NEW JERSEY (1010 WINS) — The National Weather Service confirmed Wednesday that a tornado touched down in Mercer County, New Jersey, making it the state's fifth February twister and the first since 1999.
The warning was issued for parts of Mercer, Middlesex and Monmouth counties at 3:40 p.m. Tuesday and canceled shortly after 4 p.m. but some strong thunderstorm cells continued moving through the region, darkening skies, dropping hail and sending bolts of lightning through the air.
Tuesday's tornado warning was the second such warning in February for the state, the first being in 2000.
Police Chief Christopher Longo, of the Lawrence Township Police Department, shared footage of the significant damage at the Lawrence Square Village housing development, urging residents who have been displaced to head to a nearby command post for help, according to local media.
Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes said local officials were getting "reports from around the county of wind-related damage, downed trees and building damage."
In nearby Princeton Junction, photos and videos of damage showed numerous downed trees and power lines and large debris littering neighborhoods. Heavy wind damage was also reported in the area of West Windsor, with parts of roofs torn off homes and buildings, trees uprooted and cars damaged.
Due to the storm damage, U.S. Route 1 was closed in both directions Tuesday afternoon in the area of the Quaker Bridge Mall in Lawrenceville.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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