NJ got 3 tornadoes in one day: Flying glass shards pierce walls, cut woman

The twister that touched down near Route 22 in Union County on Wednesday wasn't the only tornado that hit New Jersey that afternoon.

The National Weather Service confirmed two more tornadoes. All three were rated EF-0 on the Enhanced Fujita scale with winds of up to 75 mph.

While that's considered "weak," they still caused plenty of damage. And while there were no serious injuries, a woman suffered a "minor cut" from flying glass when a 75-mph tornado touched down at 4:33 p.m. in Hightstown.

She was lucky. The tornado destroyed the glass roof of a greenhouse, ejecting shards of glass that pierced "clean through the doors and walls of a nearby barn," the National Weather Service said Saturday.

The tornado also downed several trees and branches near Sharon Road, the National Weather Service said.

Another tornado touched down in Millville at 6:40 p.m. and destroyed a field of solar panels next to the Millville Sewer Department facility. The 70-mph twister then moved into a wooded area and snapped a tree in half.

The first confirmed tornado on Wednesday was in Springfield in Union County. The 70 mph winds damaged the facade of a building and brought down power lines, sparking a minor fire.

According to New Jersey Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow, this brings the tornado count in New Jersey so far this year to eight.

"This was the first time since Oct. 27, 2003 that 3+ tornadoes touched down in one day," Zarrow said Saturday. "The last time we had 8+ tornadoes in one year was 1990."

More than three decades ago, there were years that saw as many as 10 tornadoes in New Jersey. The most powerful tornado ever recorded in New Jersey was on the Enhanced Fujita scale of EF-3, which is considered "strong" with winds of 126 to 165 mph. The most powerful and violent tornadoes — EF-5 — have winds of more than 200 mph. Most tornadoes in New Jersey, however, have rated EF-0, with winds less than 85 mph.

The most dramatic tornado so far this summer was July 6 in Mount Laurel, where a 70 mph twister flipped over a parked car.

Sergio Bichao is deputy digital editor at New Jersey 101.5. Send him news tips: Call 609-359-5348 or email sergio.bichao@townsquaremedia.com.