National Weather Service Confirms EF-1 Tornado In Burlington County Last Night

July 18, 2021

SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, NJ (BURLINGTON)–The National Weather Service Mount Holly, NJ has release a preliminary damage survey from last night’s EF-1 Tornado that damaged trees and power lines in Northern Burlington County. The tornado started south of Columbus around 10:25 p.m. and proceeded towards Jacobstown, NJ and ending at 10:36 p.m. The path was 800 yards wide and almost 8 miles long.

See full National Weather Service report below:

...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 07/17/2021 TORNADO EVENT...
THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED AND MOVED ACROSS THE REGION STARTING 
EARLY SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING INTO LATE SATURDAY NIGHT. 
LATE SATURDAY EVENING, A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED IN FAR 
SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND FAR NORTHERN DELMARVA. A SURGING 
SEGMENT OF THIS LINE PROGRESSED THROUGH BURLINGTON COUNTY NJ, 
PRODUCING A TORNADO IN THE NORTHWESTERN PORTION OF THE COUNTY.

.SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP NJ TORNADO...

RATING:                 EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    80-90 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  7.9 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   800 YARDS
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               0

START DATE:             JULY 17, 2021
START TIME:             10:25 PM EDT
START LOCATION:         1.5 MILES SOUTH OF COLUMBUS, NJ
START LAT/LON:          40.051/-74.722

END DATE:               JULY 17, 2021
END TIME:               10:36 PM EDT
END LOCATION:           JACOBSTOWN, NJ
END LAT/LON:            40.079/-74.580

A NARROW, DISCONTINUOUS, PATH OF TREE DAMAGE BEGAN JUST EAST OF 
THE ROUTE 206 AND COLUMBUS-JOBSTOWN ROAD INTERSECTION. THIS IS 1 
MILE NORTHEAST OF THE BURLINGTON COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS. SIGNIFICANT 
TREE DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED IN A NEIGHBORHOOD NORTH OF COLUMBUS-
JOBSTOWN ROAD. FROM THERE, SEVERAL LARGE LIMBS WERE SNAPPED OFF ON
ISLAND ROAD. ONE TREE WAS UPROOTED AND ONE WAS SNAPPED ON 
JULIUSTOWN-GEORGETOWN ROAD. AN ADDITIONAL TREE WAS SNAPPED ON NJ 
ROUTE 68. NUMEROUS LARGE LIMBS WERE BLOWN ON POWERLINES ON MONMOUTH
ROAD NEAR TILGHMANS CORNER. SCATTERED TREE DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED IN
JACOBSTOWN IN NORTH HANOVER TOWNSHIP. THE TORNADO DISSIPATED 
BEFORE THE OCEAN COUNTY LINE.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE THANKS BURLINGTON COUNTY EMERGENCY 
MANAGEMENT, THE MEDIA, OUR SKYWARN SPOTTERS, AND THE PUBLIC FOR 
THEIR ASSISTANCE IN IDENTIFYING AREAS OF DAMAGE.
EF SCALE: THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO THE
FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

EF0...WEAK......65 TO 85 MPH
EF1...WEAK......86 TO 110 MPH
EF2...STRONG....111 TO 135 MPH
EF3...STRONG....136 TO 165 MPH
EF4...VIOLENT...166 TO 200 MPH
EF5...VIOLENT...>200 MPH