Tornado in February? Winds, hail rip through Mercer County, NJ

🔴 The area of the West Windsor and Lawrence border took a lot of tree and building damage

🔴 The storm and its rain, wind and hail moved quickly across Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties

🔴 The National Weather Service will review data and send a survey team if necessary Wednesday

A fast-moving line of thunderstorms in Mercer County brought down trees and power lines Tuesday afternoon.

A Tornado Warning was put into effect around 3:30 p.m. as a thunderstorm developed a strong area of rotation in the Highstown-East Windsor-Cranbury area, according to New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow.  The warning was canceled at 4:15 p.m.

Zarrow said the National Weather Service will review information and send a storm survey team to the area if warranted on Wednesday.

"If confirmed, this would not be the first time a tornado formed in New Jersey in February," Zarrow said. "On Feb. 12, 1999, an F-1 storm hit Camden County. And Feb. 2, 1973, was a violent day for Hunterdon County, with at least three tornado reports."

Heavy damage in West Windsor

The area of Lawrence Square Village on the Lawrence-West Windsor border took heavy damage. Several large trees were knocked down in backyards, siding was torn off condominium buildings and the roof was damaged at Quakerbridge Computer and Learning Service.

West Windsor police said a tree fell onto a car on Conover Road but there were no injuries.

CBS Philadelphia reported a tree fell onto a house.

PSE&G reported nearly 800 customers without power in West Windsor as of 4:45 p.m.

Power lines were brought down on Route 1 north of Franklin Corner Road in Lawrence Township closing down the highway in both directions. It was reopened around 4:30 p.m.

Hail that was an inch in diameter also fell in sections of Ewing, Lawrenceville, Hamilton and Pennington.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.