4 tornadoes hit NJ: What we know about damage in Howell, Jackson, Sea Girt, Cinnaminson
A long line of thunderstorms dropped tornadoes across four towns in New Jersey on Saturday night, leaving behind broken trees, debris-filled streets and damaged homes.
The damage
As the storm moved over New Jersey, a tornado touched down in Cinnaminson around 7:12 p.m. and knocked down trees near Locust Lane, according to National Weather Service reports. The tornado was declared an EF-1 that traveled about 6 miles and had speeds up to 100 mph, according to the weather service.
By 7:30, the storm had reached parts of Jackson and Howell, where it tore down trees, pulled over utility polls and snapped wires, according to meteorologists. Wind damage reports came in from both towns as well as neighboring Lakewood.
"We're sure it was a tornado," said Howell Township Manager Joseph Clark. "We're just waiting on confirmation of the categorization (of wind speeds) for it."
In Howell, homes along Spicy Pond Road and New Friendship Road near Route 9 sustained damage, he said. Early estimates had 10 to 30 houses damaged in Howell, Clark said.
Similar damage was reported in Jackson, particularly around the area of West Commodore Boulevard.
Elena Boyle hid in the downstairs bathroom of her Frank Applegate Road home with her daughter, two dogs and a cat when she heard what sounded like a freight train outside her house. When she left the safety of her bathroom, she saw her daughter's heavy trampoline had blown from the backyard into the front yard, she said.
"I don't know what happened, but it must have blown over my pool, through my pool deck, through that white vinyl fence and ended up in a tree in the front yard," Boyle said. "That was just the most insane thing I've ever seen."
More: Tornadoes touch down in Jackson, Howell, Sea Girt, Weather Service confirms
Her horse, sheep and goats remained uninjured, she said.
Jackson Mayor Michael Reina said roads remain closed throughout much of the township and many neighborhoods were without power as of Sunday night. The storm struck particularly hard in neighborhoods along Wright Debow Road, West Commodore Boulevard, the Land O' Pines mobile home park and Cooks Bridge Road, he said.
Officials in both Jackson and Howell said no one was seriously injured by the storm.
Meteorologists confirmed that a tornado hit Sea Girt, but the location of the touch down was not immediately released.
Some schools closed
Jackson School District will be closed Monday due to power outages and road closures. Four of the district schools were without power as of Sunday, said Reina, the Jackson mayor.
Howell Township Public Schools officials said the Aldrich Elementary School was damaged in the storm, and that while repairs were being made, the district might declare an emergency closure if power was not restored to the region by Sunday night.
Why were there so many tornadoes?
The National Weather Service said conditions were just right for the powerful thunderstorm to create isolated tornadoes.
"We did have this line of thunderstorms come through, and sometimes when conditions are… right, you could get a brief spin up in a line of thunderstorms, which is likely what happened here," said National Weather Service meteorologist Eric Hoeflich. Those conditions are "why there are gaps in the tornado touchdowns."
National Weather Service meteorologist Sarah Johnson said the air was already warm — high temperatures in Monmouth County topped out at 68 degrees on Saturday afternoon — as a "very intense low pressure system," which caused widespread damage in the Southeast and Midwest over the last week, came through the east coast.
The cold front ahead of the storm was strong enough that it produced lift, which provided "all the ingredients for a severe thunderstorm."
A tornado forms when the storm begins rotating due to wind blowing in different directions at different levels of the atmosphere, Johnson said.
Where to find help
The Red Cross was operating an emergency shelter at the Howell Senior Center, 251 Preventorium Road, for people with home damage or who lacked power.
Another warming center is also being operated at the Jackson Senior Center, 45 Don Connor Boulevard.
Red Cross volunteers delivered snacks and water to homeowners throughout Jackson and Howell in the worst affected neighborhoods.
On Sunday evening some 7,100 Monmouth County residents remained without electricity, according to Jersey Central Power & Light Co. Another 7,900 Ocean County residents lacked power, according to the company.
Amanda Oglesby is an Ocean County native who covers Brick, Barnegat and Lacey townships as well as the environment. She has worked for the Press for more than a decade. Reach her at @OglesbyAPP, aoglesby@gannettnj.com or 732-557-5701.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Four tornadoes hit New Jersey in one night and leave trail of damage
