A cold front produced thunderstorms across portions of northeastern New Jersey. Numerous lightning strikes impacted the Hawthorne area.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS OKX wrote it up.
A cold front produced thunderstorms across portions of northeastern New Jersey. Numerous lightning strikes impacted the Hawthorne area.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS New York, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 5, 6:26 AM EST, 6 hours 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY 726 AM EDT WED AUG 5 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL PRODUCE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION TODAY. CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE REGION FOR THE END OF THE WEEK. A MILD SUMMERTIME PATTERN WILL THEN SETTLE IN AGAIN BY LATE IN THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL NOON TODAY/... STLT INDICATES BKN-OVC SKIES ACROSS THE CWA WITH STRATUS ACROSS ERN LI AND CT. TEMPS STILL GENERALLY IN THE 70S. SFC TROF STRETCHES FROM THE HUDSON VALLEY INTO SWRN NJ. COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM THE ADIRONDACKS THRU CNTRL NY STATE INTO NERN OH. FOG DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN LIMITED THIS MRNG...WITH VSBYS ONLY DOWN TO AROUND 3SM AT TIMES. WILL MAINTAIN PATCHY FOG IN THE FCST FOR ERN LI AND MOST OF CT WHERE TD/S ARE A BIT HIGHER. MRNG FCST IS DRY AND HAZY WITH PARTIAL CLEARING OF LOW CLOUDS ACROSS THE E AND HIGH CLOUDS INCREASING FROM W-E ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA. && .SHORT TERM /NOON TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... NAM/GFS APPEAR TO HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON PCPN ACROSS UPSTATE NY THIS MRNG. HAVE THEREFORE FOLLOWED A MODEL BLEND CLOSELY FOR POPS THIS AFTN AND TONIGHT AND WEIGHTED NAM12 THERMODYNAMICS HEAVILY. SFC FRONT STRETCHING FROM NRN NY SWWD INTO NERN OH APPROACHES THE CWA BY 18Z. AS SFC TROF OVER WRN ZONES DEEPENS...WINDS BACK AHEAD OF THE FRONT SLOWING PROGRESSION. BY 21Z...SBCAPE INCREASES LOC TO OVER 2000 J/KG. AT THIS POINT...SCT CONVECTION WHICH IS EXPECTED TO HAVE INITIATED JUST NW OF THE CWA WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY IN THE VCTY OF THE SFC BOUNDARY. 0-6KM SHEAR IS WEAK...ONLY AROUND 15KT. THIS RESULTS IN AN EXTREMELY HIGH BRN. TSTMS ARE THEREFORE EXPECTED TO BE MULTICELLULAR IN NATURE. WITH DCAPE IN EXCESS OF 1000 J/KG...DAMAGING DOWNBURTS ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IF UPDRAFTS REACH THE EL WHICH IN PROGGED TO BE AROUND 44K FT PER NAM BUFR SOUNDINGS. AS TIME TRANSITIONS INTO THE LATE EVE HRS...HVY RA THE MAIN THREAT. THE CONVECTION SHOULD ENHANCE LLVL FROGEN AND ALLOW THE FRONT TO SWEEP OFFSHORE AFT 5Z. SHOULD CONVECTION NOT BE AS ROBUST AS FCST...FRONT WILL LINGER ALONG ERN ZONES WITH CHCS FOR SHRA/TSTMS INTO THE EARLY MRNG ON THU. H5 S/W DROPPING OUT OF THE CANADIAN PRAIRIES WILL ALLOW FOR LOW PRES TO DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT THU AND THU NIGHT. PCPN CHANCES DEPENDENT ON HOW FAR THE SFC FRONT MAKES IT. NAM/GFS/ECMWF GRAZE THE ERN ZONES. LOW CHC POPS INCLUDED IN THE FCST WITH ANY RA ENDING OVERNIGHT THU. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... 1022 HIGH SLIDES IN BEHIND THE S/W FOR FRI. DRY FCST WITH TEMPS AOB CLIMO. H5 RIDGE THEN BUILDS EWD OVER THE SERN CONUS ON SAT. THIS PUTS THE CWA ON THE NRN PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE WITH LOW CHCS FOR TSRA LATE SAT-TUE. HEIGHTS INCREASE ON MON WITH HOT TEMPS AS THERMAL RIDGE BUILDS E FROM THE MIDWEST. HEAT IDX IN THE U90S TO NEAR 100 POSSIBLE. && .AVIATION /11Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... BR AND STRATUS ACROSS THE TERMINALS WILL GRADUALLY DISSIPATE BETWEEN 13-14Z. VFR THEN EXPECTED INTO THIS AFTERNOON. AFTERNOON/EVENING FRONTAL PASSAGE WILL BRING SCT SHOWERS AND TSTMS. WILL INCLUDE A TEMPO GROUP AT WESTERN TERMINALS FOR TSTMS GENERALLY IN THE 22-00Z/23-01Z TIMEFRAME...AS THAT IS THE BEST TIMING THAT TERMINALS WOULD BE IMPACTED. FOR EASTERN TERMINALS...CONFIDENCE NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO WARRANT TEMPO GROUP...BUT WILL CONTINUE TO CARRY CB GROUPS. LIGHT SW FLOW WILL BECOME W-SW AT 10-15 KT BY LATE THIS MORNING/EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. LOW CONFIDENCE ON SEABREEZE DEVELOPMENT DUE TO THE INCREASED WESTERLY FLOW. WITH PASSAGE OF COLD FRONT TONIGHT...WINDS BECOME W TO NW AT 5-10 KT...GRADUALLY BECOMING LESS THAN 5 KT AT OUTLYING TERMINALS. FOR THE 36 HR TAF SITES KJFK/KEWR/KSWF...WITH PASSAGE OF WEAK LOW PRES SOUTH OF THE AREA THU MORNING...WILL INCLUDE MVFR VSBY IN SHOWERS FROM ABOUT 11-15Z THU. OUTLOOK FOR 12Z THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... ANOTHER ROUND OF TSTMS POSSIBLE THU MORNING AS WEAK LOW PRES PASSES THROUGH THE REGION. VFR THU THEN SCT TSRA POSSIBLE THU NIGHT WITH AN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM. VFR FRI-SAT WITH HI PRES. LOWERING CIGS SUN WITH APPROACHING WARM FRONT. && .MARINE... SUB-SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ON THE WATERS THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. A COLD FRONT WILL WORK ITS WAY ACROSS THE WATERS LATER TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT...POSSIBLY FOLLOWED BY THE PASSAGE OF LOW PRES ACROSS THE WATERS THU MORNING. SHOWERS AND TSTMS WILL DEVELOP ON THE WATERS...MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AND WILL BE CAPABLE OF WIND GUSTS OVER 35 KT AND HEAVY RAIN. TSTMS TAPER OFF BY MIDNIGHT. ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS/TSTMS POSSIBLE THU AFTERNOON. && .HYDROLOGY... TSTMS WILL DEVELOP IN A MOIST ENVIRONMENT THIS AFTN AND TRACK SEWD AT AROUND 10-20 MPH THROUGH THIS EVE. PW/S APPROACH 2 IN. 1-2 IN OF RAIN IS THEREFORE POSSIBLE IN THE HEAVIEST ACTIVITY...RESULTING IN THE POTENTIAL FOR URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING. WIDESPREAD SIGNIFICANT PCPN IS NOT EXPECTED THU-TUE ATTM. && .OKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CT...NONE. NY...NONE. NJ...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JMC NEAR TERM...JMC SHORT TERM...JMC LONG TERM...JMC AVIATION...MPS MARINE...MPS HYDROLOGY...JMC
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY 446 AM EDT WED AUG 5 2009 CTZ005>012-NJZ002>006-011-NYZ067>074-078-079-061000- NORTHERN FAIRFIELD-NORTHERN NEW HAVEN-NORTHERN MIDDLESEX- NORTHERN NEW LONDON-SOUTHERN FAIRFIELD-SOUTHERN NEW HAVEN- SOUTHERN MIDDLESEX-SOUTHERN NEW LONDON-WESTERN PASSAIC-BERGEN- EASTERN PASSAIC-ESSEX-HUDSON-UNION-ORANGE-PUTNAM-ROCKLAND- NORTHERN WESTCHESTER-SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER-NEW YORK (MANHATTAN)-BRONX- RICHMOND (STATEN ISLAND)-NORTHWESTERN SUFFOLK-NORTHEASTERN SUFFOLK- 446 AM EDT WED AUG 5 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT...NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHEAST NEW YORK. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SEVERE...WITH DAMAGING WINDS THE MAIN THREAT. IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE POTENTIAL...A HUMID AIRMASS WILL ALLOW FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. AREAS OF URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE HEAVIEST ACTIVITY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR APPARENT TEMPERATURES TO REACH INTO THE UPPER 90S TO NEAR 100 DEGREES ON MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. && THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF POTENTIAL WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER EVENTS THAT MAY REACH NWS WARNING CRITERIA. MOST LONG FUSED NWS WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES IN EFFECT ARE HIGHLIGHTED. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST NWS FORECASTS FOR WEATHER NOT MEETING NWS WARNING CRITERIA. NYZ075>077-080-081-061000- KINGS (BROOKLYN)-QUEENS-NASSAU-SOUTHWESTERN SUFFOLK- SOUTHEASTERN SUFFOLK- 446 AM EDT WED AUG 5 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NEW YORK. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A MODERATE RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS ALONG OCEAN BEACHES. THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SEVERE...WITH DAMAGING WINDS THE MAIN THREAT. IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE POTENTIAL...A HUMID AIRMASS WILL ALLOW FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. AREAS OF URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE HEAVIEST ACTIVITY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR APPARENT TEMPERATURES TO REACH INTO THE UPPER 90S TO NEAR 100 DEGREES ON MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. && THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF POTENTIAL WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER EVENTS THAT MAY REACH NWS WARNING CRITERIA. MOST LONG FUSED NWS WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES IN EFFECT ARE HIGHLIGHTED. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST NWS FORECASTS FOR WEATHER NOT MEETING NWS WARNING CRITERIA. ANZ330-335-338-340-345-350-353-355-061000- LONG ISLAND SOUND EAST OF NEW HAVEN CT/PORT JEFFERSON NY- LONG ISLAND SOUND WEST OF NEW HAVEN CT/PORT JEFFERSON NY- NEW YORK HARBOR-PECONIC AND GARDINERS BAYS- SOUTH SHORE BAYS FROM JONES INLET THROUGH SHINNECOCK BAY- MORICHES INLET NY TO MONTAUK POINT NY OUT 20 NM- FIRE ISLAND INLET NY TO MORICHES INLET NY OUT 20 NM- SANDY HOOK NJ TO FIRE ISLAND INLET NY OUT 20 NM- 446 AM EDT WED AUG 5 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 35 KNOTS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME THAT WOULD MEET NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WARNING CRITERIA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. && THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF POTENTIAL WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER EVENTS THAT MAY REACH NWS WARNING CRITERIA. MOST LONG FUSED NWS WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES IN EFFECT ARE HIGHLIGHTED. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST NWS FORECASTS FOR WEATHER NOT MEETING NWS WARNING CRITERIA. JMC
The Brookhaven radar (KOKX), 111 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:28 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous lightning strikes occurred in Hawthorne. One strike resulted in a transformer fire. Eastern Christian High School was impacted by a direct strike on the auditorium. A house was struck, resulting in a two foot gap in the roof. Two other lightning strikes were reported in town.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Jersey in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in New Jersey, August 2009
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: 195266.