Sea Girt man photographs waterspout after NJ tornado warning

SEA GIRT - Cristopher Cace hoped to see a waterspout when he headed to the beach on Tuesday afternoon, after National Weather Service forecasters said there was a possibility with afternoon thunderstorm storms.

It was at the beach at the south end of Sea Girt where he managed to photograph the weather event around 4:30 p.m., he said. The waterspout was the first the avid weather enthusiast managed to see in person, Cace said.

"As quickly as it developed, it dissipated," said Cace, 22, of Sea Girt, who is a trained weather spotter. "It was a pretty stunning sight to see."

Meteorologist Eric Hoeflich of the National Weather Service in Mount Holly said radar data appeared to confirm Cace's photo.

The same storm system may have generated a tornado near Trenton, but Hoeflich said that was being investigated as of late Tuesday afternoon.

"We are getting some damage reports from that area," he said.

The storms produced rotations that could have led to tornadoes and waterspouts, the meteorologist said.

A tornado warning was issued Tuesday afternoon for portions of Mercer, Middlesex and Monmouth counties.

“February tornadoes are very rare, especially for New Jersey,” Hoeflich said. "It appears there's only been one or two February tornadoes in the state, dating back to the '60s or '70s."

Tuesday's storms also produced hail, thunder and 60 mph winds across areas of northern Ocean County, according to the National Weather Service.

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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: NJ weather: Waterspout spotted off Sea Girt after storms roll through