Was Tropical Storm Debby A Bit Early In The Season For New Jersey? Take A Look

NORTH JERSEY, NJ — As Tropical Storm Debby swirled into New Jersey with wind and rain, some may have wondered if it was early in summer for such a storm.

Among recent tropical storms or depressions that caused extensive damage in New Jersey, the most costly have occurred in late August or September, with only a few in July or October (such as Hurricane Sandy in October 2012).

One of the most memorable storms in the New York City metropolitan area occurred 48 years ago this week — Hurricane Belle, which made a direct hit to Long Island in August 1978.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration counts 71 "weather and climate disasters" that caused at least $1 billion in damage to the Garden State since 1980.

They're not all cyclones. Some of those are winter storms, cold waves, and droughts.

Of the most damaging hurricanes and tropical storms to strike the Garden State, only Tropical Storm Elsa (July 7, 2021), Hurricane Isaias (August 4, 2020), and Tropical Storm Allison (June 17, 2001) have arrived before the midpoint of summer.

Debby's Downgraded, But Don't Be Fooled

Tropical Storm Debby was downgraded to post-tropical by Friday, before reaching New Jersey, but downgraded storms have still proven dangerous in the Northeast.

In September 2021, Hurricane Ida reached New Jersey as a tropical depression, yet took an estimated 30 lives, mostly in flash floods.

In Hudson and Bergen counties, the biggest impacts will be rain after 5 p.m. on Friday, as well as wind gusts throughout the day, the National Weather Service says.

Different Storms?

What's the difference between a hurricane, tropical storm, tropical depression, and tropical wave?

Hurricanes must have surface winds 75 m.p.h. or higher. See how hurricanes are categorized here.

For storms, depressions, and waves, wind speed and other factors come into play. The National Weather Services discuss the differences here.

When does a storm become post-tropical?

The NWS says, "A post-tropical cyclone that no longer possesses the convective organization required of a tropical cyclone and has maximum sustained winds of less than 34 knots [around 39 MPH]. A non-frontal low pressure system that has characteristics of both tropical and extratropical cyclones."

By the end of Friday, Accuweather estimated that Debby had done $28 billion in damage to the East Coast, although they did not give an estimate just for New Jersey.

Weekend Forecast And Storm Tracking

• Follow the up-to-date Hudson County forecast here.
• Bergen County forecast here.
• Track Debby and other Atlantic storms here or here.

Other Handy Links

Forecasting weather is an imperfect science, so it's best to be prepared, then to check the most up-to-date numbers:

• Keep an eye on the radar here.
  
• See the Accuweather Minutecast here.
• See a current map of all watches and warnings in New Jersey here.

See the updated NWS forecasts, watches, and warnings for North Jersey:

• Bergen County here
• Essex County here
• Hudson County here

What about the rivers? This NWS map of the United States will show the potential for flooding.

Come back to Patch for updates.

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