JACKSON TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (WABC) — Schools in Jackson and Howell Townships are closed Monday, as neighborhoods across New Jersey continue to clean up from the weekend’s severe storms.
The National Weather Service determined that four tornados touched down in New Jersey on Saturday.
The tornados touched down in Howell Township, Jackson Township, Cinnaminson, and Sea Girt.
Local officials declared a disaster emergency on Sunday as residents begin to sort through debris.
Six Flags Great Adventure and Safari is closed until Wednesday to keep employees and guests safe.
In the midst of the tornado on Saturday, trees were pulled to the ground and heavy winds yanked down power lines.
A massive tree crashed down on a home as the storm moved through. No one was injured.
This is the same storm system that left a trail of destruction in the Midwest.
Neighbors Jordan Charles and her fiancé watched from the patio as the storm rolled through.
“Within minutes the sky went really black and I could barely see my neighbor’s house. The windows start whipping,” said Charles.
Within seconds, they received alerts and grabbed flashlights and went to the basement as quickly as they could.
There were more reports of damage in other parts of Howell Township – the storm pulled trees to the ground, one partially blocking a road.
Meanwhile, in Toms River, a huge storm cloud highlights what be a tornado forming in Ocean County.
The heavy winds yanked down power lines – leaving many customers in the dark.
JCP&L reports nearly 21,000 customers without power — with 5,940 outages reported in Monmouth County and 14,233 reported in Ocean County.
“I was traumatized, petrified – I didn’t know what to expect, especially since what happened in Mississippi,” said Charles.
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