Cliffside Park, NJ Tornado History — 53 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Cliffside Park, NJ had?
Cliffside Park has had 53 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Cliffside Park?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Cliffside Park was an EF0 on November 13, 2021.
When is tornado season in Cliffside Park?
July is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Cliffside Park, with 17 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Cliffside Park
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 14 total, averaging 0.7 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Cliffside Park since December 29, 2025
These are 2 preliminary reports, not confirmed tornadoes. They have not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and are not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
Within 25 miles of Cliffside Park. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Cliffside Park
2 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Cliffside Park since 1950, across 2 events. 50 injuries have been reported across all events. 2010 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was an EF1 on September 16, 2010, which caused 1 fatality along a 4.0-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Cliffside Park
About Tornadoes in Cliffside Park
This overview was written April 23, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Cliffside Park, New Jersey, sits in a region where tornadoes occur less frequently than in the nation's central plains, yet the historical record shows these events are far from absent. According to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center, 48 tornadoes have been documented within 25 miles of the borough since 1950, demonstrating that the densely populated New York metropolitan area is not immune to severe rotating storms.
Tornado activity in the area has varied considerably by decade. The 1950s and 1960s saw relatively few events, with only two and one tornado respectively. Activity increased notably beginning in the 1970s, when 10 tornadoes were recorded, followed by nine in the 1980s and 11 in the 1990s. The 2000s saw a decline to five tornadoes, while the 2010s recorded eight events. Through the early 2020s, two tornadoes have occurred. July stands out as the peak month for tornado activity, accounting for 15 of the 48 total events, reflecting the influence of summer thunderstorm patterns and occasional tropical system remnants that can spawn brief tornadoes in the Northeast.
The intensity distribution shows that most tornadoes near Cliffside Park have been relatively weak, with 20 rated EF0 and 22 rated EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which measures tornado strength based on damage. Six tornadoes reached EF2 intensity, capable of considerable damage to well-constructed buildings. The deadliest and costliest tornado on record struck on September 16, 2010, an EF1 event that caused one fatality, inflicted $17.2 million in property damage, and carved a 4.0-mile path with a maximum width of 100 yards. The widest tornado occurred on July 19, 1971, an F1 that reached 800 yards across during its one-mile track, causing $275,000 in damage.
The most recent tornado, an EF0 on November 13, 2021, traveled an unusually long 13.1-mile path while remaining relatively narrow at 50 yards wide, causing $300,000 in damage with no fatalities. This event also holds the record as the longest-tracked tornado in the area's modern history, illustrating that even weaker tornadoes can affect multiple communities when conditions allow for sustained rotation.