Originally published Oct. 5, 2018

New Jersey is a small state with a long history, and that history is marked with deadly natural disasters and terrible, man-made accidents

From hurricanes to factory explosions, here are some of the worst disasters in each of the Garden State's 21 counties.

Don't Edit

Statewide: Superstorm Sandy

Perhaps the most massive disaster in New Jersey's history occurred just six years ago, when Superstorm Sandy ripped through the state. A tropical storm by the time it got to New Jersey on October 29, 2012, Sandy combined with a nor'easter to become an unprecedented storm. Sandy left 37 dead and dealt $30 billion in damage to the Garden State after raging for two days.

Don't Edit

New Jersey State Police photo | New Jersey State Library

Statewide runners-up

The Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944 - In September 1944, as the liberation of Europe was underway across the Atlantic, the Jersey Shore was wrecked by a passing hurricane. Because U.S. military leaders feared the presence of German U-Boats off the coast, little warning was given to residents that the storm was coming. Hundreds of of homes were lost, and iconic boardwalks along the Shore were shredded. Damage from the storm in Ocean Grove is pictured above.

"The Perfect Storm": The 1991 Halloween Nor'easter - Like Sandy, this Halloween storm was made up of multiple storm systems that combined to unleash carnage across New Jersey and the greater Northeast region. The storm caused $75 million in damage to South Jersey, forced homes to be evacuated along the Shore and caused tidal flooding in North Jersey.

Blizzard of '96 - A monster blizzard caused white-out conditions and buried New Jersey in early January 1996. Over two feet of snow blanketed two-thirds of the Garden State, and the entire length of the New Jersey Turnpike was closed for the first time ever. It is one of only two blizzards, the other was the March 1993 Superstorm, to be rated a Category 5 for Northeastern impact.

Don't Edit

Atlantic County: Bridge wreck

On October 28, 1906, a West Jersey and Seashore Railroad train plunged off a bridge and sent three cars into the Beach Thorofare in Atlantic City. The accident left between 53 and 57 people dead, according to the Press of Atlantic City.

Don't Edit

Atlantic County runners-up

1902 Boardwalk Fire - Atlantic City's famed boardwalk was torched from New York Avenue to Illinois Avenue (now Martin Luther King Boulevard) on April 3, 1902. The fire destroyed or damaged more than 30 buildings. The cause of the fire was never determined, though some initial reports blamed a black dog for knocking over a lantern while playing in a bathhouse.

Atlantic City Gasoline Explosion - On July 16, 1937, 40,000 gallons of gasoline exploded at the Pure Oil plant in Atlantic City, sending flaming liquid flowing through the streets and injuring more than 100 people. The explosion is shown in the video above.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

National Archives and Records Administration

Bergen County: Kingsland Explosion

Though the U.S. had not yet entered World War I in January 1917, the Great War was already impacting the Garden State.

In Kingsland, know called Lyndhurst, the massive, 40-acre Canadian Car and Foundry plant produced about three million artillery shells per month to be sent to Europe.

But on January 11, 1917, a suspected German saboteur set fire to the factory. Nearly a half a million shells exploded, but all of the plant's 1,700 employees survived.

Don't Edit

Bergen County runners-up

Cherry Hill Tornado - On July 13, 1895, a tornado ripped through Main Street in the Cherry Hill section of what is now River Edge. Three people were killed and multiple buildings were destroyed as part of the $75,000 in property damage.

Hackensack Meadows Crash - It was a foggy day on January 15, 1894, when the South Orange Accommodation rear-ended the Dover Express at a drawbridge in the Meadowlands. The crash killed 13 people and injured more than 50 others. Both trains were commuter routes operated by the Morris and Essex Division of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. The crash, as described by "Disaster!: Stories of Destruction and Death in Nineteenth-Century New Jersey," forced the railroad to adopt a modern signal system.

Celluloid Explosion - Flaming bits of celluloid showered down on Passaic River bathers in North Arlington when the American Pyroloxion Waste Company's celluloid recycling plant exploded on June 10, 1933. The blast killed nine people and injured 175 more.

Don't Edit

File photo

Burlington County: Camden & Amboy wreck

It's one of the worst rail accidents in New Jersey's history. On August 29, 1855, 24 people died and more than 60 others were injured when a passenger train on the Camden & Amboy railroad wrecked in Burlington Township. The train had left Philadelphia and was waiting for a train from New York to pass. The New York train was late, so the Philadelphia train continued. Just a mile farther down the track, the New York train appeared and the Philadelphia train began to reverse at high speed in order to avoid a collision.

But now moving backwards, the engineer of the Philadelphia train could not see a family crossing the tracks in a horse-drawn carriage. The train struck the carriage and four cars derailed.

Don't Edit

Burlington County runners-up

2004 Flash Flood - In July 2004, heavy rain pounded South Jersey. Burlington County saw the worst of it, with 13.2 inches coming down in just four hours. The waters of the Rancocas Creek basin rose quickly, and more than 1,000 homes were damaged by flood waters. The floods caused an estimated $50 million in property damage.

Black Saturday - April 20, 1963, marked the start of the worst forest fire in New Jersey's history. The blaze was a complication of flames; at its peak, 37 major fires were burning across the Pinelands. Seven people died, and more than 183,000 acres of forests burned, according to the Burlington Times.

Eastern Air Lines crash - A Navy F-6 Hellcat collided with an Eastern Air Lines DC-3 that was flying from LaGuardia on July 30, 1949, outside of Chesterfield, killing the Navy pilot at 15 people on the airliner. "Reckless conduct" by the Navy pilot was blamed for the crash.

Don't Edit

Camden County: Camden paint factory explosion

A series of explosions at the R.M. Hollingshead plant rocked Camden on July 30, 1940. The blasts and ensuing fire killed 10 people and injured many others. A block's worth of factory buildings were destroyed, and the fire spread to nearby homes. The disaster left dozens of people homeless and caused $2 million in damage.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Camden County runners-up

Winslow Junction derailment - On July 2, 1922, a train on the Atlantic City Railroad's route from Camden to Atlantic City flew through a switch at Winslow Junction going 90 miles per hour. The train derailed, killing seven people and injuring another 89.

Public Service gas explosion - A gas plant operated by the Public Service Company exploded in Camden on March 9, 1932. The blast killed 15 men who had been cleaning the inside of a massive steel tank, which would be called a "steel tomb" by news reports at the time.

1912 Camden Tornado - The northwest section of Camden was smashed by a tornado on April 2, 1912. The vortex storm killed two women who were in a trolley and damaged scores of homes.

Don't Edit

Cape May County: Cape May fires

The Cape May that exists today is a city that was rebuilt after two major fires in the 19th Century.

The first occurred in 1869, when a blaze swept through Jackson Street and destroyed three hotels along the beach.

That tragedy was compounded in November 1878, when an even larger fire raged and wiped out 35 acres of the city from Congress Hall to Ocean Street.

Don't Edit

File photo

Cape May County runners-up

Anglesea fishing boat sinks - A 35-foot fishing boat based in Anglesea (now North Wildwood) and belonging to the Hilton & Hilton Fish company sank in 1921, killing 11 people. The tragedy was captured on the front page of the Jersey Journal.

Allegheny Airlines Flight 977 - On the foggy night of December 12, 1976, a commuter plane flying from Atlantic City to Cape May crashed short of the Cape May Airport. The crash left four dead, according to the Press of Atlantic City, but six survived.

Ocean City Boardwalk fire - Fire erupted along the Ocean City boardwalk on Oct. 11, 1927, destroying 30 buildings across eight blocks.

Don't Edit

Cumberland County: Nationwide Air crash

A Nationwide Air Transport Services airliner was flying from Miami to Newark during a storm on Jan. 5, 1947.

The flight was supposed to stop in Raleigh, but because of the weather the crew headed for Washington. Heavy traffic and two fuel emergencies blocked the flight from landing in the nation's capital, and the crew decided to head to Millville to land.

But communication with Millville was spotty, and the flight passed the airport without ever seeing it. Out of fuel, the flight made an emergency landing just outside of Vineland. Three of the 23 people aboard the plane died.

Don't Edit

Star-Ledger file photo

Cumberland County runners-up

Millville plane crash - It was a windy, rainy day in Millville on Nov. 25, 1964, when David Dows, Jr., tried to take off on a short flight to New York to get home for Thanksgiving. The plane crashed on the runway, killing Dows, his 2-year-old-daughter and two others on board, according to the New York Times.

Plane wrecks grocery - A plane crashed through Newcomb's Market in Port Norris on Dec. 8, 1996, killing the pilot, according to the Press of Atlantic City.

Route 47 deadly crash - All six passengers of a car died on Route 47 in Vineland when a tractor-trailer rear-ended them on July 31, 1957.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

File photo

Essex County: 1910 Newark Factory Fire

New York's Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire has gone down as one of the pivotal moments in labor reform history.

But just four months earlier a fire at Newark's Wolf Muslin Undergarment Factory sparked similar outrage and calls for change.

On November 28, 1910, at least 26 women died in the massive blaze on the corner of Orange Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard, many of them from jumping from the burning factory.

Don't Edit

Courtesy the Newark Public Library

Essex County runners-up

Newark caisson collapse - On February 1, 1911, 10 workers were killed while working on a new Centre Street bridge across the Passaic river in Newark when the caisson they were working in collapsed. All of the killed were black men working as "sandhogs."

Colonial Western Airlines crash - A Ford Tri-motor plane on a sightseeing trip crashed into a sand-filled rail car in Newark after an engine failed, on March 17, 1929, killing 14 of the 15 people on board.

Clifton Ave. trolley wreck - A trolley loaded with Barringer High students crashed into a speeding train on February 19, 1903, in Newark. Nine of the students were killed, and another 30 were injured.

Don't Edit

Star-Ledger file photo

Gloucester County: Woolwich pile up

Heavy fog on the morning of November 29, 1969, led to a 29 vehicle pile up on the New Jersey Turnpike in Woolwich.

A propane trailer involved in the crash leaked, causing a fire that destroyed nine of the vehicles. The crash left six people dead and 18 people injured, according to the NTSB investigation.

Don't Edit

Gloucester County runners-up

Gibbstown TNT explosion - A Du Pont TNT plant exploded in Gibbstown on May 15, 1916, killing 14 workers and causing $250,000 in damage, according to the New York Times.

Rollins Environmental Services explosion - On December 8, 1977, a series of explosions and fire ripped through the Rollins Environmental Services tank farm in Logan Township. The blasts left six people dead and injured another 12, and sent about 40 firefighters to the hospital.

Paulsboro train derailment - A train laden with toxic chemicals derailed in Paulsboro on November 30, 2012, spilling about 23,000 gallons of vinyl chloride into Mantua Creek.

Don't Edit

Hudson County: Hoboken Docks Fire

On June 30, 1900, fire broke out at the North German Lloyd docks in Hoboken.

The blaze was ferocious, spreading quickly along the wooden docks.

Four large ships docked at the facility, including North German Lloyd's flagship S.S. Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse, caught fire. Flaming debris crowded the Hudson River, causing 27 more boats to catch fire. An estimated 325 to 400 people died in the fire, and $4.5 million in damage was done.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

File photo

Hudson County runners-up

Black Tom explosion - An even more iconic example of World War I sabotage than Bergen County's Kingsland Explosion, the Black Tom explosion rocked Hudson County and beyond on July 30, 1916. When the smoke cleared, about a dozen people were dead and $75 million in damage had been done.

Newark Bay rail accident - On September 15, 1958, a Central Railroad of New Jersey train sped over a partially open drawbridge and plunged into Newark Bay outside of Bayonne. The crash killed 48 people, including the former Yankee George "Snuffy" Stirnweiss.

Hudson River tunnel collapse - On July 21, 1880, disaster struck the tunnel that the PATH now runs through. A collapse of the tunnel during its construction killed 20 "sandhogs" working 60 feet under the Hudson River.

Don't Edit

File photo

Hunterdon County: Lambertville gas explosion

Lambertville was rocked by the explosions of two gas mains on February 3, 1971. The blasts killed eight people, injured another nine and destroyed four homes in the quiet town along the Delaware River.

Don't Edit

Hunterdon County runners-up

Clinton fire - In October 1891, a fire ravaged Main Street in Clinton for several days. The blaze directly led to the founding of the town's fire department.

Lebanon gas explosion - Ten men died and Lebanon's Odd Fellows hall was destroyed when a gas explosion struck the town on December 31, 1918.

Delaware River flood of 1903 - The Delaware River overflowed it banks in October 1903, bringing flooding through the river valley. In Lambertville, the waters reached 20 feet high.

Don't Edit

Mercer County: 1996 floods

Floods swamped New Jersey in January 1996, and Mercer County, where thousands were forced to evacuate, was among the hardest hit areas.

In Trenton alone, 2,000 people fled their homes. The Delaware River crested in Trenton on January 20, with the water reaching 22.2 feet. Nearly three feet of water filled the basement of the Statehouse Annex.

Don't Edit

Mercer County runners-up

Hurricanes Connie and Diane - New Jersey was slammed by back-to-back hurricanes, Connie and Diane, in 1955. Multiple people died in Mercer County as a result of the storms. The resulting flooding remains the flood of record for the Delaware River.

Chandler Oilcloth Works explosion - Yardville was rocked on May 2, 1916, when the Chandler Oilcloth plant exploded, killing three people and injuring six more, according to the New York Times.

Trenton Match Factory explosion - Three people were injured on July 24, 1894, according to the New York Times, when the Trenton Match Factory exploded.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Middlesex County: Morgan munitions base explosion

Workers at the T.A. Gillespie Shell Loading plant, an ammunition factory in Sayreville, accidentally ignited a disaster on October 4, 1918.

A bad combination of scrap metal and TNT created a series of explosions that lasted for three days, killing 100 people and shattering glass as far away as Newark. Martial law was declared, and 62,000 residents were moved out of the area.

Don't Edit

Middlesex County runners-up

The Broker wreck - An 11-car Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train known as The Broker derailed over a temporary trestle in Woodbridge on February 6, 1951, killing more than 80 people and injuring hundreds more. The train had been going twice the speed limit.

Edison pipeline explosion - A 36-inch pipeline carrying natural gas from Texas to New Jersey and New York exploded in the middle of an Edison neighborhood on March 24, 1994, creating a blast that witnesses compared to a nuclear explosion. Eight apartments were leveled and about 100 people were injured, according to the New York Times.

South Amboy munition explosion - South Amboy was rocked on May 19, 1950, when barges and rail cars loaded with 420 tons of military explosive detonated. The blast killed 31 people and injured hundreds more.

Don't Edit

Monmouth County: S.S. Morro Castle

New Jersey's iconic shipping disaster occurred on September 8, 1934, when the SS Morro Castle ran aground while burning off of Asbury Park.

The luxury ocean liner had been carrying 550 people from Havana, Cuba to New York. Of those, 135 died.

Don't Edit

Monmouth County runners-up

New Era wreck - Even deadlier than the Morro Castle was the wreck of the S.S. New Era. Nearly 300 immigrants died when the ship sank off of Deal Lake on November 13, 1854. The wreck helped spur the creation of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Linea Aeropostal Venezolana Flight 253 - This Venezuelan airliner was over the Atlantic, en route from New York to Caracas, Venezuela, when engine troubles quickly escalated until the plane broke apart. All 74 people aboard died.

Beachview Rest Home fire - Disaster hit Keansburg in January 1981 when the Beachview Rest Home burned down, killed 29 of it's 110 mostly elderly and handicapped residents.

Don't Edit

Courtesy Hercules Incorporated

Morris County: Hercules powder blast

The onset of World War II pushed munitions production into high gear in the U.S., setting the stage for disaster in Morris County.

On September 12, 1940, an explosion at the Hercules Powder Company Kenvil Works exploded, killing 51 people and injuring hundreds of others.

The blast was powered by 297,000 pounds of gunpowder. The explosion shook buildings throughout the tristate area, and was felt as far away as Poughkeepsie.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Robert Sciarrino | For The Star-Ledger

Morris County runners-up

Lake Denmark Arsenal explosion - Lightning struck the Navy's Lake Denmark ammunition depot on July 10, 1926. More than 600,000 tons of explosives detonated, killing 21 people, injuring dozens more and causing $47 million in damages.

Wharton Mine drownings - In Hibernia, an abandoned mine full of water was blown open to miners working in a different section of the Wharton Mine in October 1911. The water rushed into the active section, drowning 12 miners according to a CDC report.

I-287 plane crash - A plane crashed onto I-287 outside of Morris Township on December 20, 2011, killing five people. The flight had left Teterboro and was headed for Atlanta. The wreckage is pictured above.

Don't Edit

Ocean County: Hindenberg Crash

One of the most iconic air disasters in history occurred in Lakehurst when the Hindenburg exploded on May 6, 1937.

The hydrogen-filled airship exploded killed 36 people, but the cause of the accident is still unknown.

The Hindenburg explosion effectively crushed public trust in the safety of airships.

Don't Edit

File photo

Ocean County runners-up

Ft. Dix plane crash - A military transport plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Ft. Dix on July 13, 1956, killing 45 of the 66 people on board.

Six Flags fire - Fire broke out at Six Flags Great Adventure's Haunted Castle on May 11, 1984, killing eight teenagers that were trapped inside. First responders remember mixing up real bodies and prop skeletons in the chaos, according to the Asbury Park Press.

USS Akron - The deadliest airship disaster in history occurred in New Jersey on April 4, 1933, when the USS Akron went down off of Barnegat Light. The crashed killed 73 people; a second airship crashed in the ensuing search. Though it crashed first and was deadlier, the USS Akron receives less attention than the Hindenburg.

Sinking of the Powhattan - Loaded with immigrants, the passenger ship Powhattan was sailing from France to New York on April 15, 1854, when it struck shoals off of Harvey Cedars and broke apart the next day. The exact number of people dead is unknown, but at least 200 perished. Bodies washed ashore from Long Beach Island to Atlantic City. The Powhattan wreck led to the building of Abescon lighthouse.

Don't Edit

Trenton Times File photo

Passaic County: 1902 Paterson fire and flood

Paterson was devastated by a fire on February 9, 1902.

The blaze, which burned from just after midnight to around 1 p.m., destroyed 459 buildings and 26 city blocks, causing $6 million in damages.

Less than a month later, the Passaic River overflowed its banks and Paterson was hit with a flood that required boat rescues for some residents.

Don't Edit

The Star-Ledger file photo

Passaic County runners-up

Midvale rear-end train crash - A deadly train collision occurred in Middle, now Wanaque, on July 11, 1904. A chartered train running from Hoboken to Greenwood Lake was struck from behind by another Greenwood Lake bound train, killing 17 people and injuring 40 more.

Hawthorne chemical plant explosion - The Morningstar-Paisley chemical plant in Hawthorne was the site of tragedy on Feb. 17, 1967, when the plant exploded and 11 people died, according to NorthJersey.com.

Jungle Habitat crash - Five people were killed during a crash landing near the short lived Jungle Habitat amusement park on July 19, 1976.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Salem County: Upper Pittsgrove bus crash

A charter bus and a car collided on Route 40 in Upper Pittsgrove on August 14, 1967.

The wreck killed the four people in the car, and injured another 42.

The bus had been chartered by the AME Zion Church in Baltimore for a weekend trip to Atlantic City. The church group was on their way back home.

Don't Edit

Trenton Evening Times file photo

Salem County runners-up

1926 Carney's Point explosion - On December 6, 1926, the Du Pont powder plant in Carney's Point exploded, killing five workers and injury three more. Damages were said to be $25,000, but the company did not allow any outside parties to inspect the site.

Penn's Grove fire - Fire wiped out 50 buildings in Penn's Grove on March 1, 1932. About 500 firemen helped battle the flames.

Don't Edit

File photo

Somerset County: Hurricane Floyd

Hurricane Floyd hit statewide, but the areas that took the hardest hit were the Somerset County towns of Manville and Bound Brook.

The September 1999 storm killed six people in New Jersey, two of which were in Somerset County.

The Raritan River reached 42 feet in Bound Brook, far surpassing the 28 foot flood height; the river's rise was spurred on by the 10.5 inches of rain that fell in the county. The storm did an estimated $100 million in damage to both Manville and Bound Brook.

Don't Edit

John O'Boyle | For The Star-Ledger

Somerset County runners-up

Hurricane Irene - Though the storm that had peaked as a category 3 hurricane was downgraded to a tropical storm when it hit the Garden State, Irene still brought devastation across New Jersey. Like Floyd in 1999, 2011's Irene brought heavy flooding to Somerset County.

Don't Edit

Sussex County: Millbrook bomber crash

An Army crew took off in a B-17 bomber from Bangor, Maine, headed for Fort Dix on February 22, 1944, for a mission to test American radar systems. The mission would never be completed.

The pilot turned the plane inland rather than towards the Atlantic near Metuchen because thick fog had forced the pilot to fly on instruments rather than sight.

The bomber crashed near Millbrook village in the Kittatinny Mountains, killing all 12 people on board, according to the Times Herald-Record.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

The Star-Ledger file photo

Sussex County runners-up

Air Force plane collision - Two U.S. military planes, a C-47 troop transport and and B-25 bomber, collided in air above Newton on August 24, 1948. The planes came down, killing nine people.

Don't Edit

Union County: Three airliners crash in three months

From December 1951 to February 1952, three airliners crashed into Elizabeth in three months, killing a total of 119 people.

The first, pictured above, came on December 16, 1951, when an engine fire brought down a Miami Airlines flight just after takeoff from Newark and killed 56 people.

Then on January 22, 1952, American Airlines Flight 6780 was approaching Newark and crashed on descent, killing 30 people. Lastly, 33 people died on February 11, 1952, when National Airlines Flight 101 crashed down after takeoff from Newark.

Don't Edit

The Jersey Journal file photo

Union County runners-up

1963 turnpike pile up - A massive crash on the New Jersey Turnpike on the foggy morning of May 27, 1963, killed six truck drivers and injured seven other people in Elizabeth according to the New York Times.

Elizabeth oil refinery explosion - An explosion at the Standard Oil refinery in Elizabeth on February 19, 1930, killed ten people and injured dozens more.

1903 Westfield train wreck - Disaster struck the Central Railroad on January 27, 1903, when an engineer focused on fixing engine troubles missed multiple signals and crashed into another train near Westfield, killing himself and 22 other people.

Don't Edit

Express-Times file photo

Warren County: Rockport Train Wreck

The deadliest disaster in Warren County history struck Rockport on June 16, 1925, when a train loaded with German travelers, bound for New York from Chicago, hit a switch covered with storm debris and crash. The wreck killed 50 people.

Don't Edit

Warren County runners-up

Teacher's Wreck - A train loaded with 169 people --- a party of school teachers and their friends and relatives --- were headed to Washington from upstate New York when the train derailed on April 29, 1911, in Martin's Creek, now called Brainards. The wreck killed 12 people and injured 50 more.

New Village cement plant explosion - A cement plant owned by Thomas Edison in New Village exploded in 1903, killing 15 workers.

Washington car crash - One of the deadliest car accidents in New Jersey history struck Washington Township on March 20, 1953. A farmer and nine of his family members were were killed in a head-on collision with with a tractor trailer on what is now Route 31.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Looking for more about New Jersey's history?

Shocking events: The most infamous events in each of N.J.'s 21 counties

Garden State characters: The most infamous person from each of N.J.'s 21 counties

An earlier version of this story incorrectly placed the wreck of the Powhattan in Atlantic County. Though bodies from the wreck did was ashore in Atlantic County, and the tragedy led to the construction of Abescon Lighthouse, the ship ran aground off of Long Beach Island in Ocean County.

Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MSolDub. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com's newsletters.