What are tornadoes, how do they form?
Learn how tornadoes form, why supercells are most destructive, and what tornado watches and warnings mean.
Time to prepare for what could be one of New Jersey’s most volatile weather days of the year.
The National Weather Service has issued a rare “enhanced” tornado risk advisory for all of New Jersey today, with the possibility of unusually powerful tornadoes, thunderstorms, strong winds and flash flooding.
The enhanced threat advisory, only issued once or twice a year on average in New Jersey, includes scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms that could produce damaging wind, hail, flash flooding and “specifically, the potential for some stronger tornadoes,” said Amanda Lee, a meteorologist for the NWS station in Mount Holly.
“Typically, when we see tornadoes in New Jersey, they’re generally on the weaker side, 0 to F1 strength,” Lee said. “The potential maximum today, reasonably, could be F2.”
Lee placed the odds at 5% to 9% that a tornado would touch down in the state “within 25 miles of a given location” before the storm period eases in the evening hours, possibly as late as midnight.
An F1 category tornado produces wind speeds between 73 and 112 mph, strong enough to peel roofs, push mobile homes off foundations and move autos. An F2 tornado produces wind speeds between 113 and 157 mph, causing considerable damage, including mobile homes demolished, boxcars pushed over, large trees snapped or uprooted, and “light-object missiles” generated.
“Enhanced risk” is the third step in a five-tier rating of tornado risk, Lee said. New Jersey typically gets 15-25 “marginal” tornado risk alerts annually, and 10 to 15 in the “slight” risk category. Enhanced risk alerts rarely exceed one or two annually in New Jersey.
Higher-level “moderate” tornado risk alerts only occur every two to five years in New Jersey, Lee said, while the “high” risk category is typically seen only in the tornado alley regions of the Midwest.
Scattered showers already in the area today will give way to stronger storms in the afternoon. Most of the storms should be brief but intense, with the potential to produce rates of 2-3 inches per hour and flash floods.
The NWS website offers a list of safety precautions to take in the event of a tornado warning. They include:
- Stay weather-ready: Continue to listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio to stay updated about tornado watches and warnings.
- At your house: If you are in a tornado warning, go to your basement, safe room, or an interior room away from windows. Don’t forget pets if time allows.
- At workplace or school: Follow your tornado drill and proceed to your tornado shelter location quickly and calmly. Stay away from windows and do not go to large open rooms such as cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums.
- Outside: Seek shelter inside a sturdy building immediately if a tornado is approaching. Sheds and storage facilities are not safe. Neither is a mobile home or tent. If you have time, get to a safe building.
- In a vehicle: Being in a vehicle during a tornado is not safe. The best course of action is to drive to the closest shelter. If you are unable to make it to a safe shelter, either get down in your car and cover your head, or abandon your car and seek shelter in a low lying area such as a ditch or ravine.
