New Jersey tornado risk
Essex County has the highest tornado risk in New Jersey, scoring 94.9 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded tornado events across New Jersey have increased 106% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Essex County | 94.9 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 2 | Middlesex County | 94.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 3 | Bergen County | 92.3 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 4 | Hudson County | 90.7 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 5 | Passaic County | 88.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 6 | Union County | 87.2 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 7 | Camden County | 84.8 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 8 | Mercer County | 81.9 | Relatively Moderate | 8 |
| 9 | Morris County | 79.9 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 10 | Burlington County | 78.2 | Relatively Moderate | 10 |
| 11 | Somerset County | 72.3 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 12 | Gloucester County | 69.6 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 13 | Monmouth County | 55.1 | Relatively Low | 8 |
| 14 | Cumberland County | 54 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 15 | Atlantic County | 53.2 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 16 | Hunterdon County | 51.4 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 17 | Warren County | 49.7 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 18 | Ocean County | 47.2 | Relatively Low | 8 |
| 19 | Sussex County | 44.1 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 20 | Cape May County | 38.3 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 21 | Salem County | 35.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Tornado risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in New Jersey:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest tornado risk county in New Jersey?
Essex County, NJ has the highest tornado risk in New Jersey, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 94.9 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes tornado risk in New Jersey?
Tornado risk concentrates in the central and southern plains ("Tornado Alley") and the Southeast ("Dixie Alley"), where atmospheric conditions favor supercell thunderstorm development. The highest scores often belong to counties with significant mobile home and manufactured housing stock, which carries disproportionate tornado mortality risk.