Lightning TrackerElizabeth storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Elizabeth, NJ, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Elizabeth, NJ
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Storm outlook, next 48 hours
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Severe weather in Elizabeth by the numbers
Elizabeth sits in one of the most active severe-weather areas in the country: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 1,101 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 118 hail reports, 972 damaging-wind reports and 11 tornado reports. On average that is 15.6 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in June, July, August, when 72% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 1 hail report, 102 wind reports and 3 tornado reports around Elizabeth; the largest hail was 1.00″ (quarter) on Jul 27, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Elizabeth
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | Damaging wind | 7 mi E · Richmond Co. |
| Aug 27, 2026 | Damaging wind | 6 mi N · Essex Co. |
| Aug 20, 2026 | Tornado | 25 mi E · Nassau Co. |
| Aug 20, 2026 | Damaging wind | 25 mi E · Nassau Co. |
| Aug 8, 2026 | Damaging wind | 22 mi E · Queens Co. |
| Aug 7, 2026 | Damaging wind | 9 mi W · Union Co. |
| Jul 28, 2026 | Damaging wind | 6 mi W · Union Co. |
| Jul 27, 2026 | Damaging wind | 11 mi SW · Middlesex Co. |
| Jul 27, 2026 | Hail 1.00″ | 24 mi N · Bergen Co. |
| Jul 21, 2026 | Tornado | 16 mi NW · Morris Co. |
One line per day and type — the closest report that day. Distance and direction from the city centre. The latest SPC reports are preliminary until NOAA finalises them.
Storm reports by year
Storm season in Elizabeth
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Elizabeth
Elizabeth averages 3.8 days a year with hail reported nearby. The biggest stone on record since 2016 was 2.50 inches — about the size of a tennis ball — reported 25 miles from the city centre on Jul 8, 2021. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.
Tornadoes near Elizabeth
There have been 11 tornado reports within 25 miles of Elizabeth since 2016; the strongest was rated EF1 (Jun 26, 2023, 20 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Elizabeth on your iPhone
Lightning Tracker shows storm risk around you, live severe-weather alerts and how close the storm is — free on the App Store.
Storm trackers near Elizabeth
Questions about storms in Elizabeth
Does Elizabeth get a lot of severe storms?
Elizabeth averages 15.6 days a year with at least one hail, damaging-wind or tornado report within 25 miles, based on NOAA Storm Prediction Center reports 2016–2025.
When is storm season in Elizabeth?
Most severe-weather reports around Elizabeth come in June, July, August.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Elizabeth?
2.50 inches (tennis ball size) on Jul 8, 2021, 25 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Elizabeth?
Yes — 11 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF1 on Jun 26, 2023.
How do I get storm alerts for Elizabeth?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Elizabeth, NJ. For alerts on your phone, Lightning Tracker for iPhone shows storm risk and warnings for your location.
How this page works: storm reports are NOAA Storm Prediction Center local storm reports (final database 2016–2025, preliminary daily reports after that) within 25 miles of Elizabeth, NJ. They are reports of hail, damaging wind and tornadoes — not lightning strike counts, which no free public dataset provides at city level. Live alerts come from the National Weather Service API, the outlook from Open-Meteo forecast models. Updated Oct 27, 2026.