Thunderstorm Wind, Middlesex
- When
- July 18, 6:35 PM EST
- Where
- Middlesex County, North Brunswick to Woodbridge
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Coordinates
- 40.470, -74.430
Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in New Jersey, July 18, 1997
Severe thunderstorms caused wind damage in sections of northwestern Middlesex County from North Brunswick to Woodbridge. In North Brunswick, a Modell's store lost part of its roof.
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
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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 PHI wrote it up.
Severe thunderstorms caused wind damage in sections of northwestern Middlesex County from North Brunswick to Woodbridge. In North Brunswick, a Modell's store lost part of its roof. But the worst damage in the county occurred in Piscataway where emergency personnel responded to around 60 calls of downed trees and wires. Downed trees and wires were also reported in Middlesex Borough, South Plainfield, Dunellen, Highland Park, Metuchen and Edison. Lightning struck a home in Woodbridge and the subsequent fire that took one hour to bring under control rendered the house uninhabitable. The downed trees and power lines caused 20,000 Public Service Electric and Gas customers to lose power in Middlesex, Somerset and Union Counties.
The radar
The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 58 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:37 UTC.
Event by event
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning, Middlesex
- When
- July 18, 6:35 PM EST
- Where
- Middlesex County, Woodbridge
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Coordinates
- 40.440, -74.409 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
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 Winds and Lightning Strike in New Jersey, July 18, 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 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: 5614514, 5614515.