The intense thunderstorms that swept through New Jersey on Friday spawned an EF-1 tornado in parts of Atlantic and Gloucester counties and a rare “gustnado” in Gloucester County that packed winds as high as 100 to 105 mph, according to storm damage inspections conducted by the National Weather Service.
The weather service’s Mount Holly office had confirmed one tornado — in the Collings Lakes section of Buena Vista Township in Atlantic County — on Friday. It was initially classified as a very weak EF-0 twister, with top winds of 65 to 75 mph.
After reviewing additional damage reports, the weather service has now upgraded the tornado to an EF-1, with top winds as high as 90 to 95 mph.
In addition, they determined the twister was 300 yards wide and initially touched down in the Williamstown section of Monroe Township in Gloucester County before moving into Atlantic County.
The weather service said the tornado remained on the ground for 8.6 miles — far longer than the original estimate of a half-mile.
The National Weather Service updated its assessment of a tornado that hit New Jersey on Friday during intense storms.National Weather Service
During the weekend, the agency sent a team of meteorologists to inspect storm damage that was reported in the Franklinville section of Franklin Township in Gloucester County.
A report issued Monday afternoon said the damage in that area was not caused by a tornado but by a gustnado — intense rotating columns of air.
“A gustnado is a small whirlwind which forms as an eddy in thunderstorm outflows,” the weather service says in its official definition. “They do not connect with any cloud-base rotation and are not tornadoes. Since their origin is associated with cumuliform clouds, gustnadoes will be classified as thunderstorm wind events.”
The gustnado in Franklinville was only 100 yards long and 50 yards wide, and struck at 12:50 p.m. on Friday, the weather service said in its report. It caused tree damage and no injuries.
The weather service said the brief gustnado snapped the trunk of “several hardwood trees” and knocked down large softwood branches.
While gustnados are relatively rare in New Jersey, meteorologist Zachary Cooper said it’s possible some occur but don’t get reported because they are difficult to see in densely populated areas with lots of structures.
Cooper said they are easier to spot in open, rural areas in other parts of the country.
Residents clean up storm damage on Bellwyn Lane where a tree crashed into a house in the Collings Lakes section of Buena Vista Township, N.J. on Friday, May 16, 2025.Jim Lowney | For NJ Advance Media
In Collings Lakes, one of the areas impacted by the small tornado, one resident said he was outside Friday afternoon when the sky suddenly turned pitch black.
He told NBC10 in Philadelphia that he heard loud booms that sounded like an explosion, which turned out to be a large tree that had crashed into his house.
Friday’s tornado was the first twister confirmed in New Jersey so far this year.
New Jersey usually averages two tornadoes each year. However, the state has had many years with more than two, 20 years with none at all, and one year — 1989 — with 17 tornadoes, including seven twisters all touching down on the same day.
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Stories by Len Melisurgo
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Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com or on X at @LensReality.