'Modest' Tsunami Hit Jersey Shore During Tuesday Storms; No Tornado: NWS

Storms that crossed the Washington, D.C., area Tuesday generated a modest tsunami off the coast of New Jersey and Delaware, according to the National Weather Service.

The NWS was also investigating the possibility of a tornado in Cape May County, however it was determined a microburst passed through instead.

The tide gauge at Cape May shows that the tide rose to a level that defines a tsunami, according to the NWS (see below).

The red line is the actual water level; the black line is water level with the tide removed. The tsunami is about 0.5 meters peak-to-trough:

A tsunami is generated when a high-speed straight-line windstorm - usually called a de recho - passes over shallow water, according to the Tsunami Warning Center says on Facebook. The speed of a tsunami in deep water is hundreds of kilometers per hour, but in shallow water it's much slower.

The NWS, meanwhile, revealed details of its investigation of a possible tornado touching down in the state.

Officials there determined a patch of 70- to 80-mph winds that move horizontally and vertically, otherwise known as a microburst, hit Cape May County on Tuesday as New Jersey felt its first bang of bad weather this week.

Lee Robertson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, warned that all residents in New Jersey could feel the effects of gusty, blustery thunderstorms later this week.

A "Hazardous Weather Outlook" has been issued for the entire state on Thursday, saying there is a chance of thunderstorms that would be accompanied by "strong wind gusts, hail, heavy downpours and dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning."

"If they're (ceremonies) outside, they need to pay attention to the weather," he said. "It could be anywhere tomorrow."