NWS: Tornado Brought 100-MPH Winds, Destruction To South Jersey

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — A tornado that formed in Gloucester County brought wind speeds of 90 mph to 100 mph into the Blackwood section of Gloucester Township Thursday night, according to a survey conducted by the National Weather Service.

The tornado was recorded in two stages. One stage brought a path of destruction from Deptford to Gloucester Township between 8:30 p.m. and 8:35 p.m., the National Weather Service said Friday afternoon.

No one was killed or injured in the tornado, but several trees were damaged, and three homes in Deptford were damaged when trees fell on top of that, according to the National Weather Service out of Mount Holly.

In Gloucester Township, an uprooted tree damaged an apartment building. The tornado covered 2.1 miles, and was 200 yards wide, according to the report. Read more here: Power Outages, School Closing After Storm Rips Through Gloucester

Earlier in the evening, the tornado touched down in Mullica Hill, Gloucester County. At about 8:15 p.m., the tornado with wind speeds of 60 mph to 70 mph formed in the development near Saddle Court in Mullica Hill.

No one was killed or injured, but it did damage fencing at one residence, and ripped a gutter off another residence. Backyard furniture was lifted approximately 50 yards. From there, the tornado moved northeaster and caused a narrow path of tree damage before lifting southwest of Highway 322. Read more here: Tornado Confirmed In NJ

The tornado brought EF1 wind strength to Deptford and Gloucester Township, and EF0 strength to Mullica Hill. EF0 tornado winds generally cause light damage. EF1 tornado winds bring moderate damage. The winds are measured on the Enhanced Fujita scale, and go all the way up to EF5, which is winds more than 200 mph that cause incredible damage.

The National Weather Service initially confirmed the tornado late Thursday night. Videos of the tornado and its destruction were posted on social media.

The National Weather Service noted the information included in Friday’s report is preliminary and subject to change pending final review of the events and publication in NWS Storm Data.

Storms brought damage throughout the region Thursday night, including Moorestown, where a moving company was closed following a partial roof collapse. Read more here: Moorestown Company Closed After Roof Collapse

The tornado touched down just over two weeks after a tornado struck Stanhope in North Jersey. Read more here: Tornado Hit North Jersey, NWS Confirms

In May, there were 13 consecutive days in which at least eight tornadoes were reported each day across the country, according to Accuweather.com.