New Jersey, 1998

Damaging Wind in New Jersey, September 7, 1998

September 7, 1998 · NWS PHI · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A squall line of severe thunderstorms knocked down trees and power lines in Morris County and injured two persons. A tree fell on a vehicle in Chatham Township.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
2
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

A squall line of severe thunderstorms knocked down trees and power lines in Morris County and injured two persons. A tree fell on a vehicle in Chatham Township. The shattered glass injured the woman driver and her two-year-old child received a bump on the head. Several homes and vehicles were damaged by fallen trees and several roads were blocked in Boonton Township, Chatham Borough, Dover Township, Florham Park Borough, Lake Parsippany, Montville Township and Rockaway Township. Major power outages were also reported in Butler Borough. GPU Energy reported about 85,000 customers in their central and northern New Jersey service area including Morris County lost power.

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 105 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:46 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Morris

When
September 7, 12:45 PM EST to 1:05 PM EST
Where
Morris County, Countywide
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Injuries
2 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
40.880, -74.580

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.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New Jersey in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in New Jersey, September 1998

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: 5673157.