Camden County, NJ, Tornado Confirmed; Video Captured by Residents

By Grace Muller, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer
September 08, 2012; 5:37 AM
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"Good example of what not to do in a tornado," AccuWeather Expert Meteorology Henry Margusity wrote on Facebook about the above video.
"1. Stand in parking lot and watch it.
2. Run under tree next to light pole."

New Jersey residents looked to the sky Tuesday to see funnel clouds coming down out of the clouds. According to National Weather Service (NWS) Meteorologist Mitchell Gaines, the Mt. Holly, N.J., office sent a storm survey team Wednesday to the Mt. Ephraim area, in Camden County, to survey the damage. Gaines said that a county official called in details of Tuesday's damage, including trees down with some root damage.

"Here's a picture taken before I drove through it!"
Mike Winer

The NWS storm survey team determined Wednesday afternoon that a tornado did in fact pass through Camden County, N.J., near Mount Ephraim.

Initially, it was believed the damage may have been a result of straight-line winds. Straight-line thunderstorm winds arise when high winds feeding into a thunderstorm are stirred down to the surface. A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air that reaches all the way to the ground.

Storm report from the Storm Prediction Center:
"Numerous trees down in this area. Numerous funnel cloud reports Blackhorse Pike and King's Highway."

Additional reporting by AccuWeather meteorologist Meghan Evans.

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