Union County, New Jersey
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 34039 · population 575,179 · 103 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 681 records for Union County, New Jersey from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 410 days; the most frequent are floods and flash floods (195 records). NOAA records 195 flood or flash floods there since 1996, with 7 deaths; its 7,525 flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA) rank 67th of 2,942 U.S. counties; the deadliest named storm on its flood record is Hurricane Ida (2021). The deadliest day on its record was September 1, 2021: flash flood records filed for Union County that day count 5 deaths across 2 records. 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
- 681on 410 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 2344 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $49Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 14strongest 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 Union County most?
The most frequent records are floods and flash floods: 195 since 1996. 48% 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 | 195 | 110 | 1996-2025 | 7 | 0 | $22M | 1 of 20 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 183 | 114 | 1983-2026 | 4 | 6 | $6.0M | 1 of 20 |
| Winter storms | 134 | 88 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 0 | – | 4 of 20 |
| High wind and dust storms | 55 | 49 | 1996-2025 | 6 | 15 | $951K | 4 of 20 |
| Hail | 26 | 20 | 1987-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 20 |
| Heat | 22 | 16 | 1999-2019 | 3 | 17 | – | 15 of 20 |
| Lightning | 15 | 14 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 2 | $70K | 4 of 20 |
| Heavy rain | 14 | 14 | 1996-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 20 |
| Tornadoes | 14 | 13 | 1952-2019 | 0 | 3 | $20M | 1 of 20 |
| Drought | 11 | 11 | 2001-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 20 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 4 | 2000-2004 | 0 | 0 | – | 16 of 20 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 4 | 2003-2020 | 0 | 1 | – | 8 of 20 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 1996-2006 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 20 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 1 | 2022-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 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 Union County had?
NOAA records 14 tornadoes in Union County from 1952 to 2019, the strongest rated F1, with 0 deaths and 3 injuries recorded in the county. That is 1st of 20 New Jersey counties and 12th of 3,080 U.S. counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 14 tornadoes whose track touched Union County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 14, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in New Jersey.
Every tornado record filed for Union County (14)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-08-07 | Cranford, Union County | EF0 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $135K |
| 2013-07-01 | Berkeley Hgts, Union County | EF0 4.77 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 1998-09-07 | Clark, Union County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $996K |
| 1998-09-07 | Plainfield, Union County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.7M |
| 1994-07-26 | Of Kenilworth, Union County | F1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $10.0M |
| 1992-07-15 | Union County | F0 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-10-18 | Union County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1989-11-16 | Union County | F0 1 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-05-23 | Union County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-07-26 | Union County | F1 0.5 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-07-14 | Union County | F0 0.1 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-10-05 | Union County | F1 6 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1973-06-29 | Union County | F1 0.5 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1952-04-05 | Union County | F1 0.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Union County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 11, 2026 thunderstorm wind.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindBerkeley Hgts, Union County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindPlainfield, Union County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindMountainside, Union County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindSummit, Union County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindElizabethport, Union County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindElizabethport, Union County | 62 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-23 | BlizzardUnion County · forecast zone Eastern Union | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Heavy SnowUnion County · forecast zone Western Union | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormUnion County · forecast zone Eastern Union | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter StormUnion County · forecast zone Western Union | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter WeatherUnion County · forecast zone Eastern Union | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter WeatherUnion County · forecast zone Western Union | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-09-01 | Flash FloodElizabeth, Union County Four people died due to flooding at the Oakwood Plaza apartment complex on Irvington Avenue in Elizabeth. All four people were found in one apartment and included a 74 year old woman, her 71 year old husband, their 38 year old son, and a 33 year old neighbor. | 4 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-01-22 | Winter StormUnion County · forecast zone Eastern Union Trained spotters and the public reported snowfall of around 28 inches. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 1999-07-04 | HeatMiddlesex County and Union County · forecast zone Union An extremely hot and humid airmass covered the region from July 4th through July 6th.On Sunday July 4th, temperatures soared into the mid and upper 90s. The combination of high temperatures and moderate humidity caused most heat indices to range from 100 to 105 degrees.On Monday July 5th, many new maximum temperature ... | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-14 | Flash FloodPlainfield, Union County Two fatalities in car that became submerged in flood waters on Stelle Avenue, then dragged into Cedar Brook. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-03 | Thunderstorm WindPlainfield, Union County Large tree fallen on car on Myrtle Avenue near Mariners Place with 2 occupants deceased. | 60 kt wind | 2 | 0 | $15K |
| 2012-10-29 | High WindUnion County · forecast zone Eastern Union The FAA observer at Newark Airport estimated a wind gust to 78 mph at 751 pm. | 68 kt wind | 2 | 0 | – |
| 2012-10-29 | High WindUnion County · forecast zone Western Union A wind gust to 70 mph was measured at Caldwell Airport at 614 pm. In Summit, a 93 year old male died when he fell in his home. His home was without power due to the high winds. In Berkeley Heights, a 79 year old female died after she fell in her home. She was without electricity and heat due to the high winds. | 61 kt wind | 2 | 0 | – |
| 2002-09-11 | High WindMiddlesex County and Union County · forecast zone Union A strong pressure gradient developed between Hurricane Gustav, which intensified as it moved offshore, and a high pressure system, which built southeast. High winds quickly developed behind a strong cold front that trailed from a low pressure system over Northeast New England around 10:00 am EDT.Wind speeds were ... | 1 | 12 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-07-26 | TornadoOf Kenilworth, Union County | F1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $10.0M |
| 1996-10-19 | Flash FloodSpringfield, Union County | 0 | 0 | $8.1M | |
| 1999-09-16 | Flash FloodCountywide, Union County | 0 | 0 | $7.4M | |
| 1998-09-07 | Thunderstorm WindLinden Airport, Union County | 0 | 0 | $5.4M | |
| 1998-09-07 | TornadoPlainfield, Union County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.7M |
| 1998-09-07 | TornadoClark, Union County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $996K |
| 2019-08-07 | TornadoCranford, Union County | EF0 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $135K |
| 2013-07-01 | Thunderstorm WindBerkeley Hgts, Union County | 80 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $63K |
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: October 18, 1990 (tornado, Union 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 Union 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 | – | – | – | – | 29 | 48 | 57 | 61 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 33 | 30 | 46 | 65 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 23 | 68 | 36 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 8 | 15 | 20 | 12 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 16 | 2 | 2 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 4 | 17 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
48% 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 66 · Feb 58 · Mar 49 · Apr 29 · May 33 · Jun 62 · Jul 157 · Aug 85 · Sep 50 · Oct 29 · Nov 22 · Dec 41 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Union County
FEMA's register lists 30 declarations that include Union County: 18 major disasters, 12 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (9) and severe storm (5).
| 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 |
| 2016-03-14 | DR-4264 | 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 |
| 2011-08-31 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 1996-11-19 | DR-1145 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1088 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) |
| 1993-03-17 | EM-3106 | Snowstorm | Severe Blizzard |
| 1992-12-18 | DR-973 | Flood | Coastal Storm, High Tides, Heavy Rain, & Flooding |
| 1980-10-19 | EM-3083 | Drought | Water Shortage |
| 1975-07-23 | DR-477 | Flood | Heavy Rains, High Winds, Hail & Tornadoes |
| 1973-08-07 | DR-402 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 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 Union County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 195 flood or flash flood records for Union County from 1996 to 2025, on 110 days, with 7 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Union County ranks 67th 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 | 2 | 5 |
| Tropical Storm Isaias | 2020-08-04 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-16 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $164 million on 7,525 claims filed in Union County; the most in one year was 1,679 in 2011. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 118 · 1979: 143 · 1980: 67 · 1981: 18 · 1982: 52 · 1983: 201 · 1984: 66 · 1985: 19 · 1986: 40 · 1987: 12 · 1988: 33 · 1989: 70 · 1990: 10 · 1991: 24 · 1992: 84 · 1993: 19 · 1994: 67 · 1995: 46 · 1996: 345 · 1997: 96 · 1998: 16 · 1999: 945 · 2000: 11 · 2001: 13 · 2002: 6 · 2003: 53 · 2004: 31 · 2005: 35 · 2006: 32 · 2007: 656 · 2008: 35 · 2009: 12 · 2010: 304 · 2011: 1,679 · 2012: 171 · 2013: 8 · 2014: 70 · 2015: 39 · 2016: 8 · 2017: 7 · 2018: 23 · 2019: 26 · 2020: 5 · 2021: 1,398 · 2022: 10 · 2023: 52 · 2024: 17 · 2025: 306 · 2026: 27.
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 Union County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Union County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $163 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 | $5.8M | 6.4 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very High | $1.3M | 11 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very High | $2.1M | 34 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Very High | $1.5M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $117M | 3.4 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $6.8M | 9.4 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $13M | once in about 490 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $5.5M | once in about 9 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Union 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 Union CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Union County's FEMA declarations (CSV)30 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis