Passaic County, New Jersey
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 34031 · population 523,958 · 186 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 696 records for Passaic County, New Jersey from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 411 days; the most frequent are floods and flash floods (184 records). NOAA records 184 flood or flash floods there since 1996, with 5 deaths; its 14,385 flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA) rank 36th of 2,942 U.S. counties; the deadliest named storm on its flood record is Hurricane Ida (2021). The deadliest single record is the October 29, 2012 high wind, filed for the forecast zone Eastern Passaic, which covers the county: 4 deaths and $1.2 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 30 declarations naming the county since 1965, 26 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Remnants of Hurricane Ida” on September 5, 2021.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 696on 411 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 18188 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $43Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 30latest 2021
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Passaic County most?
The most frequent records are floods and flash floods: 184 since 1996. 47% of its floods and flash floods since 1996 fell in July and August. The rank column places the county among New Jersey's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 184 | 104 | 1996-2025 | 5 | 0 | $25M | 6 of 20 |
| Winter storms | 184 | 110 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 0 | – | 12 of 20 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 153 | 107 | 1973-2026 | 1 | 12 | $368K | 7 of 20 |
| High wind and dust storms | 51 | 30 | 1996-2026 | 5 | 2 | $1.5M | 20 of 20 |
| Hail | 34 | 30 | 1968-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 20 |
| Drought | 22 | 11 | 2001-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 20 |
| Heavy rain | 20 | 20 | 1996-2011 | 1 | 2 | – | 15 of 20 |
| Heat | 15 | 10 | 1999-2025 | 2 | 166 | – | 19 of 20 |
| Lightning | 15 | 14 | 1996-2021 | 1 | 4 | $10M | 11 of 20 |
| Extreme cold | 8 | 4 | 2000-2004 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 of 20 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 3 | 2008-2020 | 0 | 2 | – | 13 of 20 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 1989-1997 | 0 | 0 | $6.0M | 16 of 20 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2011-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 of 20 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Passaic County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Passaic County from 1989 to 1997, the strongest rated F1, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 4 tornadoes whose track touched Passaic County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in New Jersey.
Every tornado record filed for Passaic County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-09-11 | West Milford, Passaic County | F1 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $97K |
| 1990-08-13 | Passaic County | F0 2.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-07-10 | Passaic County | F1 4.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Passaic County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 6, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($3,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindLittle Falls, Passaic County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindPackanack Lake, Passaic County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-02-22 | Heavy SnowPassaic County · forecast zone Western Passaic | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Heavy SnowPassaic County · forecast zone Eastern Passaic | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | High WindPassaic County · forecast zone Western Passaic | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormPassaic County · forecast zone Eastern Passaic | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormPassaic County · forecast zone Western Passaic | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter WeatherPassaic County · forecast zone Eastern Passaic | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-17 | Winter WeatherPassaic County · forecast zone Western Passaic | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-17 | Winter WeatherPassaic County · forecast zone Eastern Passaic | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-26 | Winter WeatherPassaic County · forecast zone Eastern Passaic | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-26 | Winter WeatherPassaic County · forecast zone Western Passaic | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-10-29 | High WindPassaic County · forecast zone Eastern Passaic A wind gust up to 80 mph was reported in Clifton at 930 pm. A 77 year old male was killed when a tree fell into his house. An 83 year old male fell down his stairs when the electricity was out. He died as a result of the fall. | 70 kt wind | 4 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2016-01-23 | Winter StormPassaic County · forecast zone Eastern Passaic A trained spotter in Wayne reported snowfall of 17 inches. Nearby Fairfield Airport and Teterboro Airport ASOS showed near blizzard conditions through the day on Saturday January 23rd. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2017-05-14 | Thunderstorm WindPassaic County A large tree limb fell onto Paulison Avenue, killing one person and injuring six. Nearby Observations (KCDW and KTEB) and radar support winds of between 40 and 50 mph. | 43 kt wind | 1 | 6 | $2K |
| 2021-09-01 | Flash FloodClifton, Passaic County The Passaic River at Dundee Dam in Clifton rose above its minor flood stage of 4.5 feet at 10:15pm EDT and crested at a height of 4.98 feet at 12:45am EDT September 2nd. The river then fell back below flood stage at 3:45am EDT on September 2nd. Flooding from the Passaic River resulted in three fatalities. A 70 year ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-06-15 | Flash FloodClifton, Passaic County Two men from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were in the Weasel Brook inspecting the President Street Bridge in the town of Passaic when it started raining profusely. The heavy rains caused the water level to rise from several inches to approximately eleven feet in minutes sweeping both men away. One ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-08-28 | Heavy RainWanaque, Passaic County A 39-year-old male drowned while walking through a wooded path that connects Warren Hagstrom Blvd. to an athletic field in Wanaque when he fell into a sinkhole and was swept away into a nearby stream. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-12-01 | High WindPassaic County · forecast zone Western Passaic High winds knocked down a tree around 10 am in West Milford. The tree fell on to a Lincoln Towncar, killing a 62 year old male. Strong winds knocked down some trees and tree limbs, which caused scattered power outages across the region. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $27K |
| 2010-07-04 | Excessive HeatPassaic County · forecast zone Eastern Passaic Hot temperatures in excess of 90 degrees began July 4th and continued through July 7th. The temperature eclipsed 100 degrees at several locations during this time. | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-09-16 | Flash FloodCountywide, Passaic County | 1 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2012-08-15 | LightningHaskell, Passaic County | 0 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2010-03-14 | FloodLittle Falls, Passaic County | 0 | 0 | $4.1M | |
| 2018-08-11 | Flash FloodGreat Notch, Passaic County | 0 | 0 | $3.8M | |
| 2007-04-15 | FloodAllwood, Passaic County | 0 | 0 | $3.1M | |
| 2005-04-02 | FloodPassaic County · forecast zone Western Passaic | 0 | 0 | $3.0M | |
| 2012-10-29 | High WindPassaic County · forecast zone Eastern Passaic | 70 kt wind | 4 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 1997-09-11 | TornadoWest Milford, Passaic County | F1 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $97K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 10, 1989 (tornado, Passaic County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Passaic County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 27 | 46 | 73 | 38 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 17 | 57 | 71 | 39 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 30 | 41 | 49 | 25 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 13 | 22 | 13 | 3 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 6 | 3 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
47% of its floods and flash floods since 1996 fell in July and August. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 76 · Feb 74 · Mar 61 · Apr 27 · May 43 · Jun 56 · Jul 111 · Aug 89 · Sep 47 · Oct 32 · Nov 22 · Dec 58 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Passaic County
FEMA's register lists 30 declarations that include Passaic County: 18 major disasters, 12 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (9) and severe storm (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-09-05 | DR-4614 | Hurricane | Remnants of Hurricane Ida |
| 2021-09-02 | EM-3573 | Hurricane | Remnants of Hurricane Ida |
| 2020-03-25 | DR-4488 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3451 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-06-08 | DR-4368 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2012-10-30 | DR-4086 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-10-28 | EM-3354 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2011-11-30 | DR-4048 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm |
| 2011-10-14 | DR-4039 | Severe Storm | Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee |
| 2011-08-31 | DR-4021 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2011-08-27 | EM-3332 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2011-02-04 | DR-1954 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2010-04-02 | DR-1897 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2007-04-26 | DR-1694 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding |
| 2005-09-19 | EM-3257 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-04-19 | DR-1588 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2003-09-23 | EM-3188 | Other | Power Outage |
| 2003-03-20 | EM-3181 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2001-09-19 | EM-3169 | Fire | Fires and Explosions |
| 2000-11-01 | EM-3156 | Other | West Nile Virus |
| 1999-09-18 | DR-1295 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations |
| 1999-09-17 | EM-3148 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Emergency Declarations |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1088 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) |
| 1993-03-17 | EM-3106 | Snowstorm | Severe Blizzard |
| 1984-04-12 | DR-701 | Flood | Coastal Storms & Flooding |
| 1980-10-19 | EM-3083 | Drought | Water Shortage |
| 1975-07-23 | DR-477 | Flood | Heavy Rains, High Winds, Hail & Tornadoes |
| 1971-09-04 | DR-310 | Flood | Heavy Rains & Flooding |
| 1968-06-18 | DR-245 | Flood | Heavy Rains & Flooding |
| 1965-08-18 | DR-205 | Drought | Water Shortage |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Passaic County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 184 flood or flash flood records for Passaic County from 1996 to 2025, on 104 days, with 5 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Passaic County ranks 36th of 2,942 U.S. counties. The 100 counties with the most claims
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ida | 2021-09-01 | 1 | 1 |
| Hurricane Irene | 2011-08-28 | 1 | 1 |
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-16 | 1 | 1 |
| Tropical Storm Isaias | 2020-08-04 | 2 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $317 million on 14,385 claims filed in Passaic County; the most in one year was 4,042 in 2011. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 158 · 1979: 283 · 1980: 474 · 1981: 29 · 1982: 25 · 1983: 477 · 1984: 1,306 · 1985: 9 · 1986: 19 · 1987: 316 · 1988: 6 · 1989: 364 · 1990: 75 · 1991: 8 · 1992: 25 · 1993: 72 · 1994: 20 · 1995: 6 · 1996: 157 · 1997: 5 · 1998: 85 · 1999: 1,244 · 2000: 13 · 2001: 13 · 2002: 7 · 2003: 64 · 2004: 11 · 2005: 1,065 · 2006: 21 · 2007: 1,432 · 2008: 26 · 2009: 11 · 2010: 1,419 · 2011: 4,042 · 2012: 47 · 2013: 20 · 2014: 17 · 2015: 4 · 2016: 10 · 2017: 4 · 2018: 116 · 2019: 6 · 2020: 9 · 2021: 518 · 2022: 12 · 2023: 234 · 2024: 95 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 4.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Passaic County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Passaic County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $149 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Very High | $5.7M | 5.6 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very High | $2.2M | 31 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very High | $883K | 13 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $111M | 3.5 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $6.3M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $5.7M | 7 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $7.6M | once in about 499 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $5.0M | once in about 15 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Passaic County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in New JerseyEvery New Jersey tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Floods in New JerseyThe state's floods and flash floods, by county, year and month
- The New Jersey recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Passaic CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Passaic County's FEMA declarations (CSV)30 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis