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NEWTOWN, Pennsylvania (WPVI) — The National Weather Service says a total of eight tornadoes touched down Saturday as severe weather moved through the Delaware Valley.
Here is the latest information released from officials Monday night:
- Cinnaminson-Delran-Moorestown, NJ: EF-1
- Wrightstown Township-Newtown, PA: EF-1
- Bridgeville Ellendale, DE: EF-3
- Jackson Township, NJ: EF-2
- Jackson Howell Township, NJ: EF-2
- Allentown-Cream Ridge, NJ: EF-1
Officials say an EF-1 tornado moved through Wrightstown Township and Newtown, Bucks County. The twister was on the ground for 3.9 miles and had maximum winds of 105 mph.
Newtown Fire Chief Glenn Forsyth said they did not respond to any reports of injuries during or after the storm. He said families in the area aren’t used to receiving tornado warnings and is stressing the importance of taking the warnings seriously in the future.
Bucks County Community College officials said there was no interruption to classes or services Monday, but said the Newtown campus suffered significant tree damage.
An equipment shed was destroyed, bleachers at a softball field were pushed into a fence, a parking lot gate was damaged and several trees were damaged near the west entrance, according to Kevin Antoine, associate vice president of community and governmental relations.
The National Weather Service also confirmed tornadoes hit Cinnaminson, Jackson Township, Sea Girt, and Howell Township in New Jersey.
The Jackson Twp. tornado has been rated an EF-2 with an estimated maximum wind speed of 130 mph. It was on the ground for 2.1 miles, touching down at 7:24 p.m. and lifting at 7:27 p.m.
Another tornado also started in Jackson Twp. and moved into Howell Twp. That tornado was rated as an EF-2 with wind speeds up to 120 mph. It touched down at 7:33 p.m. and lifted just one minute later.
The tornado that tore through Cinnaminson was categorized as an EF-1 by the National Weather Service. Winds from the storm peaked at about 100 mph, and officials say it traveled six miles from when it started at about 7 p.m.
Meanwhile, the tornado that hit Sea Girt, Monmouth County has been rated as an EF-2 with maximum wind speeds up to 120 mph. It touched down at 7:42 p.m. and lifted two minutes later.
Six tornadoes touch down in New Jersey, causing widespread damage
A survey team confirmed two additional tornadoes touched down in New Jersey during the storm on April 1: one in Crosswicks and another one from Allentown to Cream Ridge. Both rated a preliminary EF-1 with estimated winds to 90 mph.
In Cinnaminson, a tornado first touched down near Riverton Road and Woodside Lane, officials say. From there it moved southeast, with the strongest wind damage in the area of Wynwood Drive and Locust Lane.
The tornado finally dissipated near the Laurel Creek Country Club neighborhood.
For one family, the destruction left behind by the storm was a complete shock. Jeremy Crossley and his family were at a wedding in Virginia when the tornado blew through, and returned Sunday to find trees scattered throughout the neighborhood.
Luckily, Crossley’s young daughter Ava was ready to help the family clean up.
For the rest of the neighborhood, the storm was hard to ignore as it rolled through.
“You could hear the trees coming down, but didn’t know where they were hitting from inside,” recalled Jean Rath, from Cinnaminson.
“A minute or two after it passes by, you came outside and was like ‘Whoa,'” said Brenda Charest from Cinnaminson. “It looked like a war zone.”
PSE&G was working on power lines as neighbors worked on clearing out their yards.
In Cinnaminson, neighbors took matters into their own hands.
With caution tape, residents blocked off a portion of Buttonwood Lane. The street was filled with toppled trees and downed power lines.
“It’s a mess, but we feel very blessed nothing is on the house. So we’re very grateful it’s just a cleanup and no structural damage,” said Carrie Kershaw, who had a large tree fall on her yard on Wedgewood Drive.
1 dead following tornado in Delaware
The National Weather Service also determined a tornado touched down in Bridgeville, Delaware. Viewer video captured a funnel cloud as the storm formed overhead.
READ | Tornado confirmed in Sussex County, Delaware; 1 dead in house collapse
An EF-3 tornado ripped a path of destruction 14 miles long in Sussex County, Delaware — from Bridgeville to Ellendale.
A home on Tuckers Road in Greenwood that was built in 1914 felt the brunt of the storm. It’s also where 79-year-old Daniel Bawel died, according to family members.
He was unable to escape when the tornado came blowing through. His wife of 55 years survived.
According to NWS, the tornado was on the ground for 20 minutes Saturday night and reached speeds of 140 miles per hour.
Ineishia Corbett from Sussex County, Delaware, said she feels lucky to be alive. She was driving when she spotted the ominous dark clouds forming a tornado funnel.
“I seen dirt flying up in the air, and literally we were so close to it, I didn’t even realize it,” she said.
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