The National Weather Service confirmed Lakewood Alerts’ earlier report that the tornado which touched down in Jackson was an EF-2 and had maximum wind speeds of 130 mph.
Additionally, also as previously reported on Lakewood Alerts, the Jackson and Howell tornados were the same – it began in Jackson and then “hopped” into Howell.
The NWS released the following statement:
A TORNADO FORMED FROM ALONG AN EASTWARD MOVING ROTATING SUPERCELL
WITHIN A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS AND MADE INITIAL TOUCHDOWN NEAR
PATTERSON ROAD, OFF OF WEST COMMODORE ROAD, IN JACKSON TOWNSHIP
AND CONTINUED EAST FOR APPROXIMATELY A 3/4 MILE LONG AND 200 YARD
WIDTH PATH ACROSS THE RESIDENCES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF STONEHENGE
CT AND ALONG WEST COMMODORE BLVD, BEFORE GOING ACROSS THE
RESIDENCES AND BUSINESSES ACROSS WRIGHT DEBOW AND HAMILTON RD.
DOZENS OF LARGE HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD TREES WERE SNAPPED OR
UPROOTED IN A CONVERGENT PATTERN, POWER POLES DOWNED OR SNAPPED,
FENCES DEMOLISHED, AND SHEDS, SMALL OUTBUILDINGS, AND DUMPSTERS
FLIPPED OR MOVED. DESPITE THE SIGNIFICANT TREE DAMAGE, GENERALLY
ONLY MINOR SIDING AND ROOF SHINGLE DAMAGE WAS NOTED. THIS DAMAGE
WAS CONSISTENT WITH EF1 WINDS OF 90 TO 110 MPH.
THE TORNADO THEN LIKELY STRENGTHENED TO ITS GREATEST INTENSITY AS
IT CONTINUED EAST, ACROSS A CLEARED AND PAVED AREA, TO A NEWLY
BUILT LARGE WAREHOUSE DEVELOPMENT. THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE
WAREHOUSE, MADE UP OF SEVERAL 3 STORY CONCRETE PRE-FAB TILT-UP
WALLS, BOTH ON THE EAST AND WEST SIDE, TIED TOGETHER WITH METAL
ROOFING SYSTEM ABOVE, COLLAPSED IN AN EASTWARD DIRECTION. BASED
ON THE DEGREE OF DAMAGE AND CONSTRUCTION THIS WAS DETERMINED TO
BE HIGH END EF2 WINDS OF 120 TO 130 MPH. IN ADDITION DOZENS OF
HARD AND SOFT WOOD TREES ON THE SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST SIDE OF THE
BUILDING AND EAST SIDE PARKING LOT WERE UPROOTED OR TRUNKS
SNAPPED LAYING IN A E/NE DIRECTION.
THE TORNADO CONTINUED ON, NOW IN AN EAST SOUTHEAST DIRECTION, FOR
ABOUT 3/4 MILE WITH ABOUT 200 YD PATH WIDTH, JUST NORTH OF
GASTIME, ACROSS DIAMOND ROAD AND BACK ALONG WEST COMMODORE ROAD,
AND INTO THE RESIDENCES AROUND INDIERO LANE AND OAKTREE LANES.
THE MOST EXTENSIVE TREE AND POWERLINE DAMAGE WAS SEEN ALONG WEST
COMMODORE ROAD, WITH HUNDREDS OF MATURE HARD AND SOFT WOOD TREES
UPROOTED OR SNAPPED IN A CONVERGENT PATTERN, NUMEROUS POWER POLES
DOWNED OR SNAPPED, AS WELL AS ROOFING AND INSULATION DEBRIS FROM
THE WAREHOUSE BEING LITTERED ALONG THE WAY. THE TREE DAMAGE ALONG
PART OF WEST COMMODORE ROAD WAS CONSISTENT WITH WINDS OF 100 TO
120 MPH. THE TORNADO APPEARED TO BE WEAKENING TO EF0 AS IT
ENTERED THE RESIDENCES AROUND INDIERO LANE AND OAKTREE LANES,
SOUTH OF WEST COMMODORE, WITH THE TREE DAMAGE PATH BECOMING
SCATTERED AND NARROWING TO 100 YARDS, AND ONLY MINOR SIDING AND
ROOF SHINGLE DAMAGE NOTED. THE TORNADO LIKELY OCCLUDED JUST BEFORE
REACHING THE LAND O PINES MOBILE HOME PARK, WHERE THE TORNADO
PATH ENDED.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WOULD LIKE TO THANK JACKSON TOWNSHIP
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, OCEAN COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND NEW
JERSEY STATE POLICE FOR THEIR HELP IN THIS SURVEY.