Inside Montgomery: Memorable Bad Weather Moments

By Ed Trzaska | Posted September 5, 2024

Montgomery has experienced many extreme weather events over the years, including the recent summer heat wave and Hurricane Ida in 2021.  Since I am not a local historian, I will focus on the past 50 to 60 years where information is available online and from firsthand accounts.  Let’s discuss two events that truly stand out.

One of the most powerful tornadoes ever recorded in New Jersey landed in Montgomery.

On October 18, 1990, Montgomery Township experienced an F3 tornado. As per the Fujita scale, this tornado had wind speeds of 158 to 206 miles per hour. It touched down in what is now Mill Pond Park on one of the large soccer fields and proceeded to DeHart Drive.

While the tornado was only on the ground for a short amount of time and traveled 0.5 miles, it destroyed three homes and injured eight people. 

The most harrowing and amazing story was that of an 11-year-old girl who was home watching television when the tornado struck. The house was flattened and she was blown into the front yard. 

Original news reports and articles can be found online at tornadotalk.com/montgomery-nj-f3-tornado-october-18-1990/.

F3 tornados (now called EF3) are remarkably rare in New Jersey.  There has only been one since Montgomery’s tornado and that was in 2021 in Gloucester County.  Rutgers University has tracked tornadoes in the state since 1950.  Over this time, there have been five F3 tornadoes, but none of the more powerful F4 or F5 variety.  

You can find this data at climate.rutgers.edu/stateclim/climatologies/njtornado.html.

Many current residents probably remember the second event – Hurricane Sandy.  The storm made landfall near Atlantic City on October 29, 2012 and devastated Montgomery and our surrounding area.  It was my first year as mayor, so I was involved in our emergency preparation and subsequent recovery effort.  

I remember driving around that day in the early afternoon (it was a Monday) with our police director.  Conditions were bad, but not catastrophic.  We were on Hollow Road heading to Dutchtown Zion Road around 2:30pm and suddenly, the storm’s intensity skyrocketed and it felt like we were in a natural disaster movie.

Winds reached 80 miles per hour, which brought down countless trees and utility poles. About 95% of Montgomery lost power.  This was a day many of us will never forget, including the resident that was in labor during the peak of Sandy. Montgomery EMS couldn’t reach a hospital due to blocked roads, but got her to a mobile care unit in Hillsborough where she delivered a healthy baby boy.   

It took about two weeks to recover from the storm. Some neighborhoods got power back quickly, but most took until the following weekend (5-6 days later). The mountain section of town took the longest since workers had to reattach power lines to individual houses.

While driving around and speaking with residents, I remember roof shingles scattered everywhere throughout town and tons of flooded basements due to sump pumps not working. 

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I can’t believe Hurricane Sandy was 12 years ago.  The recovery effort was an overwhelming experience in every sense of the word – good, bad, rewarding, and frustrating.  Thankfully, our community came together and supported each other with extraordinary acts of kindness and generosity.

If you remember one of these events, please email a letter to the editor to editor@themontynews.com and share your story.  ■

Ed Trzaska served on the Montgomery Township Committee as a Republican for nine years, including six years as mayor and deputy mayor. He championed local issues such as open space preservation, parks, public safety, and thoughtful land use. Ed and his family have been Montgomery residents for more than 20 years. To ask Ed a local question, please contact him at: insidemonty@outlook.com.