5 tornadoes confirmed in the area: ‘Never heard a wind like that’

Kristin Parry was in her large home off Riverton Road in Cinnaminson on Saturday evening watching TV and eating pizza when the sky darkened, lights flickered, and she heard a “very fast wind.”

“I have never heard a wind like that, ever,” Parry recalled Sunday morning. “It was followed by a big boom, like a shotgun, and a loud snapping. It all happened so fast.”

The roaring wind toppled two large pine trees on her front lawn that fell away from the house. But they ripped down power lines.

The National Weather Service confirmed Sunday that a tornado had struck Saturday night in Cinnaminson, in Burlington County. Also in New Jersey, tornadoes touched down in Jackson, Ocean County; and Howell Township and Sea Girt, in Monmouth County, the weather service announced Sunday. A fifth tornado was confirmed near Bridgeville, Del.

Scores of trees were down Sunday morning in Cinnaminson along not only Riverton Road but also on side streets such as Buttonwood Lane. Live power lines were snaking through streets and a number of crews from PSE&G were putting up caution tape while working to restore power lines. It was unclear whether any homes were damaged, and there were no immediate reports of injuries.

High winds downed power lines, toppled trees and caused other damage throughout the Philadelphia region. Bucks County residents also reported strong winds, with Rich Coogan saying he saw a funnel cloud over Yardley.

The storm also caused damage in other areas of the region, and power companies were warning people to avoid downed wires.

A wind gust of 62 mph was recorded at Philadelphia International Airport, and the weather service logged several reports of downed large trees — including some that fell into houses in Delaware — along with dime- and quarter-sized hailstones.

At one point, Peco and Atlantic Electric reported about 20,000 customers without power, but those numbers had dropped considerably as crews worked through the night. By Sunday morning, Peco was reporting about 3,000 people without power.

PSE&G, which services the affected area of Burlington County, was reporting that 1,700 customers were without power. Atlantic Electric was reporting 419 customers were still impacted. And Jersey Central Power & Light, which provides energy in Monmouth County, was reporting that more than 14,000 were still without power.

Saturday’s storm was the result of a front attached to a potent low-pressure system that arrived from the St. Lawrence Valley — the same storm that caused devastation in the South and Midwest, where at least 21 people were killed amid reports of 80 tornadoes on Friday.

Much of the forthcoming workweek looks pleasant with sun and a high of 64 on Monday, with temperatures expected to reach the 70s Tuesday and Wednesday.