New Jersey experiences rare February tornado, the first in the state since 1999

Mercer County, New Jersey, was the site of a rare meteorological event Tuesday afternoon when a tornado touched down, the first to hit the state in February since 1999, and only the fifth to do so since 1950.

While the storm damaged property, no injuries were reported as a result of the tornado. The tornado struck around 3:41 p.m., according to AccuWeather.

The twister touched earth in Quaker Bridge in Lawrence Township close to the state capital in Trenton, said the National Weather Service. Nearby West Windsor Township was also affected. 

Residents described the loud sound produced by the thunderstorm and the tornado it produced.

“I was in the house and about to get my kids ready for their haircuts and all we heard was this loud thunder. As we were coming out, we noticed the tree fell on the car,” Lawrence Township resident Aisha Lee told KYW-TV, a Philadelphia CBS affiliate.

West Windsor resident Marilyn Anderson told WPVI-TV, a Philadelphia ABC affiliate, that “I’ve never seen the wind blow like I did. It blew so that I said, ’Gloria- let’s get in the tub! It’s a tornado!” referring to her sister.

“All the trees … The roofing had come down on the side, because we live on the first level. Girl, it was like ’Wizard of Oz,’” Ms. Anderson concluded.

The storm damaged both cars and residences. Around 100 houses were affected by the tornado in West Windsor but did not suffer structural damage. 

Lawrence saw 27 condos rendered uninhabitable, displacing around 100 people, according to the Lawrence Ledger.

The 1999 tornado landed in Cherry Hill, close to Philadelphia, according to the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist at Rutgers University.

The other three tornadoes recorded in February in New Jersey since 1950 all hit close to each other in the northwest of the state on Feb. 2, 1973, according to the state climatologist’s office.