1835 Middlesex County tornado

The 1835 Middlesex County tornado, touching down on June 19, 1835, was the deadliest tornado recorded in New Jersey's history. It destroyed all but two of twelve houses in Piscataway and killed five in New Brunswick, where it struck what is now part of downtown along a path through (or near) what is now Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital property, the site of Monument Square, and George Street.

1835 Middlesex County tornado
FormedJune 19, 1835
Max. rating1Unrated tornado
Fatalities5
Damage$300,000
($8.86 million in 2023 dollars[1][2])
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale

Reporting

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About 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon, a tornado passed over the town of Piscataway, about two miles from New Brunswick, which destroyed every house but two. The current proceeded towards the City of New Brunswick, and made dreadful havoc in that place, destroying and damaging nearly one hundred and fifty houses in Liberty, Richmond and Schureman streets. The most melancholy part of the accident is the death of several persons. There were 5 deaths, and here are 4 of them. A widow lady by the name of Van Arsdale, a man called Henry Boorsem, formerly a midshipman in the Navy, who was killed in the street, and a boy named Bayard.

— New York Evening Star, June 20, 1835[3][4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  2. ^ Grazulis, Thomas P (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991. St. Johnsbury, Vermont: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
  3. ^ "Dreadful Tornado". New York Evening Star. June 20, 1835. Archived from the original on October 27, 2010. Retrieved 2011-10-13. About 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon, a tornado passed over the town of Piscataway, about two miles from New Brunswick, which destroyed every house but two. ...
  4. ^ "Destructive Tornado". New York Gazette. June 29, 1835. Archived from the original on October 27, 2010. Retrieved 2018-08-11.
Preceded by Costliest U.S. tornadoes on Record
June 19, 1835
Succeeded by