (2021) — 9 mi away, 9 July 2021
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1879) — 83 kt (96 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1944) — 3.4 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles17 of 26
Peak monthSeptember — 12 storms (46% of all)
Most active year1882 — 2 storms
Most active decade1870s, 1880s and 1990s — 3 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1856–2021

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Cape May County, New Jersey, September is the most active month, with 12 of the 26 recorded storms (46%). The primary season runs July to September, accounting for 85% of all activity. The 1870s, 1880s and 1990s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 3 storms. 0 of the 26 storms were major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger) while within 50 miles.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	0	0	0	2	4	6	12	2	0	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1850s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 4 storms in 1950–1987 against 8 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
2	2	3	3	1	1	0	0	1	1	0	2	1	1	3	2	1	2

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Elsa (2021)	9 Jul 2021	8.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Fay (2020)	10 Jul 2020	24.3 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Irene (2011)	28 Aug 2011	15.9 mi	TS / TD	61 kt
Hanna (2008)	6 Sep 2008	24.2 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Allison (2001)	17 Jun 2001	38.2 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Floyd (1999)	16 Sep 1999	17.1 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Bertha (1996)	13 Jul 1996	26.8 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Danielle (1992)	26 Sep 1992	49.4 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Gloria (1985)	27 Sep 1985	35.9 mi	Cat 1	82 kt
Doria (1971)	28 Aug 1971	13.7 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
Unnamed Storm (1961)	15 Sep 1961	13.2 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Brenda (1960)	30 Jul 1960	12.4 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	3 Aug 1944	3.4 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	19 Aug 1939	15.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1903)	16 Sep 1903	7.9 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	10 Oct 1894	30.7 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	23 Jun 1886	22.4 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	23 Sep 1882	6.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	12 Sep 1882	40.0 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	18 Aug 1879	47.4 mi	Cat 2	83 kt
Unnamed Storm (1874)	29 Sep 1874	20.7 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	26 Oct 1872	23.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1863)	19 Sep 1863	21.6 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	28 Sep 1861	14.8 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	17 Sep 1859	44.6 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	20 Aug 1856	26.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 18 systems passed within 50 miles after losing tropical characteristics. These are excluded from the counts above because they were no longer tropical cyclones at their closest approach — but several were highly damaging, so they are listed here. Showing the 8 most recent.

Storm	Status	Closest approach	Distance	Wind
Zeta (2020)	Post-tropical	29 Oct 2020	30.6 mi	45 kt
Ana (2015)	Remnant low	12 May 2015	46.2 mi	28 kt
Andrea (2013)	Post-tropical	8 Jun 2013	20.4 mi	40 kt
Sandy (2012)	Post-tropical	29 Oct 2012	32.3 mi	70 kt
Cindy (2005)	Post-tropical	8 Jul 2005	2.7 mi	25 kt
Jeanne (2004)	Post-tropical	29 Sep 2004	21.3 mi	35 kt
Charley (2004)	Post-tropical	15 Aug 2004	39.5 mi	36 kt
Gordon (2000)	Post-tropical	19 Sep 2000	14.0 mi	25 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1856–2025. Tracks are recorded every six hours and are interpolated to one-hour steps before distances are measured, so closest-approach figures are not distorted by the sampling interval. Distances are measured to the county's Census internal point, not to its nearest boundary, so a storm listed at 55 miles may still have crossed the coastline — see Methodology. Records before about 1900 are sparser and less precise than modern ones, and storms that stayed at sea were less likely to be recorded at all.

How Cape May County, New Jersey compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Cape May County, New Jersey ranks #618 — more exposed than 72.0% of them. Within New Jersey it ranks #3 of 21, against a state average of 20.6 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1879) passed 47 miles away on 18 August 1879 as a hurricane, reaching 83 kt (96 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Gloria (1985) passed 36 miles away on 27 September 1985 as a hurricane, reaching 82 kt (94 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1903) passed 8 miles away on 16 September 1903 as a hurricane, reaching 73 kt (84 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1894) passed 31 miles away on 10 October 1894 as a hurricane, reaching 73 kt (84 mph) while within 50 miles.

25 of the 26 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 6.5 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 26 storms spread over the 170 years from 1856 to 2025. 1 separate year saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 36 years, between 1903 and 1939. It has been 4 years since the last one; 12 of the 24 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Cape May County, New Jersey?

5 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Cape May County, New Jersey at hurricane strength since 1856. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 26.

When was the last hurricane in Cape May County, New Jersey?

Irene (2011), on 28 August 2011, passing 16 miles away — 15 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Elsa (2021) in 2021.

What was the strongest storm to affect Cape May County, New Jersey?

Unnamed Storm (1879), which reached 83 kt (96 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 47 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Cape May County, New Jersey?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 6.5 years — 26 storms over the 170 years from 1856 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Cape May County, New Jersey borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. Sussex County, Delaware has 31 on record.

Sussex County, Delaware31 storms within 50 mi Atlantic County, New Jersey24 storms within 50 mi Cumberland County, New Jersey21 storms within 50 mi Kent County, Delaware20 storms within 50 mi