Tropical Storm Isaias Causes Damage, Outages In Berkeley

Correction: An earlier version of the story mentioned damage to a press box at the Berkeley Little League complex. The structure is actually one of the dugouts.

BERKELEY, NJ — The National Weather Service placed Berkeley under a tornado warning until 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. The tornado was spotted in Barnegat, and the warning extended to Beachwood, Toms River and Lakewood, the NWS said.

Photos showed significant damage at the Berkeley Little League complex including destruction to one of the dugouts.

The storm knocked down trees and branches all over the Pinewald section of town. Traffic lights on Route 9 from Moorage Avenue on south were out as of 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Traffic lights were out in parts of Beachwood and Toms River.

"TAKE COVER NOW!" the NWS said Tuesday morning. "Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris."

Jersey Central Power & Light has reported 5,008 power outages in Berkeley as of 11:20 a.m. Tuesday. Around 50,000 are without power in Ocean County as Tropical Storm Isaias travels north.

The Ocean County Airport reported 70 mph gusts at 8 p.m. Monday. The NWS forecasts wind peaking at 40-50 mph and gusts reaching as high as 65 mph. Expect tropical storm-force winds until late Tuesday afternoon, the NWS says.

The NWS issued a tornado watch across New Jersey, and Governor Phil Murphy issued a state of emergency for all 21 counties. Read more: Tornado Watch Across NJ As Tropical Storm Isaias Nears

This is a developing story. Patch will update as information comes.