Heavy damage reported after rare tornado warning in New Jersey

A possible tornado struck central New Jersey late Tuesday afternoon, a rare February event for the state, leaving behind heavy damage to homes and other structures and impacting local travel during the rush-hour commute. There have been no reports of injuries.

At 3:41 p.m. EST Tuesday, the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Mount Holly, New Jersey, reported a radar-indicated tornado in the Hamilton Square, Twin Rivers and Highstown areas of Mercer County, just north of Trenton. The NWS had issued a tornado warning at 3:41 p.m. EST for those locations through 4:15 p.m.

At the same time, a tornado debris signature appeared on radar near Lawrence Township.

Police Chief Christopher Longo, of the Lawrence Township Police Department, shared footage of the significant damage at the Lawrence Square Village housing development, urging residents who have been displaced to head to a nearby command post for help. Lawrence Township Fire and Emergency Services Chief Jack Oakley told AccuWeather Prime Tuesday evening that about 27 housing units were uninhabitable due to the damage.

Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes said local officials were getting "reports from around the county of wind-related damage, downed trees and building damage. Our Mercer County road crews are en route to assist in local clean-ups." Hughes asked resident to "please stay off the roadways if possible."

In nearby Princeton Junction, photos and videos of damage were captured, with numerous downed trees and power lines and large debris littering neighborhoods. Heavy wind damage was also reported in the area of West Windsor, with parts of roofs torn off homes and buildings, trees uprooted and cars damaged.

The sky over Hamilton Township was an ominous scene as the severe storm passed through the area:

Due to the storm damage, U.S. Route 1 was closed in both directions Tuesday afternoon in the area of the Quaker Bridge Mall in Lawrenceville.

The NWS office in Mount Holly, New Jersey, will conduct a storm survey on Wednesday for the damage near West Windsor and Lawrenceville. The NWS office expects to announce its findings by 4 p.m. EST Wednesday.

If confirmed to be a tornado, Tuesday's storm would be just the fifth February tornado on record for New Jersey and the first since 1999. Tuesday's tornado warning was the second such warning in February for the state, the first being in 2000.

AccuWeather radar showing a supercell thunderstorm with a possible tornado passing through parts of central New Jersey late Tuesday afternoon, Feb.. 21, 2023.

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AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist David Dombek noted that a tornado would be "extremely unusual" for this time of the year since twisters are relatively rare in the state, even during spring and summer months.

Contributing to the severe weather was an "unstable atmosphere" with a rapid drop-off in temperatures from the ground to several thousand feet in the air, Dombek explained. Those conditions combined with "some pretty strong winds" were able to transfer down to the ground.

The suspected tornado was not the only severe weather seen in New Jersey Tuesday, as a waterspout was spotted near the borough of Sea Girt less than an hour after the suspected tornado touchdown. Various reports of hail were also seen throughout the state.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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