Storm Team 4

4 Tornadoes, Possibly More, Make Mess of New Jersey

The National Weather Service confirmed at least four tornadoes touched down Saturday in the Garden State; three more possible sites were under review Monday

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What to Know

  • At least four tornadoes touched down in New Jersey late Saturday as a line of storms pushed east through the tri-state area
  • Details on the tornadoes was limited Sunday, but the National Weather Service was expected to release more info on the storms in Howell, Jackson, Sea Girt and Cinnaminson
  • There were no widespread reports of any injuries or deaths as a result of the storm, but several thousand customers were without power

Four tornadoes touched down Saturday night, thrashing homes and uprooting trees throughout multiple counties in southern and central New Jersey -- and more tornadoes could still be confirmed by the National Weather Service.

At least three other locations were under review Monday after meteorologists from the agency had already confirmed four touch downs in Howell, Sea Girt and Jackson. A fourth was also detected further west in Cinnaminson. Surveyors are looking into possible tornadoes in Crosswicks, Cream Ridge and Mays Landing, according to the service's Monday morning report.

In Monmouth and Ocean County, widespread damage the next morning was shown in the scattered tree branches and debris thrown about a number of towns. Power was disrupted for thousands and some weren't expected to see lights back on until Monday.

The NWS dispatched officials to damaged areas on Sunday to inspect the aftermath and determine the scope of the previous night's storms. The EF-1 tornado that hit Cinnaminson had peak winds reach nearly 100 mph, which carried the tornado over to Moorestown.

Storm damage in Jackson Township, New Jersey.
Ocean Co. Sheriff
Storm damage in Jackson Township.

Officials eventually determined three EF-2 tornadoes made up the rest of the crop to terrorize New Jersey. Each had wind speeds between 110-130 mph, with the strongest in Jackson responsible for collapsing a warehouse development and flipping dumpsters.

A second tornado in Jackson traveled more than a 100 yards and ended up in Howell, where winds took off the entire roof off a home while a family of five was still inside. No one was injured.

Not far away, another home had been pierced by debris picked from another residence. And around the corner, a tree landed right into the side of Kim Silva's home.

"My mom lives with us, so she was like hiding in the closet because you don't know if something's going to come on the house, which way to go. It's just scary," Silva said.

Disaster relief crews with the American Red Cross made the rounds Sunday, directing people to shelters and available warming centers to aid in the widespread outages.

More signs of damage from the tornadoes was visible in broken fences and a mangled trampoline.

Tree pierces side of Howell home.
News 4
Tree pierces side of Howell home.

"Unfortunately, New Jersey of late seems like it tends to be a hotspot for tornadic activity," said Nelson Vaz, warning coordination meteorologist with the NWS.

Back in February, a tornado touched down in Mercer County, which also faced a warning Saturday night. Such occurrences are rare. It was the sixth time a tornado had hit that month of the year since 1950.

Radar indicated 60 mph wind gusts in Sussex County, New Jersey, where a late severe thunderstorm warning was issued. The system had largely moved out after 9 p.m., and a severe thunderstorm watch that had covered virtually the entire tri-state area, including all five boroughs of New York City, was canceled. Check radar here.

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