Union County, New Jersey Tropical Cyclone History

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

Since 1861, 21 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Union County, New Jersey — about one every 7.9 years. Of those, 1 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Isaias (2020), which passed 45 miles away on 4 August 2020.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

7.9

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 1 · 1TS / TD · 20

The 21 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 1.

Key facts

Most recentIsaias (2020) — 45 mi away, 4 August 2020
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1893) — 75 kt (86 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordFay (2020) — 2.9 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles10 of 21
Peak monthAugust and September — 8 storms (38% of all)
Most active year1893 — 2 storms
Most active decade1860s, 1870s, 1890s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1990s and 2020s — 2 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1861–2020

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Union County, New Jersey, August and September are tied as the most active months, with 8 of the 21 recorded storms (38%). The primary season runs July to September, accounting for 90% of all activity. The 1860s, 1870s, 1890s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1990s and 2020s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 2 storms. 0 of the 21 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	1	3	8	8	1	0	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1860s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 6 storms in 1950–1987 against 6 in 1988–2025.

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

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Isaias (2020)	4 Aug 2020	44.6 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Fay (2020)	11 Jul 2020	2.9 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Irene (2011)	28 Aug 2011	16.7 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Hanna (2008)	7 Sep 2008	27.8 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Floyd (1999)	17 Sep 1999	42.6 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Bertha (1996)	13 Jul 1996	16.1 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Agnes (1972)	22 Jun 1972	27.4 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Doria (1971)	28 Aug 1971	19.0 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Unnamed Storm (1961)	15 Sep 1961	47.0 mi	TS / TD	54 kt
Brenda (1960)	30 Jul 1960	28.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Diane (1955)	19 Aug 1955	9.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Able (1952)	1 Sep 1952	31.4 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	4 Aug 1915	14.6 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
Unnamed Storm (1903)	16 Sep 1903	43.6 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	29 Aug 1893	41.5 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	24 Aug 1893	21.6 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	22 Aug 1888	41.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1874)	29 Sep 1874	21.6 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	26 Oct 1872	23.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1863)	19 Sep 1863	13.3 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	28 Sep 1861	26.5 mi	TS / TD	55 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 11 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
Ida (2021)	Post-tropical	2 Sep 2021	32.3 mi	38 kt
Gordon (2000)	Post-tropical	20 Sep 2000	44.1 mi	25 kt
Chris (1988)	Post-tropical	29 Aug 1988	14.5 mi	20 kt
Candy (1968)	Post-tropical	26 Jun 1968	30.0 mi	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	Post-tropical	19 Sep 1945	13.7 mi	29 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	Post-tropical	19 Jun 1934	26.2 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	28.5 mi	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1900)	Post-tropical	14 Oct 1900	40.5 mi	35 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1861–2025. 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 Union 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, Union County, New Jersey ranks #765 — more exposed than 65.3% of them. Within New Jersey it ranks #11 of 21, against a state average of 20.6 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1893) passed 22 miles away on 24 August 1893 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Bertha (1996) passed 16 miles away on 13 July 1996 as a tropical storm, reaching 60 kt (69 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1874) passed 22 miles away on 29 September 1874 as a tropical storm, reaching 60 kt (69 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1903) passed 44 miles away on 16 September 1903 as a tropical storm, reaching 57 kt (66 mph) while within 50 miles.

19 of the 21 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 7.9 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 21 storms spread over the 165 years from 1861 to 2025. 2 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 37 years, between 1915 and 1952. It has been 5 years since the last one; 9 of the 18 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Union County, New Jersey?

1 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Union County, New Jersey at hurricane strength since 1861. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 21.

When was the last hurricane in Union County, New Jersey?

Unnamed Storm (1893), on 24 August 1893, passing 22 miles away — 133 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Isaias (2020) in 2020.

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

Unnamed Storm (1893), which reached 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 22 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Union County, New Jersey?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 7.9 years — 21 storms over the 165 years from 1861 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Union County, New Jersey borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Richmond County, New York has 22 on record.

Richmond County, New York22 storms within 50 mi Hudson County, New Jersey22 storms within 50 mi Middlesex County, New Jersey22 storms within 50 mi Morris County, New Jersey20 storms within 50 mi Somerset County, New Jersey19 storms within 50 mi Essex County, New Jersey19 storms within 50 mi