Damaging Wind in New Jersey, June 22, 1996

A severe thunderstorm caused considerable wind damage, particularly to farm crops and mobile homes in Spartan Village in North Hanover Township and some wind damage at McGuire Air Force Base. A 26-year-old National Guardsman died during the clean-up on the base when he tried to move a downed tree and it collapsed on him on Pennsylvania Avenue. Countywide damage to property and crops were estimated at 12 million dollars. About one-third of the damage occurred within North Hanover Township. About 22,000 homes lost power. A wind gust to 84 mph was reported at McGuire. Burlington County was declared a disaster area. Throughout the county 10 homes were destroyed, 116 homes suffered severe damage and 374 others had either minor or moderate damage. The worst damage occurred in the Spartan Village Trailer Park where nine homes were destroyed, 30 suffered extensive damage and greater than seventy percent of the 218 mobile homes suffered some damage. The greatest damage occurred on the north side of the park, which is exposed to an open field and was also the direction the wind was blowing from. In addition, a number of metal sheds were blown off their foundations. Damage farther south in the development became more superficial. Numerous trees were also uprooted, but most fell between the homes. About 300 families were temporarily displaced.Other wind damage within North Hanover Township included roof damage at the Ames Shopping Center, a McDonald's sign was blown out, a garage door at a Goodyear Tire dealership was blown into the building, roof and wall damage to a Primerica Insurance Building and a state police communication tower was snapped in half. Entire fields of crops were ruined in about a dozen farms from Chesterfield through North Hanover to Fort Dix.Wind damage at McGuire Air Force Base included a few trailers, a couple of aircraft and the collapse of a temporary warehouse. The building where meteorological observations are taken was also damaged. Wind damage also occurred in Hanover Square, New Hanover and Wrightstown Borough.