Tornado Touches Down In Essex County With 65 MPH Winds: NWS

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — At least one home was left “severely damaged” after a tornado briefly touched down in Verona on Thursday evening, the National Weather Service said.

According to forecasters with the New York office:

“We can confirm an EF-0 tornado briefly touched down in Essex County, NJ yesterday evening. Maximum winds were 65 mph and it was on the ground for less than a half mile. Several trees and large limbs were knocked down, with one home left severely damaged.”

No deaths or injuries were reported, the National Weather Service said.

Forecasters ranked the tornado as a “zero” on the Enhanced Fujita Scale or EF Scale, the mildest of five categories.

Public safety officials in Essex County began warning about the possibility of a tornado on Thursday.

Other damage was reported in South Jersey, where severe storms caused significant destruction throughout the region, damaging more than 35 houses and multiple boats in the High Bar Harbor section of Long Beach Township. There, a suspected tornado blew the roofs off multiple houses and damaged several utility poles in the area, police said.

Tornadoes were also sighted Thursday in Burlington County. No major damage had been reported as of Thursday night, Burlington County spokesman David Levinsky said.

Portions of Ocean and Monmouth counties were under a tornado warning Thursday night and residents were told through emergency alerts to immediately seek shelter.

In Bucks County, Pennsylvania, suspected tornadoes caused serious damage, ripping the roof off an entire car dealership.

This article contains reporting from additional Patch staff

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Sign up for Patch email newsletters. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site.