Thunderstorm Wind, Bergen
- When
- July 18, 12:36 PM EST
- Where
- Bergen County, Paramus
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Coordinates
- 40.920, -73.920
Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in New Jersey, July 18, 1997
A severe thunderstorm moved southeast over Bergen County. It produced high winds.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 2
- Injuries
- 2
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 6
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS OKX wrote it up.
A severe thunderstorm moved southeast over Bergen County. It produced high winds. A 20 year old male parking attendant at Ridgefield Country Club in Paramus was crushed (and killed) by a large wind-blown tree branch.A line of severe thunderstorms swept southeast across the area during the evening. Severe thunderstorms produced high winds that downed numerous trees and power lines across the area. Some trees fell onto and through houses, while others fell onto and through cars.Severe weather caused 1 additional death and 2 injuries: A person was killed by a tree that fell in Mahwah and two people (an adult and child) were injured by a tree that fell in Newark. Here are selected peak wind gusts for Union County:o 60 mph at Kenilwortho 66 mph at Mountainsideo 72 mph at Garwoodo 70 mph at Roselle.In addition, lightning struck and set a house on fire in Hillsdale.
The radar
The Brookhaven radar (KOKX), 89 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:36 UTC.
Event by event
5 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Union
- When
- July 18, 6:30 PM EST to 6:40 PM EST
- Where
- Union County, Union to Roselle
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 mph)
- Coordinates
- 40.700, -74.250
Thunderstorm Wind, Essex
- When
- July 18, 6:40 PM EST to 6:53 PM EST
- Where
- Essex County, Irvington to Newark Airport
- Measured
- 51 kt (59 mph)
- Injuries
- 2 direct, 0 indirect
- Coordinates
- 40.720, -74.220
Lightning, Bergen
- When
- July 18, 6:54 PM EST
- Where
- Bergen County, Hillsdale
- Coordinates
- 40.960, -74.074 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Thunderstorm Wind, Bergen
- When
- July 18, 7:00 PM EST
- Where
- Bergen County, Mahwah
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Coordinates
- 41.100, -74.150
Thunderstorm Wind, Hudson
- When
- July 18, 7:05 PM EST
- Where
- Hudson County, Jersey City to Harrison
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Coordinates
- 40.720, -74.080
The people who died
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind, Bergen | 1997-07-18 | 20 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
| Thunderstorm Wind, Bergen | 1997-07-18 | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
What these are
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
- Lightning
- A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, July 18, 1997
- Hurricane in Alabama, July 18 to 22, 1997
- Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in Pennsylvania, July 18, 1997
- Tornado and Flood in Wisconsin, July 18, 1997
- Lightning Strike in Utah, July 18, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, July 18, 1997
- Damaging Winds in Ohio, July 18, 1997
- Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in New Jersey, July 18, 1997
- Damaging Winds in New York, July 18, 1997
- Lightning Strikes in Alabama, July 18, 1997
- Damaging Wind in District of Columbia, July 18, 1997
- Tornado in Illinois, July 18, 1997
More
Every storm in New Jersey in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in New Jersey, July 1997
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5610409, 5610410, 5610411, 5610412, 5610413, 5610414.