New Jersey

Why N.J. keeps getting missed by hurricanes and tropical storms

Published

2 years ago

October 8, 2024

Why N.J. keeps getting missed by hurricanes and tropical storms

After an unusually slow start, the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is now in full blast, with multiple hurricanes and tropical storms popping up during the past few weeks — including the monstrous Hurricane Milton, which rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to a scary, powerful Category 5 hurricane in less than 24 hours.

Amid the flurry of tropical activity and serious threats to people and buildings in the southeastern U.S. region, one noticeable trend has developed. This year’s storms are not making their way up north to the New Jersey region.

Our area isn’t even getting the leftover rain and wind that commonly drifts in our direction after big storms make landfall along the U.S. Gulf coast or the southern Atlantic.

The reason is fairly simple, according to Ken Elliott, a meteorologist for WeatherWorks, a private forecasting company based in New Jersey.

“High pressure has just been blocking everything,” Elliott said.

Elliott said large domes of high pressure have been larger and farther south than they normally are in the late summer and early fall, and those systems of circulating air have acted as a giant shield to block the southern storms or their remnants from pushing north.

“That basically deflected all the moisture south,” he noted.

Elliott said the same general pattern has been repeating itself during recent weeks.

“The first in a series of storms — Francine — went up to the Gulf Coast northound and it basically just ran into one of those highs. That rain just fell apart when it got too far inland,” the forecaster said.

“Try as they might, these hurricanes just can’t get into that,” Elliott added. “The highs just reinforce themselves one after the other, and they (the tropical systems) run into dry air.”

Earlier this week, three different hurricanes were spinning in the Atlantic hurricane basin, and none of them are expected to bring any rain or wind to New Jersey.National Hurricane Center

During recent weeks, as hurricane season was ramping up, large high pressure systems have been circulating over Canada and dropping south, sometimes into the Ohio Valley and more recently over Missouri.

“Hurricanes go into the path of least resistance a lot of times, and they will try to find a way to escape,” Elliott said. “Hurricanes look for a weakness in the high. There’s really been no weakness in these highs.”

Elliott noted that Hurricane Milton will be staying far south of New Jersey only partly because of the strong highs near our region of the country. The other big factor with Milton is its steering winds, he said.

Milton formed as a tropical storm in the western Gulf of Mexico, and steering winds are pushing the now-major hurricane across the eastern Gulf on a path that’s aiming directly at the west-central coast of Florida. And the steering winds are expected to push the storm fairly quickly out into the open Atlantic after it makes landfall Wednesday night.

That track is different, Elliott said, from the tropical systems that more commonly move up from the southern Gulf or southern Atlantic and push their way up to the north.

Hurricane Milton forecast cone — Hurricane Milton is expected to maintain its strength as a major hurricane before it slams into the western coast of Florida Wednesday night, bringing highly destructive winds, heavy rain and a life-threatening storm surge, forecasters warn.National Hurricane Center

Staying dry in New Jersey

With all the high pressure systems in place near New Jersey, the Garden State has had long stretches of dry and pleasant weather, except for some occasional spotty rain.

Last month turned out to be one of the driest Septembers ever recorded in New Jersey, with many areas of the state getting less than an inch of rain — and some areas reporting less than a half-inch — the entire month, according to data from the National Weather Service.

The dry trend has continued during the first eight days of October, with only a trace of rain reported in the Newark area, the Trenton area and the Atlantic City area.

When will New Jersey see any substantial rain? Forecasters say they don’t see any major storms brewing right now, and there’s only a 30% to 40% chance that a cold front from the west might bring a little bit of rain to our region Sunday night or Monday morning.

Current weather radar

Thank you for relying on us to provide the local weather news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com or on X at @LensReality.

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New Jersey

Wild video shows beaver attacking boy, 8, fishing in New Jersey lake

Published

2 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Press Room

Wild video shows beaver attacking boy, 8, fishing in New Jersey lake

Well I’ll be dammed.

Wild video captured a beaver attacking a small child while he was fishing in a New Jersey lake — after earlier pouncing on other unsuspecting visitors.

The unidentified 8-year-old boy was with his family at Lake Henry in the Continental Soldiers Park complex in Mahwah around 6 p.m. Sunday “when the beaver exited the lake and charged him,” police told News 12 New Jersey.

“The child began to run away but tripped. The animal bit the child in the upper thigh and continued to attack him,” Mahwah police said.

Cellphone footage shared on Facebook shows the boy’s relatives trying to get the child out of the water and away from the beaver — just for the furious animal to give chase.

One of the relatives kicked the animal as a pet dog also joined the fray, before someone managed to fling the wild attacker back into the water.

The boy was transported to a local hospital by EMS crews for treatment. The extent of his injuries isn’t known.

Police later learned the same beaver had attacked other park guests earlier in the day. It was unclear how many or how serious their injuries were, beyond news that they also needed treatment.

Animal control officers responded and reported that the animal went on the attack because of an illness. It was captured and sent for testing,

Police have urged anyone who encountered the animal to contact them at 201-529-1000, Ext. 210.

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New Jersey

Chaos at Maple Shade carnival forces early shutdown, cancels final night

Published

14 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Press Room

Chaos at Maple Shade carnival forces early shutdown, cancels final night

MAPLE SHADE, N.J. (WPVI) — A community carnival meant to raise money for a local youth football program shut down early Friday night after large crowds of teens caused disturbances and forced the cancellation of the event’s final and typically biggest night, police said.

The carnival, which benefits the Maple Shade Tigers youth football program, was scheduled to continue Saturday, but organizers called it off following the incident.

Police say several teens are now facing charges.

Witnesses described crowds leaving the area under police supervision.

“Just herds of kids walking out. Cops escorting them out,” said Cody Quick, a Maple Shade football parent.

Neighbors and carnival-goers said groups of teens were seen sprinting down nearby streets and fighting as the scene unfolded on Friday night.

Parents can be fined or charged for their kids’ bad behavior in a South Jersey town

Maple Shade police said officers were met with hostility as they worked to disperse the crowd.

“They were cursing at police officers. They were clearly trying to provoke physical confrontations with cops,” said Lt. Daniel O’Brien of the Maple Shade Police Department.

Police are reviewing videos posted to social media as part of their investigation.

Authorities say the footage appears to show teens fighting and officers attempting to break up crowds.

The event was shut down early Friday, and the cancellation of Saturday night resulted in significant financial losses for the youth football program.

“As a nonprofit, everything always goes back into the program…new equipment, uniforms, helmets,” said Thomas Oshinsky, president of the Maple Shade Tigers.

The incident comes after years of similar issues involving teens at community events and down the shore.

In January, then-Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation allowing police to fine parents of juveniles involved in certain disturbances.

In the most serious cases, parents could face jail time. Maple Shade police say they are exploring that option, but note the process will take time as investigators review video, identify suspects and locate their guardians.

“If your kid is leaving the house with a face mask to go to a carnival, I think that should be a sign that they might be getting themselves into trouble,” O’Brien said.

Police said following a similar incident at the carnival last year, the department increased police coverage and added surveillance cameras and a drone to monitor the event.

Officials added that initial reports of weapons at Friday’s incident were unfounded, and no serious injuries were reported.

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New Jersey

The PATH fare hike just took effect: it’ll now cost you $3.25 to take the train to New Jersey

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2026

Press Room

The PATH fare hike just took effect: it’ll now cost you .25 to take the train to New Jersey

Commuters traveling between New Jersey and Manhattan are about to pay a little more for their rides. Starting today, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has officially implemented a fare increase across the PATH system. It’s another hit for the wallet, but the increase comes with the most significant service expansion the 118-year-old system has seen in decades.

As of today, the base fare for a single ride on the PATH has increased by 25 cents, jumping from $3.00 to $3.25. This adjustment affects all standard payment methods, including TAPP, SmartLink and Pay-Per-Ride MetroCards.

Multi-trip options still offer a better deal for those looking to save. Bundles of 10, 20 or 40 trips via TAPP cards now average $3.10 per ride, up from the previous $2.85. Senior citizens and riders with disabilities will see a smaller adjustment, with reduced-fare tickets increasing by a dime to $1.60.

This is only the first of a series of increases, however, as the Port Authority has outlined a roadmap of 25-cent increases every January through 2029, at which point a single ride will reach $4.00.

The fare hike is immediate, but the payoff for commuters arrives on May 17, when the PATH restores full seven-day service across all four lines for the first time since 2001.

The highlight of these changes is the return of direct Hoboken–World Trade Center weekend service, ending a nearly 25-year hiatus. Additionally, the time-consuming “Hoboken detour” for Jersey City riders is being eliminated during peak weekend hours. Between 10am and 9pm, the Journal Square–33rd St and Hoboken–33rd St lines will run every 10 minutes, while the Hoboken–WTC line will run every 20 minutes.

Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia noted that these changes mark a “larger turning point” for the system. The increased revenue is earmarked for critical infrastructure upgrades and system reliability.

“These game-changing service enhancements and improved fare payment options are continuing to provide more frequent and reliable service to our customers,” said PATH Director/General Manager Clarelle DeGraffe. “Having seven-day service on all our lines is a blueprint for more frequent, faster, and more reliable service for our customers.”

Beyond weekend changes, the agency is also tackling late-night frustration; Friday night service will now run every 20 minutes until 2am, finally replacing the dreaded 40-minute wait times.

For the thousands of daily riders, the higher price may be unwelcome, but the tradeoff is more convenience and reliability, and dramatic future improvements. Find out more at www.panynj.gov.