SerpApi.Org
Severe storms are pounding the Tri-State as Tornado Warnings hit counties right at New York City’s border. Here’s what to know.
New Yorkers are being urged to take shelter as tornado warnings sweep counties right at New York City’s border and a powerful storm system moves toward the five boroughs. Bergen, Passaic and Morris counties in New Jersey are all under active tornado warnings, per ABC7 New York, and the entire Tri-State region, including all five boroughs of NYC, remains under a tornado watch until 9 p.m. on July 21, 2026. The region is also under an AccuWeather Alert for heavy rain, damaging winds, flooding and the potential for an isolated tornado.
Find out what we know about the storms and the areas already hit.
Where Are the Tornado Warnings in Effect?
Tornado warnings have been issued for Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Somerset and Morris counties in New Jersey, affecting cities including Fair Lawn, Paterson and Wayne, according to ABC7 New York. A separate Tornado Warning is in effect for Sullivan County in upstate New York until 2:30 p.m. The Fox Forecast Center predicted that a tornado-warned storm covering parts of Essex and Passaic counties could reach New York City shortly after 4 p.m. EDT, per Fox Weather, meaning the five boroughs could be next.
Is NYC Under a Tornado Watch or Warning?
The five boroughs of New York City are currently under a tornado watch, not a warning, per ABC7 New York. The watch also covers Rockland, Westchester and Nassau counties in New York, all of New Jersey, and Fairfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut through 9 p.m. on July 21, 2026. A flood watch is also in effect for New York City, Long Island, Northern New Jersey and Philadelphia through the overnight hours, with torrential rain expected to dump one to three inches per hour in some spots, per Fox Weather.
How Is the Storm Impacting NYC?
The severe weather is already disrupting the city. The New York Yankees postponed their July 21 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, rescheduling it as part of a doubleheader on July 22 at Yankee Stadium. Hundreds of flights have been canceled at the region’s three major airports, with Republic Airways and Endeavor Air leading the cancellations. NYC Emergency Management has activated the city’s Flash Flood Emergency Plan, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted on X on July 20 that city agencies are ready for “multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms.” The storms come just days after another severe weather event hit the region on July 18, 2026, when powerful flooding turned SoHo streets into rivers and forced the cancellation of Noah Kahan‘s sold-out concert at Citi Field, per CBS News.
New Yorkers are being urged to stay indoors, avoid windows and monitor updates from local officials as the storms continue to move through the Tri-State area.
