Somerset, NJ Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Somerset is lower than New Jersey average and is lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Somerset is about the same as New Jersey average and is lower than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #478
| Somerset, NJ | 0.34 |
| New Jersey | 0.80 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| Somerset, NJ | 0.0000 |
| New Jersey | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #320
| Somerset, NJ | 91.75 |
| New Jersey | 88.59 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 7,529 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Somerset, NJ were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 7 | Cold: | 55 | Dense Fog: | 31 | Drought: | 107 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 1,447 | Hail: | 689 | Heat: | 158 | Heavy Snow: | 139 |
| High Surf: | 10 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 14 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 266 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 2,670 | Tropical Storm: | 4 | Wildfire: | 51 | Winter Storm: | 91 | Winter Weather: | 201 |
| Other: | 1,589 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Somerset, NJ.
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 3 historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Somerset, NJ.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
| 47.8 | 1985-10-19 | 4 | 6 | 40.98 | -73.83 |
| 39.7 | 1980-03-11 | 3.7 | 5 | 40.16 | -75.1 |
| 41.1 | 1980-03-05 | 3.5 | 5 | 40.19 | -75.16 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 29 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Somerset, NJ.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 14.1 | 1990-10-18 | 3 | 40°29'N / 74°46'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 8 | 2.5M | 0 | Somerset | |
| 14.2 | 2001-05-27 | 2 | 40°21'N / 74°20'W | 40°22'N / 74°18'W | 1.50 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.0M | 0 | Monmouth |
| Brief Description: A strong tornado (F2 on the Fujita Scale) struck extreme northern Manalapan and extreme southwest Marlboro Townships. Four houses had severe roof damage and about a dozen others suffered minor damage. A construction trailer was tossed and two vehicles were overturned. Between 150 and 200 trees were either uprooted or damaged. Tree damage was so extensive that Hawkins Road Park was closed. The area was littered with broken pieces of wood, shingles, gutters and parts of roofs. The tornado's path length was about 1.5 miles and its path width was around 200 feet. No injuries were reported. This was the first strong tornado in New Jersey since August 20, 1999 and the first strong tornado in Monmouth County since October 16, 1955. The tornado first touched down near Arbach Lane in Manalapan Township. It initially was relatively weak (F0) on the Fujita Scale, but intensified into an F1 tornado before it reached Kentucky Court. One property on Kentucky Court lost dozens of trees. The tornado also downed trees on Ivanhoe and Rowena Roads. The tornado reached its maximum strength (F2) as it passed through Debracy Court where the worst damage occurred. Four homes suffered severe roof damage. The roof and second floor of one home had to be completely repaired. The windows of another house all burst. A restored Thunderbird was damaged by flying debris that penetrated the garage door. The house apparently shifted as doors no longer closed. A third home on the block had a picnic table blown into its sunroom along with a piece of the neighbor's fence. Patio furniture was splintered throughout the block. A minivan parked in one driveway, was rolled about 40 feet. The tornado weakened to an F1 after it left Debracy Court. Nevertheless, it tore shingles from a home on Eastwood Boulevard and downed a tree onto a car. A construction trailer on Hawkins Corner Road was blown 50 feet across the street and crushed like an aluminum can. As the tornado crossed into Marlboro Township, it knocked down dozens of trees in Hawkins Road Park. The part was closed because of the uprooted trees. As the tornado exited the park, it weakened to an F0. It still knocked a tree onto a house on MacLeisch Drive and ripped shingles and gutters from homes on Guest and MacLeisch Drives. The tornado lifted as it approached Barclay Brook. | |||||||||||
| 20.1 | 1973-05-28 | 3 | 40°48'N / 74°30'W | 0.40 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Morris | |
| 20.2 | 1962-05-24 | 2 | 40°18'N / 74°54'W | 40°17'N / 74°37'W | 14.70 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Mercer |
| 20.2 | 1973-02-02 | 2 | 40°36'N / 74°52'W | 0.30 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Hunterdon | |
| 22.7 | 1988-08-17 | 2 | 40°17'N / 74°47'W | 40°13'N / 74°45'W | 4.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Mercer |
| 24.5 | 1958-06-13 | 2 | 40°10'N / 74°40'W | 40°11'N / 74°39'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Mercer | ||
| 26.0 | 1958-06-13 | 2 | 40°09'N / 74°42'W | 40°10'N / 74°40'W | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Burlington | ||
| 26.2 | 1973-05-28 | 3 | 40°51'N / 74°43'W | 0.40 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 12 | 250K | 0 | Morris | |
| 26.3 | 1962-05-24 | 2 | 40°19'N / 74°57'W | 40°18'N / 74°54'W | 1.90 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Bucks |
| 27.5 | 1974-04-14 | 2 | 40°49'N / 74°50'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Hunterdon | |
| 27.8 | 1955-10-16 | 2 | 40°18'N / 74°05'W | 40°19'N / 74°00'W | 3.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Monmouth |
| 27.9 | 2007-08-08 | 2 | 40°37'N / 74°01'W | 40°38'N / 73°58'W | 4.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 9 | 0K | 0K | Kings |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This circulation intensified as it moved east across the Verrazano Narrows. The tornado re-developed by the time the circulation moved on shore in Brooklyn. Damage in the form of fallen trees and structural roof damage occurred in Bay Ridge starting in the area from Shore Road between 71st and 78th Streets eastward to Bay Ridge Blvd. This occurred at approximately 6:32 am. The tornado may have briefly lifted and then touched down again on Bay Ridge Avenue between 3rd and 4th Avenues, and continued on an east-northeast path across 68th Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues. Eleven homes in this section had moderate to severe roof damage. The storm continued to move east-northeast into Leif Ericson Park Square, where severe damage to trees occurred. As the tornado lifted, it tore off the roof of the Nissan car dealership at the corner of 66th Street and Fifth Avenue. The tornado returned to the ground farther northeast, with scattered tree damage along 6th avenue. Based on the assessed damage in Bay Ridge, this tornadic damage is classified as EF-2 with estimated wind speeds of 111 to 135 mph. The tornado returned to the ground as another pocket of significant damage occurred on 58th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. The roof was ripped off of 5 homes, and tree damage indicated strong EF-1 damage. The tornado then headed east, and touched down for at least the fourth, but final time, in Kensington just east of the intersection of Church Avenue and Beverly Road at approximately 6:40 am. Numerous trees, approximately 30, were uprooted along Ocean Parkway as the tornado moved east. The tornado produced significant damage to trees and structures in the area with East 8th and 7th Streets being hit hard. Damage was reported as far east as Argyle Road. The tornado was on the ground for approximately 1/2 mile in this area before it lifted. EPISODE NARRATIVE: An approaching cold font, interacting with energy aloft, produced numerous thunderstorms, including one which produced two tornadoes across Southern New York City, and later produced wind damage in Nassau County. In addition, the storms produced copious amounts of rainfall which caused widespread significant flash flooding in New York City, including several subway lines, and Long Island. | |||||||||||
| 29.0 | 1981-07-20 | 2 | 40°55'N / 74°45'W | 40°52'N / 74°42'W | 3.60 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Morris |
| 31.8 | 1981-10-26 | 2 | 40°52'N / 74°53'W | 0.80 Mile | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Warren | |
| 32.5 | 1973-06-29 | 2 | 40°14'N / 75°02'W | 40°15'N / 74°59'W | 1.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Bucks |
| 37.1 | 1962-08-07 | 2 | 40°56'N / 74°04'W | 2.50 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Bergen | |
| 38.3 | 1998-06-01 | 2 | 40°07'N / 75°02'W | 40°05'N / 74°57'W | 5.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.8M | 0 | Philadelphia |
| Brief Description: A tornado ripped through Upper and Lower Moreland Townships as well as extreme northeast Philadelphia during the early morning of June 1st. The tornado was rated as an F1 (A weak tornado on the Fujita Scale) in Montgomery County and intensified into an F2 (or strong tornado on the Fujita Scale) within Philadelphia. The worst damage occurred within the unoccupied Byberry Industrial Park as the tornado reached its strongest intensity. Thirty-five commercial buildings were damaged, nine severely. Damage outside of the industrial park was mainly confined to downed trees. About ten homes were damaged by fallen trees. The damage within Philadelphia was discontinuous suggesting the tornado was not on the ground for its entire lifetime across the city. Damage was estimated at $1.8 million dollars. Because the buildings were unoccupied, no injuries occurred. The tornado moved into the city from Lower Moreland Township in the Bustleton/Lumar Park area around 120 a.m. EDT. Trees were split and knocked down. The tornado intensified into a strong one (F2 on the Fujita Scale) as it crossed into the Byberry Industrial Park. The worst damage was done in the area around Byberry Road, McNulty Road, Roosevelt Boulevard and Southampton Road. Five ton air conditioning units were tossed. Of the 35 commercial buildings damaged, nine were severely damaged and declared "imminently dangerous". Slabs of the roof were tossed 200 yards. Some buildings lost entire sides, had buckled steel beams, shattered windows and crushed equipment. The tornado plucked utility poles from the ground. About 20 poles were knocked over. Five teams of tree service personnel were overwhelmed. Damage south of the industrial park became sporadic as the tornado turned toward the southeast. It lifted just before the Bucks County border near Woodhaven Road just to the southeast of the Franklin Mills Mall. Its path length was about 5.6 miles and path width about 200 yards. PECO Energy reported 34,000 customers in Philadelphia lost power. Five thousand still did not have power the evening of the 1st. It was the worst non-winter storm in PECO Energy's 50 year history and the fourth worst overall. According to their lightning detection system, there were 7,000 cloud to ground lightning strikes in their service area as this line of thunderstorms moved through. | |||||||||||
| 41.6 | 1970-07-15 | 2 | 40°55'N / 73°55'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Bergen | |
| 42.1 | 1981-07-20 | 2 | 40°51'N / 75°09'W | 40°55'N / 75°07'W | 4.10 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Northampton |
| 42.8 | 1956-09-06 | 2 | 41°03'N / 74°06'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Bergen | |||
| 43.9 | 1998-09-07 | 2 | 40°39'N / 73°41'W | 40°39'N / 73°41'W | 0.20 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 6 | 1.0M | 0 | Nassau |
| Brief Description: The NWS confirmed that an F2 tornado was responsible for significant damage that occurred in Lynbrook. Most of the village received damage from straight line winds up to 80 mph, that was associated with a severe squall line. Downed trees covered the village with some structural damage where the F2 tornado touched down. The major path of damage was from the northwest section of Lynbrook east-southeast to the southeast section of the village. Funnel clouds were observed from near the intersection of Marshall Ave. and Burtis Street and to the southeast. A tornado was first sighted by two eyewitnesses on Hampton Place. It rose and touched down several times: Second, near Winter Street and across Glover Circle; Third, along Peninsula Blvd. between Earle and Benton Avenues; and Fourth, as a weak F2 near the intersection of Rocklyn Ave. and Merrick Road. It moved across the Long Island Railroad Tracks and Sunrise Highway before it finally dissipated. More than three hundred trees were blown over, many on houses and cars. Six people received minor injuries. Four of these were in "The Fun Zone" on Rocklyn Avenue. One woman was slightly injured by a tree that fell on her car. One police officer was also injured. An intense line of severe thunderstorms oriented from north to south developed during Labor Day afternoon ahead of a strong approaching cold front. As the storms moved east at 40 to 50 mph, they produced high winds, large hail, and an isolated tornado. Wind gusts from 60 to 80 mph downed many trees and power lines throughout the area. The cost estimates of damage included above are preliminary figures submitted by the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management. In Richmond County, the following peak wind gusts were reported: 80 mph at Great Kills, the Verranzano Bridge, and in Richmond. High winds downed trees and caused a building to collapse in Richmond. One tree fell on and injured a man in Richmond. In New York County (Manhattan), high winds caused a building to collapse. In the Bronx, high winds downed a tree that fell on 3 people resulting in 1 death and 2 injuries in the courtyard of the Edenwald Houses at 1135 East 229th Street. In Kings County (Brooklyn), high winds downed and uprooted several large trees. One tree fell on and injured a person at East 229th Street. Five to 6-foot diameter trees were uprooted east of Coney Island in the Gerritsen Beach Section, where 3 funnel clouds were also sighted and a firefighter was injured from large hail. Large trees also fell on and damaged cars in Bensonhurst. In Queens County, a peak wind gust of 62 mph was measured at both LaGuardia Airport and at JFK Airport. In Nassau County, the following peak wind gusts were reported: 75 mph in Farmingdale, 60 mph in Port Washington and Mineola and 58 mph at Farmingdale Republic Airport. High winds downed large tree limbs at Rockville Center, Baldwin, and Oceanside and downed trees in Long Beach, Massapequa, and Valley Stream. One-inch diameter hail dented cars and covered the ground in Farmingdale. In Suffolk County, high winds overturned many boats in the Great South Bay, downed large trees in West Babylon and Rocky Point and downed large tree limbs in Wading River. One person died when a thunderstorm wind gust capsized a 19 foot sail boat in Great South Bay near Copiague. A Centerport woman, 36, and her daughter, 3, were injured when a tree fell on them in the parking lot of the Ground Round Restaurant and CVS on Fort Salonga Road. The following peak wind gusts were reported: 72 mph in Babylon and 65 mph in Fire Island. | |||||||||||
| 44.3 | 1956-08-13 | 2 | 40°15'N / 75°18'W | 40°16'N / 75°15'W | 1.30 Miles | 333 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Montgomery |
| 44.8 | 1960-06-24 | 2 | 40°12'N / 75°15'W | 0.80 Mile | 27 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Montgomery | |
| 45.1 | 1982-06-29 | 2 | 39°53'N / 74°15'W | 1.50 Miles | 23 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Ocean | |
| 47.5 | 1958-07-14 | 2 | 39°56'N / 75°07'W | 39°58'N / 74°56'W | 9.80 Miles | 27 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Philadelphia |
| 48.0 | 2009-07-29 | 2 | 40°55'N / 75°15'W | 40°58'N / 75°11'W | 5.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 1.0M | 0K | Monroe |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: An EF-2 tornado with estimated maximum wind speeds of 120 mph touched down and affected Hamilton and Stroud Townships. The highest wind speeds and worst reported damage occurred on Middle Road in Hamilton Township and Stroudsmoor Road in Stroud Township. Two men were injured and about 10,000 homes and businesses lost power. Hundreds of trees were destroyed and at least 25 telephone poles had to be replaced. Power was not fully restored until the 31st. In Hamilton Township, two homes suffered roof damage and four large farm buildings and one garage were destroyed. In Stroud Township, one home lost its roof, two others had trees on their roofs and a section of a resort building lost its roof. This was the first reported tornado in Monroe County since July 1, 2001 and the first reported EF2 or F2 tornado in the county since October 5, 1979. The tornado touched down southwest of Kemmertown Road in Hamilton Township before causing substantial damage to the Blakeslee Farm near the intersection of Middle and Blakeslee Roads. On Kemmertown Road, a downed tree damaged a porch at an assisted living facility. At the Blakeslee Farm, the tornado destroyed three barns and a garage shed and took the roof and attic off of the home. A 46-year-old man suffered facial and rib injuries and a 66-year-old man suffered a head injury as the garage shed collapsed. In addition to the property damage, the tornado damaged the corn, hay, wheat and oat crops on the farm. Thirty percent of the trees on the property were destroyed . The tornado then lifted, causing only relatively minor damage as it followed Middle Road into Stroud Township. However, more substantial damage again occurred from Larsens Lane northeast to Fox Run Road and Essig Lane. More damage occurred as the tornado crossed Stroudsmoor Road, where numerous trees were felled, and roof damage occurred to the Stroudsmoor Country Inn. A downed tree also damaged a home on Stroudsmoor Road. Another downed tree damaged a home on Pennsylvania State Route 191. The tornado lifted just before it moved over the intersections of Routes 191 and 611 (Foxtwon Hill Road) just south of Stroudsburg. The tornado was on the ground for about 4.6 miles and its maximum width was about 100 yards. Damage was estimated at 1 million dollars. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A warm front retreating to the north and a cold front approaching from the west produced strong to severe thunderstorms across eastern Pennsylvania during the afternoon of the 29th. One EF-2 tornado also occurred. | |||||||||||
| 48.5 | 1976-03-21 | 3 | 40°59'N / 75°11'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Monroe | |
| 49.9 | 1989-06-09 | 2 | 39°57'N / 75°07'W | 39°57'N / 75°05'W | 1.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Camden |
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.