Little Twister Hits Somers Point

SOMERS POINT, N.J.: July 6, 2001 — A small tornado that went through a two-mile stretch of Somers Point on Thursday night uprooted trees and light poles and blew a boat 90 feet from one yard to another, authorities said. No injuries were reported.

Officials from the National Weather Service went to the scene and confirmed a tornado about 50 yards wide went through the town, according to meteorologist Bob Wanton of the service`s Mount Holly office. The tornado was of the smallest category possible, meaning it packed winds of less than 72 mph, according to Wanton. The tornado was part of heavy storms that came in before a cold front Thursday night and dumped up to 3 inches of rain in parts of Cape May County.

Vince Jones, the director of Atlantic County`s Emergency Management Office, minor damage to homes in Somers Point was reported after the 6:30 p.m. tornado. He said there were no power outages.

Jones said fences were blown down and many homeowners had a lot of debris in their yards.

Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Author: 6 ABC - Action News (AP)