Although powerful storms rumbled across parts of northern New Jersey late Tuesday, the National Weather Service has found no signs that any tornadoes actually touched down in the state.
Meanwhile, about 10 miles across the border in eastern Pennsylvania, a tornado was confirmed to have struck near Bangor in Northampton County. Meteorologists were on the ground in that area Wednesday morning, inspecting damage and analyzing the size and strength of the storm. Video clips circulating online appear to show the funnel cloud making contact with the ground, and radar data from the same timeframe supports those accounts, according to Robert Deal, a forecaster based at the NWS office covering New Jersey.
Despite tornado alerts being issued in New Jersey shortly after the Pennsylvania sighting, no structural damage or debris patterns consistent with a tornado were found in the Garden State. “At this time, we’re only conducting a survey in the Bangor region,” Deal said.
The weather service plans to release a full assessment of the Bangor-area tornado by late Wednesday.
Eyewitnesses in the affected Pennsylvania town described hearing a roar reminiscent of a passing freight train and rushing for cover in basements as the storm hit.
In New Jersey, Tuesday’s volatile weather largely stayed concentrated in the northern and northwestern counties. After several damp and cloudy days, Wednesday brought some relief in the form of clearer skies and drier air.
But the break in the wet weather is expected to be short-lived. Another system is on track to arrive Thursday, potentially dropping one to two inches of rain across portions of the state through Friday, with localized downpours possible.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.