What you should know
- At least four tornadoes touched down in New Jersey Saturday night as a line of storms moved east across the tri-state area.
- Tornado details were limited on Sunday, but the National Weather Service was expected to release more information about storms in Howell, Jackson, Sea Girt and Cinnaminson.
- There were no widespread reports of injuries or deaths as a result of the storm, but several thousand customers were without power.
NEW JERSEY – A line of thunderstorms battered the tri-state area on Saturday evening, prompting a flurry of warnings as tornadoes ripped through southern and central New Jersey as thunder erupted amid frequent lightning further north.
In Monmouth and Ocean County, widespread damage was seen the following morning in scattered tree branches and debris thrown from several towns. Electricity has been cut for thousands of people and some are not expected to see the lights again until Monday.
The National Weather Service sent officials to the damaged areas on Sunday to inspect the aftermath. They eventually confirmed tornadoes in Howell, Sea Girt and Jackson. A quarter further west was also detected at Cinnaminson.
More detailed reports on the tornadoes, including the strength and extent of impact, were expected by Sunday evening or Monday, the service said.
High winds tore the entire roof off a house in Howell, where a family of five were staying at the time. Not far from there, another house had been crossed by debris collected from another residence. And around the corner, a tree landed right next to Kim Silva’s house.
“My mom lives with us, so she was kind of hiding in the closet because you don’t know if something is going to happen in the house, what direction to go. It’s scary,” Silva said.
American Red Cross disaster relief teams circled Sunday, directing people to available shelters and warming centers to help deal with widespread power outages.
Other signs of tornado damage were visible in torn fences and a destroyed diving board.
National Weather Service meteorologists were on the ground surveying the aftermath and examining the damage left by what they later determined were four separate tornadoes.
“Unfortunately, of late, it seems New Jersey has been tending to be a hotspot for tornado activity,” said Nelson Vaz, meteorologist in charge of coordinating NWS warnings.
In February, a tornado touched down in Mercer County, which also received a warning Saturday night. Such events are rare. It was the sixth time a tornado has struck this month of the year since 1950.
Radar indicated winds gusting to 60 mph in Sussex County, New Jersey, where a late severe storm warning was issued. The system had largely settled after 9:00 p.m., and a severe storm watch that had covered virtually the entire tri-state area, including New York’s five boroughs, was called off.