Most People Don’t Know A Devastating Tornado Ripped Through New Jersey’s State Capital Over 100 Years Ago

It was a stormy summer day... The sky was dark and the wind was whipping, but no one expected what happened next. If you've lived in New Jersey for any length of time, you know that tornadoes aren't common. When they do touch ground in the state, it's more a topic of conversation than total destruction. On August 10th, 1902, things were different.

It was like a bomb went off.

Rain barreled down on the city, water filled the streets and a tornado tore through the town. Property damages totaled $200,000, equivalent to about $4,000,000 today.

They called it a cyclone.

Newspapers reported a cyclone as tornadoes weren't very well understood at the time - especially in New Jersey. With limited records, it is difficult to assess the tornado's strength, but experts estimate that it fell into the EF-1 or EF-2 range. This means wind speeds likely topped 86 miles per hour and may have reached 135 MPH.

There were no fatalities.

Despite the widespread damage, there were no fatalities. Survivors report outhouses being torn from the ground and roofs being ripped right off buildings. A stone and steel bridge on Jacksonville Road collapsed. There were several close calls, but all residents made it through the storm.

New Jersey didn't see another tornado until 1973, when one touched down in Flanders; the tornado damaged homes and injured 12. Another awful storm in New Jersey's history is the 1962 Ash Wednesday Nor'easter. You can learn more and see footage of the damage here: A Terrifying, Deadly Storm Struck New Jersey In 1962… And No One Saw It Coming.